a pregnant woman shown in profile in front of dark to light stripes, pessimism to optimism

The Woman That Was Transplanted and Pregnant (Part 1)

Have you ever been told you could not do something that you wanted to do so bad and believed you could in spite of the odds? Well, that was my life, all my life. Being told, "no" when there was a "yes" deep down. When that something deep down is right there telling you otherwise it creates courage.

Courage to do that specific thing to prove the odds wrong. I looked up the word courage. My dictionary says it is, "the ability to do something that frightens one. Strength in the face of pain or grief."

In my life, it was becoming a mother. Growing up I would always say I wanted to be a mother of 5 children. At the age of 17, it all went down the drain in doctors' eyes, when I was diagnosed with a heart condition called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy that soon led to heart failure.

Desire to be a mother despite my diagnosis

I was told the risk of having a baby was very dangerous and I should consider adoption. Do not get me wrong I have nothing against adoption, I actually desire to do so in the future. It was personal for me. Being a woman that was fertile, and had the ability to have children, I just could not accept that I would never be able to birth children into this world. For crying out loud, I dreamed of it almost all my life, and to have that dream turn into a nightmare was a feeling I could not bear.

I was determined to not let that be so. Some may read this and ask why I would risk it. Why go through something that could turn out devastating for me? Why not just do what the doctors thought was best? It is simple, there was something deep down, that was driving me, and would not let fear enter. I was curious to know if “something deep down” had a meaning and sure enough it did. Deep down used to mean that something is true or real even if it is not said or shown to other people. I read that meaning, and said to myself "Yep! That was me and my feelings!" These were my feelings while everyone around me had no belief in me and did not agree with my decisions. I also had my faithful few that stuck by my side through thick and thin.

Why I call myself "the woman that was transplanted and pregnant"

Being a mother happened for me twice. Those that read my articles know a little about my pregnancy journey with my son before my transplant. This second time was “simply a miracle” in my eyes. I beat the odds! My faith was a bit low after my son. I wanted to have hope and listen to that deep down feeling, but the sound of it was low volume because tragedy happened when I did not see it coming. Although I still believed, I put it on the back burner because I did not want to deal with the pain and reality of what my life had become. Until I was faced with it head-on in order to heal. I healed and lived!

Now I am telling the story of My Miracle/My Daughter, and why I call myself "The Woman That Was Transplanted And Pregnant."

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