Some seasons of life transform everythin. All in a short amount of time, I experienced pregnancy loss, the arrival and departure of our foster children, and cancer while pregnant again. Through these different trials, I discovered that grief accompanies every significant loss, not just death, and that faith and hardship are deeply intertwined. Here’s the…
Having been diagnosed with cancer while pregnant, I know the desperation that comes in searching for other stories similar to your own. I was diagnosed with cancer in early pregnancy and started chemotherapy at 17 weeks pregnant. I had a healthy baby girl at 35 weeks and finished chemo after she was born. This is…
When the hospital staff wheeled me from the ER to the labor and Delivery unit, you were waiting for me at my door. I remember your soft smile and empathetic eyes. You said, “Hi Kelsey, I’m so sorry we have to meet under these circumstances.” I instantly knew that you would take good care of…
We found out we were pregnant soon after we received our foster care license. We took three brothers into our home for foster care, knowing that we would also be welcoming a new baby. We made preparations for how the nursery would fit two cribs instead of one. We discussed how we would arrange child…
When I started chemotherapy, the plan was for me to go through 6 rounds of chemo. My oncologist, Dr. Kingsley said I would receive a PET scan after 4 rounds, would probably have a cancer-free scan, and then receive two more rounds of chemo treatments. This was exciting because it meant I would finish my…
After Uriah’s birth, the thought of getting pregnant again sent me into a panic. What if things didn’t go well? I doubted that I could manage another pregnancy. Maybe someday, but not yet. Caleb and I didn’t talk about it often because it was such a hard topic. When one of us felt ready to…
The last time I posted, I had an update on my cancer treatment. I explained that after my 8 rounds of chemotherapy, I would have another PET scan that would hopefully show up clear and then I would be done! Well, that PET Scan was almost clear- But I still had some of that mass…
What is an Ommaya Reservoir? An Ommaya reservoir is a round, plastic device that is surgically placed under the scalp. It looks like a bubble under the skin and has a catheter that leads through the brain into the spinal fluid. This allows a doctor to access the spinal fluid through the Ommaya reservoir, instead…
The story of my cancer diagnosis while pregnant Yes, I’ve been diagnosed with cancer. Non-Hodgkin’s B-Cell Lymphoma. Specifically, Burkitt’s Lymphoma. Yes, I am also pregnant. Since my diagnosis, I’ve had many friends ask me how I knew to go to the doctor. They want to know what symptoms might be cause for alarm in their…
What is it like to get a chemo port? My experience I hadn’t even officially received my diagnosis when I was told I needed a chemo port. The doctor told me to schedule the procedure and I challenged them- “Shouldn’t we wait until we actually knew this was cancer?” I tried putting it off. When…
