Babies

I've had a few very polite questions lately about any possible future Flanagan babies. Many of you already have heard this from me, but I thought I would explain to everyone else. To keep you from too much suspense, Luke WILL be an only child (apart from any miraculous intervention from above). Basically, the type of cancer I have makes it very dangerous for me to get pregnant. I actually have 2 different types of cancer. One of these types is what they call hormone-receptor positive. This means that any surge in hormones, such as from pregnancy, make the cancer grow at a very accelerated rate. In fact, my doctors believe based on the size of my cancer that I probably developed it in my late 20s. They also believe that my pregnancy with Luke probably caused the cancer to take off and develop much more quickly than it would have without being pregnant. After Luke was born, the growth rate slowed back down, and it was able to fester for 4 years before I found it. Pretty scary, huh! Even though they believe all of my cancer was successfully removed with my surgery and now subsequent chemo, it would be very dangerous for me to get pregnant. If there is even 1 cell of cancer left anywhere in my body that might have remained dormant for years or even for the rest of my life, it could begin to grow again if I become pregnant. If I did become pregnant, and the cancer did take back off, I could not (or would not) treat it until the baby was born. This could basically be a death sentence for me. Often times, by the time the baby is delivered in these cases, it is too late for the mother. I realize this is all very morbid and sad, but Jeremy and I are fine with it. I often thought I might like to have another baby someday, but to be perfectly honest, we were about 75% sure Luke was going to be an only child anyway. Those of you who know Luke will understand why!

We are very happy with our 3-person family. Jeremy very lovingly told me he could live without another baby but could not live without me. Please don't think of this as something sad, but instead think of it as yet another way God has allowed my life to be spared & shown me His will. I have felt very guilty about only wanting 1 child, and God made that decision very easy for me. Not to mention had I gotten pregnant again before I discovered the cancer, there is a good chance I could have died due to another growth spurt of the cancer. Luke is the joy of my life. I am very content to be his mommy and only his mommy!