By SHANE VINES
I’d always wanted to be a dad, so when Rachel told me she was pregnant I felt pure joy. However, life has an obscure way of keeping you on your toes and we had absolutely no idea what was around the corner.
At around 14 weeks, Rachel started to have some bleeding. We were told she had a fibroid on her cervix that was going to mean we wouldn’t be able to deliver naturally. Rachel was upset, but being the dumb, insensitive guy I didn’t really understand her feelings.
The bleeding persisted and doctors decided to do a biopsy to make sure everything was okay.
You know those times in your life when you can remember everything with perfect clarity? That’s what it was like for me while we were waiting for Rachel’s biopsy results. We left the obstetrician and didn’t feel like going home so we went to the local shopping centre for a Slushie. I don’t remember why this was so important.
I was scared as hell, but didn’t know what of. And when we got the news that Rachel had cancer, my heart just sank.
It had taken me so long to find the woman I wanted to spend the rest of my life with, and to be a dad. I couldn’t stop thinking ‘am I going to lose Rachel? Are we going to lose our baby?’.
After all the tests, we had to wait for the oncologist to tell us what our options were. That was the longest seven hours of my life. As soon as I heard the doctor say that Rachel would have to choose between chemo and keeping the baby, I knew what her decision would be. Did I agree with it? No.
I was petrified of losing Rachel, and of having to go home and tell Maison that his mum was going to die. But I told Rachel it was her body and I would support her decision no matter what. We couldn’t know it at the time, but Rachel made the right decision. She’s clever like that.
Rachel began treatment, which would take us to the target delivery date of 35 weeks. Everything was ok until the fifth check-up. Rachel looked at me, I said “the doctor’s outside on his mobile phone. I think we’re in trouble here”. It turned out the tumour had stopped responding to the chemo.
Top Comments
I think I've just fallen a little bit in love with Shane. Rachel is a very lucky girl!
I am extremely lucky, thank you. =)