The Unexpected Wonder of Baby “R”

I hung up the phone with the doctor and hoped I could finish my Hobby Lobby shopping without bursting into tears after the unexpected news. After a few minutes, the numbness and autopilot kicked in.

On the one hand, I was grateful to have an explanation for symptoms that continued to get worse over the course of the summer. I had only visited the doctor in the first place because it was getting hard to function from day to day. On the other hand, I never expected anything life changing.

The initial office visit yielded a prognosis of an ovarian cyst. Nothing too major and it should go away on its own. I thought, “Oh, I can handle it for a while longer than, switch up my health care routine even more, get more rest, etc.”

However, the results from ultrasounds told a different story.

The Real Diagnosis

Connecting with my husband from the safety of the car, tears fell down my cheeks as I relayed the doctor’s news. It was actually fibroids. One small and not much concern. One fairly large of the most uncommon type, positioned in a way that made removal of just the fibroid near impossible. The recommendation considering what it was, the severity of my symptoms, and the fact they often reoccur even with removal, was to have a hysterectomy.

We weren’t planning on any more children, so that was not an overly big issue. But the thought of losing the innermost part of me that’s made me a mom and a woman sent me reeling. It was hard to process. And six weeks of recovery seemed daunting considering I homeschool and help run two family businesses.

Not wanting to act rashly, we spent time looking into other options, but were met with the same recommendation. Making a choice was difficult. Having what’s considered a major surgery could lead to a life free from symptoms but possibly entail other side effects. Or I could wait it out while trying a more natural approach. Ultimately, I chose the latter.

The Game Plan

There is no mistake God has guided us and put certain hardships in our life to help prepare for moments like that. Had our daughter Q not been born with food sensitivities; we wouldn’t have the knowledge on natural healing and access to holistic practitioners.

We dove into researching which whole-food supplements could help, what (if any) foods should be eliminated, and alternative/natural care possibilities.

Within one week of a new supplement regiment, symptoms became tolerable. Within three weeks many symptoms dissipated. After a month, I started acupuncture treatments and things improved a little more.

Expect the Unexpected

After a couple months, I silently decided a hysterectomy was not needed provided I could maintain the mostly symptom free life I was experiencing. We continued tweaking the supplement regiment and using natural ways to manage the fibroids.

Then out of the blue, symptoms returned full force with several new bothers added in. Perplexed, I went to my normal acupuncture treatment and explained what was going on.

Imagine my surprise as the acupuncturist examined a few things, started giggling, and then told me to go home and take a pregnancy test.

All I could think was “NO WAY!,” it literally can’t be possible. Not to mention the effort and financial commitment we’d put into healing. Furthermore, fibroids grow with higher levels of certain hormones, so being pregnant would just be ridiculous.

And yet, sure enough. Two pink lines. Facing my husband, I gave him a trepid smile, started to cry, and said, “I guess God has different plans for us right now!”.  

A Revised Plan

Shortly after, bouts of fear and anxiety kicked in as I knew the pregnancy would be considered high risk. Health challenges did come up, but with God’s help we waded through those too.

Despite the rocky journey and our unexpected gift, God blessed us with a healthy baby, and we couldn’t be more in love with her.

While not everyone’s journey will yield the same results, I’m thankful God allowed it for me. I’m blessed to have a circle of friends to turn to for prayer. I’m grateful God provided the grace, strength, and patience required to walk through this part of my story.

Gazing at R’s tiny fingers; it crazy to think a year ago I was faced with the possibility of never being able to conceive again. I cannot help but chuckle at what I call God’s “humor” in the timing of things. I will forever be thankful He allowed His plan to unfold as it did, so I can appreciate it even more.