By Lisa Pommer

Through many years of ups and downs, fighting through addiction to crack cocaine, alcohol and gambling, my journey to healing started when I ask God to give me a son.

I finally got my wish and I found out I was pregnant on 14th June 2022, that day changed my life forever.  

I became drug-free.  

And as I slowly focused on myself, finding positive things to do and isolating myself away from everybody that ever gave me drugs or I bought drugs from I began my sober journey.  

I worked on me, I kept a daily journal, and joined a support group on Facebook.  

I realized that all the money I had spent on drugs could have been used to buy better things.  So I choose to use my money in a new way, I even brought some nail products so I could do my own nails at home.  

As the months went by everything started to improve in my life.  

Things were working out things that I couldn't even explain and I believe it was all because of God's grace that he allowed me to accept the fact that I was healing.  That I was becoming more of a better person through this journey to strength, as well as focusing on my family and becoming the mother that I needed to be for my three daughters, (15, 13 and 6). 

So we get to the hospital everything is hunky dory.  Things are moving along just fine.  My oldest daughter Sasha joined me in the operating room where they performed the C-section.  On February 7th 2023 I welcome into the world my son Chili Creed - weighing in at 10 pounds 12oz!

Now considering this was my first C-section I didn't know what to expect.

It was hard work I tell you.

The most excruciating pain that any woman could ever go through.

I honestly didn't know that they had to go through so many layers of skin muscle and tissue.

Two days later I was released from hospital.  I has the support from my children and my boyfriend at the current time.  They helped me bring baby Chili home and helped out with other duties, because you're not meant to carry anything over the weight of your baby.

But when you're a mother at home and you have a C-section, all the things are running through your head.

• Who's going to cook supper?
• Who's going to do the dishes?
• Who's going to wash the floors?
• as well as who's doing the laundry for the household?

I didn't listen to my doctors.  I took it above and beyond.  I did what any mother would do- Everything to be the hero of the house.  Only to find out later that I had ripped me stitches in my stomach.  

I had to go back to the hospital, where they gave me medication and antibiotics.  

Unfortunately I had an allergic reaction to one of the medications, which caused both my hands to swell up with little bumps all over them.

So back I went to the emergency for a second time.

I got fluid pumped in to me, and took allergic reaction pills, Benadryl, to bring the swelling down in my hands.

But on returning home I continued doing the laundry,  cleaning, cooking and taking care of my children right away.

Once again my stitches reopened for a 2nd time because there was blood under the soft skin of the stitch where my first incision was.

I ended up going back to the emergency for the second time to get more antibiotics and to get stitched up yet again, because one part of my scar tissue wouldn't stay closed.

It literally took FIVE months for me to recover, because I wouldn't listen to the doctors.

Needless to say, of all the situations I've ever been through, this was one of the toughest longest roads I've ever had to recover from, and includes my journey through addiction.

Now it has been over 1 year and I feel so much better.

I have mild numbness to where my C-section was underneath my stomach but other than that everything looks fine and normal and you can't even barely tell I have a scar there anymore.  

It has been 20 months since I've began my recovery and by the grace of God I've kept strong.  I don't regret any choices that I made in the past - I believe you shouldn't ever feel shitty for anything that you use to do before. Every day you're one more day stronger than you were before.

On the 14th June this year I will officially be 2 years sober.  I have a drink here and there but nothing serious. I am so glad I am able to keep myself happy healthy and I forgive myself.  My children are so proud of me and I'm proud of me too.

My world's best advice to any mother going through a C-section would have to be:

Stay away from heavy lifting and not rely on your own self to handle everything: including the cooking & cleaning. Try and avoid too much bending or moving around. My scar opened up twice because I chose NOT to rely on somebody else and choose to do my own cleaning and my own laundry and taking care of my children and that was a big mistake that a lot of mom's make.  PLEASE listen to your doctors.  Stay in bed and get the support that you need and ONLY do things that are mild for yourself because putting yourself out FIVE months is just feeling like a constant failure in your own after care.  

Some wisdom for those supporting C-section mamas:

Most importantly C-section mamas need the support at home to get the help that they need in order to keep they're home straight.  When their home is straight it helps them keeps their mind straight.  

This is my journey of beauty from ashes.

Lisa