I would like to tell you the story of COURAGE, a woman struck by the hardship and who is an incredible source of inspiration. I hope you too will draw strength and courage from it!
A year ago, like every Wednesday, I will be teaching at the Church of Coteau-du-Lac for my Outdoor Fitness Mom class. After doing the aerobic segment, my emotions run wild, because I hear Chantal, Chantal, Chantal in the distance! I see a mother whom I will name COURAGE in this article in order to respect her confidentiality.
She is accompanied by her husband, her 2-year-old daughter and her little baby of a few weeks. I am happy, sad, nostalgic, worried, happy, moved…
Umbrella in hand, her head adorned with a scarf, she has a smile on her face! As she talks, my head is in thought. I haven't had any news for a few months. It all comes back to me.
Back in time
Like every week, COURAGE goes to her prenatal aerobics class, she is 29 weeks pregnant. The only thing that changes his routine is excessive coughing. She is not worried about it since she consulted a doctor who told her that it is a virus, and who prescribed her rest and plenty of water!
Her husbandis a devoted and loving father. He works to support his family, and COURAGE invests all his time in satisfying the thirst for learning of his 2-year-old casserole. In addition, she makes sure to be fit and he althy since she has a little coco living inside her.
Her days are getting longer and harder to bear, but she holds her head up high. She is anticipating her husband's return to work, as her daughter is bursting with energy and very stimulated. After several weeks of consultations, questions, appointments and repetitive discomfort, she decides to return to the emergency room because her respiratory problems are intense. According to COURAGE, she might have pneumonia.
A Surprise Diagnosis
To her amazement, the doctor tells her that she has linfoblastic T-cell lymphoma, i.e. acute leukemia. However, pregnant, we have repeated blood tests! She is convinced that there is a medical error since a week earlier the gynecologist told her that her blood tests were normal. The oncologist took care to explain to her the steps and steps to overcome the disease, telling her that she would not leave the hospital.
His world has just changed, his story takes a completely different turn. She is the lead actress of the drama. She has no control and does not know the end. She asks herself: is it true? Still, I only had one virus?
His rational mom side takes over: I need to find a placefor my daughter, I have to notify my gynecologist, I have to make a list of the things I need, I… Then came the questioning phase: will I transmit the disease to my son? Will he be developmentally delayed? Will my daughter be mad at me for being away from her? Will I suffer with the treatments, will I lose my hair?
COURAGE is a mother without any control over her life and who cannot fulfill her role as a mother!
Childbirth
At 32 weeks, she is induced and gives birth to a beautiful 4 lb baby boy bursting with energy. He is gaining weight quickly and showing his mom that he can't wait to get home. COURAGE, with strength and accompanied by her husband, goes through and makes this event, an event filled with joy and life!
After giving birth, COURAGE could no longer have contact with her baby. Chemotherapy is harmful to her newborn, and viruses can be deadly to her. For three weeks she had no contact with her son and she could only talk to her daughter on the phone. Her husband could visit her, but they could not kiss. The only possible contact was hugs, as long as he wears a mask, the uniform, gloves… The lack of human warmth in her new life sometimes makes her nostalgic. During this long time, COURAGE accepted the situation and followed all the advice, because her primary goal was to get out of the wing in order to see her children and her husband again! She kept all her energy forovercome his illness!
The chemotherapy treatments will last 2 years.
Life lesson
We chatted recently because I wanted to know how she was doing after a year of treatment. Standing in front of me, she gives me a lesson in humility, positivism, strength and above all COURAGE!
However, she is a non-smoking and perfectly he althy mother who ended up with cancer. You have to listen to your body and persevere, even insist, when you feel that there is something abnormal. It is because she was tenacious that she is alive today.
He currently has a year of chemotherapy left before he can say the word REMISSION!
What she found most difficult was that there is no social network or chat group for women who are diagnosed with global cancer during pregnancy. We must not forget that she had two battles: to give birth to a he althy baby and to recover from her illness. She was only able to focus on her recovery when her son was born. He alth takes on a whole new dimension when you are sick, it becomes a priority! You savor every little moment. You become much more in tune with your body. Household chores, projects, activities become possible only if you feel fit to accomplish them. You have to listen to your needs. You must not do things to please those around you if you feel tired, because it is your life that is at stake. You must manage to be lessapathetic, doing the things you can do and not the things you want to do, even if it brings a lot of disappointment and rage. You must save all your energy for healing!
COURAGE had to put her pride aside, because after chemotherapy treatment, suffering and fatigue meant that she had to delegate tasks to her husband while accepting that she had difficulty doing everyday things like going to the toilet, eating, taking a bath… It was her husband who combined the roles of mom and dad by getting up at night, giving baths, etc. But, despite the support of her husband, COURAGE had a lot of trouble agreeing to say no to her two-year-old daughter who was asking her to read a book to her, to play with her… Her head and her mother's heart wanted to act, but his body couldn't!
I have seen that her children have adapted very well to this situation, because they are smiling and full of energy and love for their mother. The children of course had reactions during their mother's hospitalization, but I notice that because of the love given to them by those around them and by COURAGE and her husband, they do not have a disorder emotional.
This event in their lives caused them to have very strong feelings for each other. They learned that nothing in life is taken for granted. They have an unparalleled bond… They savor the present moment!
For COURAGE, having regained the energy to make supper, read books to your children, go for a walk, kiss yourhusband… IT'S A GIFT OF LIFE!
The predictions are excellent, so she finds pleasures in life every day.
I hope his story will always be engraved in my memory so that I can move forward without arguing when I experience difficult trials. They say that trials make us grow. COURAGE is for me a VERY GREAT WOMAN!
