Cancer Survivor Stories

by Kristina
(Colorado)

I was pregnant with my daughter when I heard these words, "You have cancer." I was only 24 years old. My son was 2.

The doctors and specialists advised me to not continue with the pregnancy, they said I had a son already and that should be enough. They couldn't give us any odds on the baby or I surviving through the pregnancy.

Every time I looked at my little boy I saw what was growing inside me and I prayed that God would not give us more than we could handle and force us to make a choice between me or the baby. I remember being curled up in a ball in the shower crying to God to help us through this.

After much prayer, my husband and I decided to continue with the pregnancy. At 11 weeks gestation they removed what they could of the tumor on my cervix and put in a cerclage. At 20 weeks gestation I went into pre-term labor due to the trauma to my cervix.

I was put on strict bed rest and drugs to try and stop the contractions. The contractions lightened up but continued for 15 weeks. It was a looong 15 weeks! I finally delivered a very small but healthy baby girl 5 weeks early.

Two months after our daughter's birth my husband and I agreed that I would have a hysterectomy (they found more cancer cells in the tissues they removed but not in the lymph nodes). Praise God!

I heard those dreadful words almost ten years ago now. My daughter is a healthy and beautiful 9 year old and my son just turned 12.

Our story was a terrible story with a happy ending. We are thankful for every day we have with each other and know that we are not promised tomorrow. We have been very blessed.