Beating Cancer: How I Did It as a New Mother
Today I share with you a beautiful woman, mother and fellow writer who shares with you how she fought cancer- as a brand new mother. She is now 7 years cancer free and her story and courage will inspire you. Meet, Heather Von St. James.
When speaking to my seven-year-old daughter about what it was like to have a mom with cancer, you may be surprised by her response. She always says in the most candid of ways that she saved my life. It’s unreal to some adults how a child can really save an adult from cancer, after all she’s not a surgeon, but it’s the truth and it’s an extraordinary tale of how she came into my life. She gave me the strength to keep going when I didn’t know if I had anything left.
My husband Cameron and I wanted to wait a while into our marriage before having kids. After seven years, I knew that it was time we had a child. Once we made that decision, it was just a few short months until I was pregnant and on my way to a new life. It was definitely a journey of questions. There were thousands of questions each and every day about being pregnant, being a parent and raising kids. It’s funny how I look back now and think about the instincts that really kicked in. I rubbed my belly a lot and constantly thought of what kind of mother I would be. I definitely wasn’t sure if I was going to be a cool mom. As long as I was a good mother though, I figured that everything would fall into place.
On the day of Lily’s birth, she was a breech baby. That meant that I had to have an emergency c-section. It was scary, but pretty soon, I was holding Lily in my arms and realizing just how lucky I was to have something so beautiful in my life. It was the happiest moment in my life, something that I will never forget. In just a few short months, I was going to understand the true meaning of life’s ups and downs.
After we brought Lily home, I didn’t want to wait to go back to work. I had to start getting back into the swing of things. I didn’t want to sit around either. However, everything began to weigh me down. I would wake up and still be tired, but more than just the morning after a long night. I would be exhausted to the point that I could sleep another day if I wanted. I was also losing a lot of weight. Nothing felt right, and it was because of that feeling that I went back to the doctor for some tests. I never saw what was coming.
Cameron and I went together to the doctor to hear my results three days before Thanksgiving. We were in the midst of taking care of a beautiful newborn and preparing for the holidays. So when the doctor told me that I had malignant pleural mesothelioma, all thoughts ran out of my head about the holidays, and zeroed in on the phrase that I only had 15 months to live without treatment. How could this be happening to me? I had just brought something so amazing into this world, and I was supposed to have at least 40 more years doting on her as a good mother. Well, I didn’t have any time for that, but I couldn’t focus on picking a treatment. I’m so happy that Cameron was with me. Throughout everything, he has been my rock. He told the doctor that I had to see the specialist in Boston. There weren’t any other successful mesothelioma programs in our area.
It was going to be a long process that started with a bang. I had to go through a major life risking surgery that would remove one whole lung, parts of my chest lining, diaphragm and heart lining. Then, I needed intense chemotherapy and radiation to rid my body of any cancer cells. That was going to be the worst part. I wouldn’t see Lily for months. I spent 18 days in the hospital after the surgery. I didn’t know if I was ever going to be the same again, but I continued to dream of all the same things that I had when I was pregnant. I thought of Lily every day. She was the reason that I got through so many of the dark days.
My family was also there for me in so many ways. They were there for me and Lily when we needed a place together as I recovered from treatment. I’ll never forget what my parents did for us and what so many other strangers gave to us. They were truly a blessing when I didn’t know that we had such a big family. Seven years later, I’m happy and healthy, and I beat mesothelioma, something that many people can’t say so many years later.
Today, Heather Von St. James is a seven year mesothelioma cancer survivor and continues to provide unending inspiration to mesothelioma victims around the globe. She carries out her mission to be a beacon of hope for those afflicted with mesothelioma by sharing her story of faith, love and courage both as a keynote speaker at conferences and through social media forums.