It's hard to believe but I initially booked Gale for an #inspiremesession way back at the beginning of 2020. Long before the world flipped upside down and everything changed.
This past week, we finally made it happen and it was PERFECT! It was such a pleasure to meet this family of four and yes, their golden Sophie stole the show for me.
Take a moment and read her story. She is truly a ray of light to be around and just exudes positivity. We need more of this.
- Sunny
My husband and I were blessed with our daughter in 2016. Last year seemed like the right time to give her a younger sibling. After a couple months, the positive we were waiting for finally appeared. We were thrilled and couldn’t wait for January 2020.
This reality was quickly shattered and became “there is no baby” followed a few weeks later by “you have cancer.”
Pathology confirmed that I had a molar pregnancy from which I was later diagnosed with Gestational Trophoblastic Neoplasia. The cancer had invaded the muscle lining of my uterus and had spread to my lungs. Before I could even process what was happening, I was starting chemotherapy. Our world was turned upside down and something that had started so positive quickly became a living nightmare.
Over the course of the summer months I went through 7 rounds of chemo, which I finished in October. During this time, I tried to stay strong for my family, in particular my daughter. Life for her, I tried to keep as normal as I could. I continued to go to work despite being told how crazy I was to be there. I left early on treatment days and only missed days when I just couldn’t function. I knew deep down that things were going to get better and I was too stubborn to let cancer interfere anymore than it already had. Of course I couldn’t have done this without my husbands’ undying support. On the harder days, he was there to remind me what I was fighting for and despite how ugly I felt as I grew balder and balder, he told me daily how beautiful I was.
You’d think that this was enough for one summer, but no. On top of the pregnancy loss, a rare cancer diagnosis and chemo, life also threw in the loss of my family/parents’ dog, 2 car accidents that both my husband and daughter were in (luckily with no one being hurt) and our dog having an oral tumour requiring a drive to Saskatoon for surgery where half of her bottom jaw was removed.
Somehow 2019 became, to this point, one of our worst years ever. But despite all of this, I have tried to maintain a positive attitude.
It is now 3 months post chemo. My family and I are healthy. I continue to have regular follow-up and monitoring. Anxiety is now my main enemy but something that I continue to fight daily.
I continue to be thankful that I am alive and that all 4 of us (I include our dog as the 4th) have walked into 2020 together despite all of the obstacles. I have hope that one day this will all make sense and that a rainbow baby will be part of a future story.
- Gale
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