Surviving Cancer

Surviving Cancer

Today my father-in-law Rick “Poppy” Taylor received his first haircut in over 21-months.  When my wife Emily Drew and I announced that God had blessed us with our second baby, Poppy committed the same thing that he did when Rock Mash was announced.  He vowed not to cut his hair until their first birthday, and then he would donate his surrendered locks for a wig to be used for cancer patients.  So why did he do this?

This is where the story really starts.  Emily Drew was the first and only love of my life.  As a matter of fact, I was pretty much the worst man in the world to any woman that I ever came into contact with before her.  I met Emily Drew as God was beginning the process of changing my heart.  I am confident that it was this change that has allowed me to love her with such vigor.  However there was one more thing that God allowed to make sure this love would never end.

Two days before we were to wed, we were told that Emily Drew had a rare form of uterine cancer that had spread to her lungs.  Can you imagine the bombshell that was to her?  She was planning a wedding, and now she was in a battle for her life.    I didn’t know what to do.  I reacted like I had my whole life.  I was mad at the entire world.  A part of me was mad at God.  I know that was crazy, but I am just telling the story.

We started her treatments the very next day.  The day before our wedding, we were at the Wake Forest Baptist Oncology Center, so that they could run a poison through her veins in hope that the poison might kill the cancer.  That began the battle for my love’s very life.

We were married the very next day, and she looked as beautiful as ever.  Our wedding was incredible filled with dancing, laughing, and the love of our family and friends.   It was a beautiful day on the farm.  The sun was shining, and everyone was happy.  However inside there was something looming that I knew would have to be dealt with, the battle for my new bride’s life.

Our honeymoon was amazing.  We spent ten days in Key West.  We loved on each other and enjoyed the sunshine.  When we got back, the battle begun.  The Chemo would suck the energy from Emily Drew.  She would just lie on the couch and try not to vomit.  I was busy a lot trying to pay the bills and start our lives together. 

It was at night when the world was quiet that I would really face the immense battle that my incredible wife was waging.  I didn’t sleep a lot those days.  Mainly I would just hold her the whole night through praying until I would finally drift off.  What was the prayer?  Well it was pretty much the same prayer every night.

Me to God:  “Dear Lord please not now.  I have waited my entire life to find someone that I would always love.  I have waited my entire life to find someone that I could marry and honor as You have commanded.  I am powerless.  I know that now.  You are the only one that can save her.  Please don’t take her from me.” 

Time went on, and it appeared that she was getting better.  Then the second bomb was dropped on us.  The doctor informed us that Emily Drew was getting worse, and they were forced to try a more aggressive approach.  It was the first moment that I faced the possibility that she might die.  I was destroyed inside.  I mean I was absolutely destroyed.  It was the first time that I saw Emily Drew cry, and my heart was ripped in pieces at that moment. 

We were meeting my best friend, Kevin Jones and his family at Polly’s Island, SC the same day that we received the terrible news.  I was in the ocean with Kevin riding the waves like we had done so many times since childhood.  Then I looked onto the beach at my wife lying under an umberella, she loved the sun by the way, and I lost it.  I burst into tears, and my friend held me until I was over it. 

Now for the good news!  After a year of dealing with this monster, God cured my wife.  Thank God it was a form that is very unlikely to ever come back.  I often wonder if God allowed this to happen so that I would learn right away the gift that He was giving my in her.  I hope not, but if so, it worked.  Not a night goes by that I don’t look over at my wife and thank God for this amazing creature lying beside me.  My boys will grow up in a home with a dad that loves their momma.

What’s the moral of this story?  I am not sure really, but if you are married, kiss your wife every night before you go to bed, let her win arguments, clean the kitchen, and take out the trash.  Guys love your wives like there is no tomorrow because someday there won’t be one.

I love you Emily Drew, and thank God for answering my prayer.