Today I am honored to bring you a very special guest post. I was introduced to this amazing woman through my blog and her story is very inspirational. Please welcome Heather Von St James!!
It
Truly
Takes
A Village
During tough times, I’m sure you’ve probably heard the old phrase “it takes a village.” Although said quite frequently, it does ring true; this is something I have truly come to realize. The first time that I really understood the meaning was during my pregnancy. After a long nine months, my daughter, Lily, was born on August 4, 2005. With the exception of an emergency C-section, the pregnancy was relatively normal. However, like all pregnancies, there were still tough times. Thankfully, however, my husband and I were surrounded by our “village” consisting of our parents, families, and friends. They were all there for us each step of the way. With everything going so well in the delivery room, I don’t think any of us could’ve ever imagined the horrible storm on the horizon.
About a month after I gave birth, I returned to work. About a month into working full time, however, my health began to take a turn for the worst. I not only had no energy, but I was breathless and very tired. Although these symptoms are usually attributed to being a new mother, something about them made me feel otherwise. As a result, I went to visit my doctor to see if something was wrong.
Needless to say, something was definitely wrong.
On November 21, 2005, my doctor diagnosed me with malignant pleural mesothelioma, a deadly cancer of the lining of the lung and its surrounding tissue. This type of cancer is usually caused by exposure to asbestos, which had apparently happened to me 30 years prior as a child.
To make matters worse, my doctor also said that I would only have 15 months to live if I didn’t seek treatment. Although I feared for my own life, my first thoughts weren’t about me. Instead, they were about my husband and newborn daughter not only having to cope with my death, but also having to survive without me. The thought of this made me realize that I needed to undergo the most drastic treatment possible. As a result, my husband and I flew to Boston to seek help from one of the nation’s leading mesothelioma specialists, leaving Lily behind with her grandparents.
In Boston, I underwent a procedure known as an extrapleural pneumenectomy where my left lung and its surrounding tissue were removed. This, however, was only the beginning of my journey. I had over two months of recovery ahead of me, as well as plenty of chemotherapy and radiation treatments shortly thereafter.
Despite the difficulties, however, I managed to come out completely cancer-free. If it wasn’t for our “village,” however, I can safely say that I probably wouldn’t be around today. During the entire ordeal, so many people we knew helped support us in any way they could. Even our new friends in Boston were supportive, which made us appreciate our village even more.
If there’s one thing that battling cancer has taught me, it’s that life is incredibly fragile and nothing should ever be taken for granted. We as a family try our best to live by that and embrace everything life throws at us, both good and bad.
Heather Von St James is a 43-year-old wife and mother. Upon her diagnosis of mesothelioma, she vowed to be a source of hope for other patients who found themselves with the same diagnosis. Now, over 6 years later, her story has been helping people all over the globe. She continues her advocacy and awareness work by blogging, speaking and sharing her message of hope and healing with others. Check out her story at the Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance Blog.
During tough times, I’m sure you’ve probably heard the old phrase “it takes a village.” Although said quite frequently, it does ring true; this is something I have truly come to realize. The first time that I really understood the meaning was during my pregnancy. After a long nine months, my daughter, Lily, was born on August 4, 2005. With the exception of an emergency C-section, the pregnancy was relatively normal. However, like all pregnancies, there were still tough times. Thankfully, however, my husband and I were surrounded by our “village” consisting of our parents, families, and friends. They were all there for us each step of the way. With everything going so well in the delivery room, I don’t think any of us could’ve ever imagined the horrible storm on the horizon.
About a month after I gave birth, I returned to work. About a month into working full time, however, my health began to take a turn for the worst. I not only had no energy, but I was breathless and very tired. Although these symptoms are usually attributed to being a new mother, something about them made me feel otherwise. As a result, I went to visit my doctor to see if something was wrong.
Needless to say, something was definitely wrong.
On November 21, 2005, my doctor diagnosed me with malignant pleural mesothelioma, a deadly cancer of the lining of the lung and its surrounding tissue. This type of cancer is usually caused by exposure to asbestos, which had apparently happened to me 30 years prior as a child.
To make matters worse, my doctor also said that I would only have 15 months to live if I didn’t seek treatment. Although I feared for my own life, my first thoughts weren’t about me. Instead, they were about my husband and newborn daughter not only having to cope with my death, but also having to survive without me. The thought of this made me realize that I needed to undergo the most drastic treatment possible. As a result, my husband and I flew to Boston to seek help from one of the nation’s leading mesothelioma specialists, leaving Lily behind with her grandparents.
In Boston, I underwent a procedure known as an extrapleural pneumenectomy where my left lung and its surrounding tissue were removed. This, however, was only the beginning of my journey. I had over two months of recovery ahead of me, as well as plenty of chemotherapy and radiation treatments shortly thereafter.
Despite the difficulties, however, I managed to come out completely cancer-free. If it wasn’t for our “village,” however, I can safely say that I probably wouldn’t be around today. During the entire ordeal, so many people we knew helped support us in any way they could. Even our new friends in Boston were supportive, which made us appreciate our village even more.
If there’s one thing that battling cancer has taught me, it’s that life is incredibly fragile and nothing should ever be taken for granted. We as a family try our best to live by that and embrace everything life throws at us, both good and bad.
Heather Von St James is a 43-year-old wife and mother. Upon her diagnosis of mesothelioma, she vowed to be a source of hope for other patients who found themselves with the same diagnosis. Now, over 6 years later, her story has been helping people all over the globe. She continues her advocacy and awareness work by blogging, speaking and sharing her message of hope and healing with others. Check out her story at the Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance Blog.
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