Baby after Aplastic Anemia and Chemotherapy
I know, I know, it's been a while. But that's a good thing right? Still means that everything is going great and I have nothing to write about really. However, I do have a lot of new updates! Especially for those who don't keep up with me via Insatgram (Dressy_daisy).
Ok well I don't even know where to start!
Since my one year after transplant post, things were pretty steady. I was taking an iron chelator medication here and there to help lower my iron level. That worked for a little and it went down to about 1,000. As mentioned before it should be anywhere from 7-207 for an average person. Mine was super high from all the transfusions I received that helped me, well basically, live. That was about September when they checked. At that appointment my doctor talked to me and he told me that I need to wait another year to try to get pregnant. At least it was a very strong recommendation. Yes, I was very disappointed and heart broken but I knew that he has education in this stuff and that he knows better than me. He said that there just isn't enough research and information on aplastic anemia and pregnancy for him to tell me it's okay. Also with chemo, they recommend 2 years also so that there are less chances of birth defects. Of course there were tears and prayers coming from me after. And then the more I testified my story, the more I realized that God has done so much wonderful things in my life and he will not stop! I knew anything is possible with him and I started praying for a healthy baby. I prayed over my womb daily and proclaimed in Jesus name that I am healed and that when I do get pregnant that I will have a healthy child. I went back to OHSU in December to do all my vaccines. I had 6 of them done and little did I know, I had conceived that week! Yes I got pregnant. This would mark 1 year and 4 months after transplant. This was also 2 years and 2.5 months after we got married and we always talked about waiting 2 years to have kids and it coincidentally fell on this mark. It all started on Christmas day when I felt tired all of the sudden like a wave half way through the day and then 2 days later I was having to pee every hour. 3 days after Christmas I checked and sure enough I was pregnant. A positive line right away. Of course I had to double check lol. I even checked one more time on my lunch break at work. I kept this in all day and when I got home from work I made Yanik a sweet surprise box so that I could tell him that I am pregnant. I put it under the tree and had him open it. Lets just say, it was the most sweetest and happiest moment of our lives. He was smiling for the rest of the week! God had sent me a miracle baby and it was ours to keep. The fact that I conceived was just an incredible feeling that I was waiting for. Everything that I was praying for. After I confirmed my pregnancy at a local clinic I was very worried about the vaccines so I called my doctors office and they assured me that they should not have an effect on the baby since they were not live vaccines. Thank God! I had polio, Hep B, tetanus, Prevna, hep a, and meningitis (very sore arms after by the way-3 on each arm lol).
When I had my 12 week appointment and my first ultrasound, it felt so unreal. I couldn't hold back the tears but at the same time I still couldn't believe it. They said that the baby looks healthy and with it's strong heartbeat that it's a keeper. Words that all expecting mamas want to hear. Of course they told me that I am gonna be high risk and they will have to closely monitor me and my aplastic anemia in case if it returns and that its an antepartum pregnancy but I believe that I am healed from it and that it wont. In fact, I don't even feel like I'm high risk because everything has been so perfect and smooth. I don't see my doctor more than any other normal pregnant women. Once a month! But not everything has been perfect, my iron did go up to 1600 by the beginning of the pregnancy so I decided to do a few phlebotomy draws and that helped bring it down to 1000 and I might do a few more. It's basically like donating blood but they take half as much because I'm pregnant and they just throw it away because its not usable. My poor veins are so done, half the time its hard for the nurses to find a good vein without hurting me. But this is all a season and it too will pass! It could be worse, I could still be sick.
Well anyways, today I am 22 weeks and 3 weeks ago we found out that we are having a little GIRL!!!
We are beyond excited and I cannot wait to hold her already and kiss her sweet face. I have waited my whole life for her! I started feeling her kicks at 17 weeks, and they have not stopped. Especially when I eat something, it's like a dance party in there hehe.
Also they told me that I might have placenta previa at my 18 week appointment and so they had to double check me 3 weeks later. It's when the placenta makes its home low in the uterus and close to the cervix and mine is low lying right now. If it doesn't move, this can lead to complications and also means I would need to get a c-secion about 3 weeks early. The last thing I want or need is to be cut. When I went back last week, her head was in the way so they told me that they will keep watching it to see and said to come back in 8 weeks. By then they will clearly be able to see if the placenta slid over or not. Placenta previa can be dangerous and they have to watch for bleeding but my doctor assured me that it's not the scariest thing and that most likely the placenta moves. I pray it does! Also they checked my baby for genetic disorders and for down syndrome and all the results came back looking really good with a very small chance of the baby having anything, thank God. They say that she looks like a very healthy baby, and to me she already looks perfect! Her little nose and face shape are so precious!
Back in October of 2014, God said in my prophecy that he was still gonna still send us a great happiness. This was a month before I was hospitalized for aplastic anemia, so I didn't even know what was coming! Because of this promise, I never once doubted my healing or my ability to have children. Even when the doctors told me that I might not be able to have kids, I rebuked those words in Jesus name. My husband was so wonderful, he always told me that God was going to heal me and that everything would be okay. I knew my heavenly father was watching over me and that he was gonna send us this child. He kept telling me later: trust, pray, proclaim, believe, and always be thankful! He wanted me to believe and he said that I would receive and that he was protecting and keeping me safe. He is so loving!! Friends, words and faith have power. God is always on our side, we just have to have hearts like children, believe even when the world says no, when the doctors say no, when the results say no. Because God can say YES.
Two years passed since that promise, so don't be discouraged when your prayers aren't answered the minute you ask them. God must first take you through a journey in order for you to grow and learn.
And look, everything has been falling back into place after our trial and now we have learned to trust in the Lord more. Our love is deeper for each other and our foundation is much stronger. After chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant a baby is possible! We have an angel coming soon, and we cannot wait to finally meet her. The most important thing is that she will be healthy. Thank you all for reading, I will try to keep up all updated on anything new. Be blessed!
xoxo
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