A look back on a year ago today!!!

One year ago today, Jeff and I were awaiting the news that would change our lives!! I was about 24wks pregnant with Alyvia. I was being sent to Barnes Hospital in St Louis for an extensive ultrasound because of the mass that my regular OB found at my 20 wk Ultrasound. Jeff and I mad the trip up there that morning on the 12th. I had the Ultrasound and was basically told that it did not look good and that it appeared to be an ovarian tumor and not the good kind!! Well, I was scheduled to have an MRI that evening. We stayed in St Louis all day worried to death. It was the worst thing that I thought that I would ever have to here. I was terrified to have an MRI as I am very clausterphobic (spelling)!! Jeff went in there with me and stood by my head. Luckily I could see out!! But I was scared because they don't do MRI's on very many pregnant people!! I knew that it was very necessary to get done. So the Radiologist was very nice and he knew that I was worried. He called us in the office and showed us the pics. He thought it would give us a piece of mind to atleast see Alyvia. They took pics of Alyvia to because it is not very often that they get to see this. Jeff said that his office went from having one person to about 10 people in it as they were scanning me!! He basically told us then that it was not a fibroid it really looked like a large mass on my left ovary! So , we were scheduled to come back up there to see a Gynecological/oncologist on Feb 14th!! The next day, lots of tears were shed and worries to be had. What was I going to do and how do you explain to a 2year old what is happening. I tried to put on a brave face in front of Bryce eventhough I was heartbroken inside. So Jeff reassured me that everything was going to be okay. Lets just see what the Dr. is going to say!! So we went up there on Valentines Day (Wed). We met with him and he discussed with us the only option that we had. Surgery. What surgery when I am 24 weeks pregnant. This is what I was thinking. I knew in my heart that she would be okay, but would I?? Well, we were in his office which seemed like an eternity. (2hours) He discussed with an OBGYN on what to do. Whether to wait and take Alyvia early or do the surgery now and the take her at 36wks. This seemed like the better option. I was put in the hospital that day and was scheduled to have surgery the next day on the 15th!! During this time I was missing Bryce just wanting to see his little face!! Well, My parents got together some clothes and brought them to us. His mom watched Bryce. My surgery went good and they removed the mass and the left ovary. Alyvia's heart rate was great during the whole thing. I was relieved to feel her kick as soon as I was in recovery and awake. I vaguely remembering them say that her heart rate was very good and she was doing fine. That was more of a concern to me then my own self. They told me before that if I had gone into labor that they would have saved me and not her because at that gestation age she was not really viable. That was hard for me to comprehend and it was against every moral belief that Jeff and I have!!
Well, I was then told that the mass seemed to be self contained in my left ovary. So, we just had to await the pathology reports in one week to come back. I spent my 25th bday in the hospital. The hospital even made me a cake and brought it to me. Jeff stayed at the hospital with my while our parents took care of Bryce. I went home I believe in like 3-4 days after surgery. I had to take it easy as I had an incision going from about an inch above my belly button and around it all the way down to my previous c-section scar. This incision seemed even bigger because it was on a growing pregnant belly.
I went to the Dr in a week to get the staples removed and to find out the dreaded words. It was Ovarian Cancer Stage 1!! Mine was a very rare kind in which it had 3 different types of cells in it. Well, this was the only treatment I needed until I was 36 weeks.