1998, the best year of my life

In early 1998, I was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma.  I had been sick for the better half of 1997, so the feeling that I felt to finally find out what was wrong with me and that it was treatable was more a feeling of relief than one of fear. After about 2 weeks of  testing and procedures I started chemo.

March 17, 1998 marked the halfway point of my treatment, and in early April I had to be hospitalized due to complications from the chemotherapy.  On Saturday April 4th, I woke up to the doctor sitting on  the side of my bed.  She told me that I was pregnant.  I was stunned.  She then went on to explain in great detail that chemotherapy destroys all cells and that the chances of my body rejecting this pregnancy was very high.  If my body didn't reject my pregnancy, then my baby would be born mentally handicapped, deformed, etc.  I was pretty upset after that conversation.

When I told mama and daddy, they were both pretty upset and scared. Abortion was not an option. I had decided that I was stopping the chemo to carry my child.  I was worried about my baby, and they were worried about their baby.  I was supposed to have 6 cycles of chemo for the type and stage of cancer that I was at.

I had only had 3 cycles.

When I told the doctor's that I not only was not having an abortion,but that I would not be continueing on with my chemo treatments, they were not very happy.  They did everything to make me feel like I was doing some heinous deed.  It was awful but I stood firm in my decision. I understood that their job was to treat me for cancer, not for pregnancy. I understood that they had years of medical traing as well as years of working in Oncology. 

But none of that was more, or could be more than I what I knew God had already done for me.  I remember holding my stomach and crying out to God that I needed him to help me through this.

He did. 

I delivered a healthy, beautiful, PERFECT baby girl.  This was not the only miracle he worked in my life.  After giving birth, the plan was for me to start back to chemo.  When doing tests and scans to see what had happened in my body during my pregnancy......they found nothing.  Zero, zilch, zip, nada.  Not only did the find no cancer, the scarring that had been in my lungs from the cancer, was also completely gone. 

I was touched by God's healing hand.  He is an amazing God.  He cradled my baby and kept her safe from the poison that was being put in my body in order to kill all living cells.  I often remind her that she has a reason for being here, because she certainly should not be here, especially with out any physical or mental disablities. 

My miracle baby turned 14 today. 

She is just as beautiful inside as she is out. 

Thank you, Heavenly father, for all of your tender mercies and for loving me in spite of my imperfections. I feel blessed that you took me down a path that I could not walk with out you.  It humbled me and increased my faith in you.  In Jesus name I pray, Amen.