Hi All,
Heather contacted me to see if she could share her story. As you know, KICS donates a percentage of sales to the Relay for Life, an initiative of the Canadian Cancer Society. Heather's story illustrates why we donate.
Welcome Heather!
Battling Cancer as a New Mother
I Survived Cancer Because
My Daughter Gave Me Inner Strength
I am always the first
person to tell other people that my 7-year-old daughter is right when she says
that she saved my life. She believes this is true in the same way that she
knows when she is hungry or sick. The idea of saving my life dwells within her
soul to the degree that she says these words without even thinking about them
ahead of time. Even though some persons mock her words, they simply do not
comprehend the real meaning behind her sentiments.
My husband Cameron and I
did not start to think about having a baby until we were already married for
seven years. I must admit that I was a bit scared about the thought of getting
pregnant because I was already 35 years old. Little did I realize that I would
receive good news three months later! I was pregnant with my first child! I
have to tell you that my feelings were a combination of awe, nervousness and
extreme excitement. I was destined to be a mom! It is almost laughable when I
think about how soon I began to think like a mother. I constantly rubbed my
tummy and thought about the tiny person who was slowly forming inside my womb.
I must have thought about at least a thousand different questions. Would I turn
out to have what it takes to be a good mom? Would I teach my daughter to laugh
and have fun? Would I be too restrictive? Would my daughter think I was cool?
The only think I understood was that the ability to be a good mother was
uppermost in my mind.
My pregnancy was so easy
that I could have been pregnant at least ten times in a row! But, the ease
suddenly became a little problematic. Lily had to be born with the help of an
emergency C-section because she was a breech birth baby. I laughed, thinking
that she would be born with a very round head. I guess I always try to see the
positive aspects of any situation. I still feel a sense of amazement when I
think about the emotional fervor I experienced the first time I held my
daughter. This experience made me realize that I had to do everything in my
power to shower my daughter with affection, joy and feelings of security. I had
the desire to mold her into an incredibly capable adult. I wanted to be her
mentor and shower her with my affectionate feelings. The world as I previously
knew it ceased to exist the moment I held little Lily in my arms, and I then
realized that she played an extremely important role in my life. I had the
desire to shield her from every type of danger and simply hold her for the next
ten thousand years. The moment I held Lily was so perfect that it was
impossible to imagine the brewing storm that was just around the corner.
Sadly, I was diagnosed with
malignant
pleural mesothelioma 3 ½ months after Lily was born. In addition to this
gloomy medical report, my physician informed me that I needed to start
receiving medical treatments for my condition right away or the consequences
would result in my leaving this world in a period of 15 months. I thank God
that my husband was so strong after I received the diagnosis from my doctor.
However, I was completely shocked and just could not fathom the possibility of
Lily and Cameron living without me in their lives. My husband decided to
confront my condition by taking me to a place that offered technologically
advanced measures to combat this rare illness. I met with a famous mesothelioma doctor
in Boston who decided to perform a drastic procedure that involved removing my
left lung, the lining of my heart and my diaphragm. I spent 18 days in my
hospital bed recuperating
from the surgery and an
additional two weeks in an outpatient treatment center located in Boston. I
then traveled to South Dakota to stay with my mom and dad for an additional two
months. My parents were wonderful. They even took care of Lily while I was
trying to regain my strength. After the two-month period ended, I went back
home to Minnesota and received radiation and chemotherapy treatments.
Many moms in this type of
situation would make sacrifices that would help them survive for the sake of
their tiny newborns, and I was no different. I was still alive when Lily was
six months old, even though I had to leave her side for an entire month while I
received chemotherapy and radiation treatments. The Lord gave me courage to
face the future because of my darling little daughter who needed my love and
care.
Mesothelioma is a type of
cancer that kills almost 95 percent of persons who have been diagnosed with
this condition. When I remember my experience with mesothelioma, I realize that
the being Lily's mother gave me the inner strength to survive in spite of the
odds. Thinking about the fact that Lily needed me was the one thing that gave
me the ability to meet the tests I had to face every day. So, when Lily tells
other people that she saved my life, she is not just making up a story. My
daughter's words are 100 percent true.
