Monday, August 18, 2014

Happy Cancerversary To Me - Two Small Gifts Included

March 8, 2013 12pm - I was just waking up from my mastectomy, waiting for my husband and mother to come into the recovery room.

March 8, 2014 12pm - I was being wheeled down the hall for an emergency c-section, waiting for my children to be born.

What a difference a year makes!

March 7, 2014 - I had just gotten home when the phone rang and it was my OB on the other end.  Not the nurse, not the receptionist, the doctor.

Shit.

"We got your lab work back.  I was just discussing your case with my friend who is a Maternal Fetal Specialist in Chapel Hill......."

Case?  I have a case?

"...and you need to pack a bag and go straight to the hospital.  I'll meet you there."

Shiiiiiiit.

My very uneventful high risk twin pregnancy had suddenly become very serious.  I had pre-eclampsia and the lab work was worse every time they ran it.  The plan was one steroid shot that night, another steroid shot the next night, and delivery the third night.  I secretly felt like, being on medical bedrest, my body would calm down and it would be several days if not weeks before the babies came.  I at least wanted to wait until Monday when I would be 35 weeks pregnant.

The next morning, after more blood work, here came the doctor again.

"It's time.  Anesthesia is on its way."

Wait, NO!  But today is my cancerversary!!  I don't want sweet, innocent babies to be associated with cancer!

The pre-eclampsia had become HELLP syndrome, and suddenly all three of our lives were at stake.  Ready or not, here they came!

I was devastated that they were born early, and devastated I wasn't allowed to even see them until they were ten hours old, and devastated that I couldn't hold them until they were three and four days old.  And devastated they were born on my cancerversary.  Of all days, they had to be born on the first anniversary of my mastectomy.

But now that my preemies are thriving, and our rough start has been replaced with gummy smiles, deep belly laughs, and all the baby cuddling one could ever want - times two!! - I can appreciate my two cancerversary gifts.

After never having been able to get pregnant, I was suddenly pregnant less than five months after being diagnosed with breast cancer.

The first OB appointment to confirm the pregnancy was exactly six months after my mastectomy.

Two months later we received the shock of our lives to find that not only were we pregnant, we were spontaneously pregnant with twins!

And then those surprise twins were born exactly a year after my mastectomy, on my cancerversary.

Okay, God, I got it.  My life is not supposed to be about being afraid of cancer.  And I have TWO babies to remind me of that!  Thanks be to God.


I prayed for a miracle and I got two!

Brings all new meaning to the American Cancer Society's tag line - the official sponsor of birthdays!