By Amber Jacques
Recently, we celebrated our daughter’s first birthday. It’s so amazing how fast time flies! Fourteen months ago, I remember my husband, Sam, and I, rushing to Texas Children’s Pavilion for Women for the birth of our beautiful daughter, Sydney. The contractions were getting pretty intense, but I was determined not to deliver in the car. As manager of Security Services at the Pavilion, I’ve seen moms deliver right as they pull up to the concourse. Fingers crossed, I didn’t want that to happen to me. I instructed my husband, “I am not having this baby in the car, and I don’t want to have this baby without medication. Hurry!”
Sure enough, we arrived at the hospital 35 miles later. The security guard placed me in a wheelchair as we headed up to my labor and delivery room. By that time, I was nine centimeters dilated. The nurses were wonderful and made sure I got my epidural like I requested. After a couple of pushes, Sydney made her grand debut! Our daughter was born June 8, 2013, at 7:55 p.m. weighing 8 pounds, 4 ounces and 21 inches long.
For my husband, Sam, and me, Sydney is our miracle baby.
At a very early age, I knew getting pregnant would be impossible. While in my mother’s womb, an ultrasound revealed that my right ovary was severely cystic and doctors removed it when I was a mere 10 days old. As a teenager, I remember my mom telling me, “Maybe we should look into freezing your eggs if you decide to have children one day.” But, I vetoed that idea because it was a non-issue back then, since I wasn’t thinking about children.
Fast forward to 2008 when I faced another health scare that jeopardized my chances of having a baby. Out of nowhere, I started having debilitating headaches, eye pressure pain, teary eyes and uncontrollable nose bleeds which spewed out of me like a fire hydrant. The emergency room doctor diagnosed me with severe allergies and suggested I take over-the-counter medication for relief. He also discovered a tiny polyp inside my nose, but didn’t treat it at the time. So, I just packed my nose with ice to stop the bleeding.
It wasn’t until later, when my symptoms got worse, that I realized this polyp in my nose was growing out of control. When I arrived at the University of Michigan Hospital, doctors performed an MRI and noticed the tumor in my nose had grown behind my eyes, punctured my dura and grew across my face into my sinus cavity. The tumor had ruptured which caused the profuse bleeding in my nose.
I underwent two surgeries to remove the tumor and a frozen biopsy revealed it was cancer. I had a subcranial resection where I was cut from ear to ear. Surgeons cut a big chunk of my forehead and part of my nose. I ended up losing my sense of smell and taste in the process, but I was so happy to be alive.
The lengthy surgery, which lasted for 15 hours, was nothing compared to the burning pain from the radiation treatments.
I underwent radiation for my head and neck to ensure there were no miniscule cancer cells lurking, since this type of cancer – estheseioneuroblastoma – can easily spread to the thyroid gland.
Although I successfully beat cancer – which I am grateful for – the radiation treatments damaged my pituitary gland, which impacted my left ovary’s ability to function normally.
My husband and I tried for five years to have a baby, but we realized we needed help. When we moved to Houston in 2009, my OB-GYN recommended that we meet one of Texas Children’s fertility specialists, Dr. William Gibbons. She said, “I really want you to meet him. He’s not only the best in his field, but he’s just fantastic to work with.”
When we met Dr. Gibbons for our consultation appointment at Baylor Clinic – before the Family Fertility Center opened in the Pavilion – he reassured us, “It may be tough, but we’re going to make it happen. I have no doubts that we will be successful.” That’s the encouragement my husband and I so desperately needed.
Before we started fertility treatments, I underwent surgery to remove scar tissue that built up in my right fallopian tube as a result of the ovarian removal surgery I had as an infant. Dr. Gibbons wanted to make sure my fallopian tubes were flowing freely before we started intrauterine insemination (IUI).
After three rounds of IUI, which took us a year to complete, I got the miraculous news that we were waiting to hear, “You are PREGNANT!” Sam and I were so excited and shocked at the same time. After taking a whole bunch of home pregnancy tests, we called Dr. Gibbon’s office, and sure enough, an ultrasound confirmed we were expecting!
Since the first day we laid eyes on her, Sydney has brought our family so much joy. At 14 months, she’s learning to walk, so we’re locking down the house at this point.
Sam always makes fun of me and says that I’m a paparazzo because I take so many pictures and videos of our miracle baby. But, you have to, because she is growing up too fast!
Every day, I am grateful for Dr. Gibbons and his team for helping me, and other families, conceive their dream of motherhood.
Sometimes life throws obstacles in our path, but we are bigger than any obstacle. We can triumph over any circumstance by staying positive and focused on achieving our goals.