I thought to write of all the instances I could recall since our journey with the big 'C' started, but it just got too long.
So Ill just start with the summer of 2011 once Brandon was in remission. It was only 3 short days before my health started struggling. It took 8 months and numerous doctors to get a lupus diagnosis, and the next 2+ years of medication trial and error to get the lupus somewhat 'under control'. But God's timing allowed me to be the caretaker for Brandon when he needed it, then for him to be mine when I needed it. Yeah, I could look at it from a different perspective, as I did for quite a while, and say, 'What the heck God?!? First cancer, now Lupus? Why have you forsaken me?!' But instead I now see how merciful He was to allow one, then the other - not both at once, if cancer and lupus were both going to happen regardless.
Not only did God give us that gift of timing, but he also gave us a gift of empathy for each other through our health challenges. We often said that in a sense, both of us having to struggle with chronic illness was a blessing in disguise that brought us closer as a couple. We both understood the difference between 'being tired' and 'fatigue'. We both had limitations on our daily lives that many others just can't understand - especially at our age. And we never got resentful toward the other because of what we no longer could do. Instead we embraced it and invested in a comfy family room that we spent a lot of our 'illness' days just cuddling in together.
As we prayed about starting a family, of course our greatest concern was of Brandon's cancer returning. Every couple of months we would reevaluate. Is it time? No, not yet. Then suddenly we both knew it was time. At two years cancer free, and with the doctor's feeling confident in his response to the treatment, we felt God giving us the confidence to start the next chapter of our lives. As my father-in-law had said, we had lived in fear of cancer for so long, we were like turtles finally poking our heads out of our protective shell. In November of 2013 we were overjoyed to find out we were expecting.
As I look back now, this is precisely when Brandon's health started concerning us more then it had in the previous 2 1/2 years. The weekend before I found out I was pregnant we actually had an ambulance ride and hospital admittance due to what we thought was Avastin related kidney issues. (Probably was even though tests were inconclusive at the time.) Had this happened just a month sooner, we likely would have put our family planning on hold. But God's timing is perfect, and we believe that His plan was for Aria to be in this world, and worked everything accordingly.
God allowed for Brandon's health issues to be a nuisance enough that we pursued answers, but not so much that Brandon could not take care of me during my high risk pregnancy. I needed A LOT of help, and Brandon lovingly took care of me.
I am quite independent and don't like to trouble other people for something I am fully capable of doing myself, so Brandon enjoyed me not resisting his 'silver platter treatment' for once in our relationship. I didn't argue when he wanted to drop me off at the door, or carry things for me, or make me a hot bath to soak in.
I got to a point from about 20 weeks on where I only had about 2 hours of the day that I could be on my feet due to the lupus pain and fatigue. During this time Brandon drove me everywhere, ran all errands and selflessly cared for me.
In the last 3 weeks of my pregnancy I got a burst of energy and all the sudden felt great. Yes, nesting - but I also believe God's timing. In this time Brandon was actively pursuing answers to his not feeling well and had lots of doctors appointments, labs and tests.
When I was almost 38 weeks pregnant we got that horrible phone call that the PET scan showed activity, and just 4 days later Aria came along. And again, timing. If we had gotten the news any earlier in my pregnancy we would have started chemo and that whole process that was the first domino being tipped and Brandon would have missed the birth of his daughter from being bedridden or hospitalized. But God allowed for us to have that experience together. It didn't have to be that way, but I believe He blessed us with that gift.
Was my labor and delivery perfect? Absolutely not. Brandon was checked into the ER for the first 4 hours of my labor. But God had put it on our hearts to hire a doula for my labor, even though I planned for an epidural. Many doulas work primarily with non medicated births. So when Brandon was admitted downstairs, I at least had our doula, a familiar face, with me and I was not alone.
Once Brandon was released and able to join me, I had already had the epidural and was feeling quite good. I again feel this was timing. In the condition that Brandon was in, I don't think he would have handled seeing me in that amount of pain very well. I kinda think God spared him that with all he was already enduring, considering that he almost passed out a couple years ago when I had blood drawn and became a human pin cushion for the nurse. This was after his full sleeve tattoo, numerous surgeries and chemo; he was no wuss. But to see me in any pain or discomfort nearly broke him.
For a first pregnancy I was very lucky, with being in labor only 7 1/2 hours. Not many women go into labor from their water breaking, as I did, and I consider myself blessed. With both of our illnesses and the stress we carried with the devastating news it sure was amazing that we were not also enduring 18-24 hours of labor.
At this time we also did not know definitively the extent of the cancer. Brandon was scheduled for his biopsies the day I went into labor, and they had to be rescheduled. I believe this was God's unique timing as well for two reasons. First, we were able to experience the birth of Aria with the hope still that it may just be inflammation or infection. Second, Brandon was quite sore after the biopsies and had to recover for a few days after. It would have really taken away from our birth experience if he was in that much discomfort during my labor.
We had a few good days after Aria was born where Brandon was able to care for me and the baby, as a loving husband and father. He changed all her diapers for the first 3 days. For a few nights he also was able to help me as he had planned all along. When Aria woke to eat every 2-3 hours he would get her, hand her to me while I got myself situated, fill my water cup and make sure I had snacks next to the bed. After she was fed he would burp her, change her and swaddle her back up and put her to bed. He was so concerned for my recovery and keeping my lupus quiet he planned to do that as long as she was nursing through the night. I feel so blessed that God allowed us that time, if even just a couple of days to be parents together. I cherish those memories like gold. Oh what an amazing father he was.
Just days after returning home with Aria were the biopsies that left him unwell and unable to do much, and then the development of lots of symptoms leading up to that one and only chemo treatment.
During this God's timing also allowed my mom to be staying with us from the day after Aria was born through the week of the first treatment. Her help was so badly needed, and God knew that. As Brandon's family tended to him, my mom tended to me as I tended to our newborn.
Through each week, each new problem, each new level of care taking, God provided us all the perfect people at the perfect time.
God quite specifically timed my mom's multiple visits, including one arriving the day of Brandon's emergency surgery. The day we found out about the inoperable tumor. I didn't have to hear that news alone. I thank God for that.
When both of my parents came out once we moved to the hospice facility we thought we would only be there a week. But it ended up being twice that. Initially, my dad was going to come out after my mom due to work obligations, but my mom said she just knew he needed to be there right away. This again, was perfect timing. Though we all hoped that the miracle we prayed so desperately for would happen, arrangements still had to be made, we just hoped they wouldn't be needed. My dad was able to be my eyes and ears while out with my father-in-law, and just filter the needed decisions to me as I stayed by Brandon's bedside where he wanted me.
With a heavy heart I also think to the timing of Brandon's going Home. It was just as it was supposed to be. As much as I wanted to be by his side, in those 12 minutes I stepped away, he let go. I am thankful for that last gift Brandon gave to me, to not have to watch the life leave him. We had a beautiful last moment together that I will never forget. As someone told me, love held him back. He had to take that journey on his own. God knew.
As I look back over the big picture all
I can think is 'Oh how much God loves me!' He gave us so many blessings at the perfect time.
Many people have asked how I still have faith. How I can still trust God after He took a new father and devoted husband at just 33 years old. How I can call it 'Perfect Timing'.
Well, all I can say is it's HIS perfect timing. Obviously MY perfect timing would have played out with us raising two beautiful children together and dying in each other's arms in our 90's. But it's not up to me.
I guess I just trust in God's promises to us. And as I reflect back, I see how things could have been much, much worse.
The PET scan in February could have shown the recurrence. All this could have happened while I was pregnant. I could have had to bury my husband and then give birth without him to a daughter he never would meet. Aria could have had no pictures of her daddy holding her. It happens every day to people around the world.
I'm not saying that those people were not blessed-not at all. For whatever reason, that is God's plan for them and I'm sure He blesses them along their journey in unique ways to them. But for me, it just makes me feel grateful that I received the blessings I did among a terrible situation.
Things can pretty much always be worse. I guess that's how I'm making it through this, by focusing on my blessings and putting my trust in God to continue to provide what I NEED when I need it.
God has also given me a peace that this was always going to be the outcome. For almost 4 years I have agonized over 'What if we had just found it sooner? If we found it at Stage I, II or even III, we probably wouldn't be here.' But God had a plan. This always was it, even if we had caught it at Stage I. He gave me the gift of releasing those torturous 'what if's'.
There are so many other occurrences, big and small where things happened too perfectly to be considered simply coincidental. Often it was not something I could see in the moment. But having hindsight and taking the time to reflect on it has given me the ability to surrender this moment to God, knowing that though it may not always feel like it, He is always providing for our best interests in His perfect timing.
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Thank you for sharing your thoughts!