A year ago...

Today is St. Valentine’s Day.  A year ago today Daniel and I went to see the doctor because I was having some weird symptoms after a D&C surgery for retained placenta. We sat there in the exam room with our little 4 week old baby. I told him my symptoms, but he sort of shook his head not sure of why I was having them.  He went on to tell us that the pathology from the D&C had come back.  It was not just normal placental tissue, it was placental cancer.  Choriocarcinoma.  I remember just trying to say that word.  I have what?  Let's just say we were taken a bit by surprise at this news.  The rest of the day was filled with getting questions answered, blood work, getting appointments for the specialist and a CAT scan, and arranging childcare.  But the main thing I remember of that day was walking out of the office to go to the lab for blood work and Daniel held Thomas with one arm and had his other arm tightly around me. We got outside and stopped and just looked at each other.  We knew very little of what having choriocarcinoma meant, we were scared, but we knew we were starting out on a new journey in our tenth year of marriage and in our hearts, if not in our minds, were the words “in sickness and in health…I will love you and honor you all the days of my life.” That Valentine’s Day wasn’t what our culture would call romantic for Daniel and I…I don’t remember any chocolate and we wouldn’t have had the appetite to eat it.  There weren’t any flowers; we were too preoccupied to think of things like that.  But we were at each other’s side when we most needed the comfort, encouragement, strength, and love of a spouse.  Daniel sacrificed a lot this year to care for me and our family.  That is real romance.  I am so grateful for Daniel.  This past year was hard for us, really hard at times.  But I know our marriage is stronger now.  Our love is deeper.  God gave us a cross and we’ve carried it together.  Our Lord uses all things for the good of those who love Him.