Victory Scar- Kemielia Cesarean Story

Giving birth can be one of the most painful yet beautiful things. Some mothers decide very early that they would do a Cesarean Section either by choice and mostly due to some medical challenges. However, Kemielia Arjun-Khan was not one of those. She was a healthy 26-year-old married woman. She was going to take the natural route. But life had other plans. 

“We had planned to push,” Kemielia said as she recalled the moments before giving birth to her firstborn Kaylee. 

Delivery Day!

The now 31-year-old mother of two recalled the day she had her firstborn. She was a week late, and Kemielia and her husband were a little concerned. They visited the doctor, and even after speaking to her, nothing had changed. As instructed, she did an ultrasound and admitted herself into the hospital.  At the hospital, Kemielia recalled the words that she was by no means prepared for, “we are going to prepare you for a c-section.”

Her husband was getting the finances to pay for the balance of the surgery. Kemielia felt her mind spiraling. She remembered thoughts flooding her mind. She had not planned to deliver that day, and her mother was out of town and unable to make it in time. Her mother in law was there trying to support her the best way she could. 

 “I started panicking like I have not started out this motherhood thing good because right now I am going to have to cut my body open to take you out to this harsh world. What kind of mother am I?” was the question that ran through her mind, Kemielia recalled with nervous laughter. 

Finding Inner Strength

Deliver time one o’clock no doctors. Two o’clock came, and it was only the anesthesiologist that was there and with every minute passing there was a new pressure, and a bit more fearfulness rushed through her veins. To add to her mounting anxiety, Kemielia was told that she would be awake for the procedure with the lower half of her body feeling numb. It was a lot to take in. She just needed to try to find new strength. 

“Can I do this? I am pretty sure I can,” she started to tell her self trying to keep calm. Her in-laws sat by her bed, telling her stories trying to comfort and distract her. 

While the anesthesiologist talked her through the procedure, she remembered telling herself to breathe. After being injected and asked if she could feel anything and she confirmed that she could not, it began. 

“I felt like they were ripping me open. I grabbed Daniel and said, They are ripping me open LOOK!” she laughed. He barely looked and responded they are. Fear, anguish, and questions came running through her mind like a track meet. 

The Recovery

After the birth was mixed emotions, having her baby was a blessing, but the recovery was far from easy. Her stomach felt like it was in flames as the medication wore off and then breastfeeding for the first time made her body feel like it was right there with Christ. It was almost impossible to think about how she would manage the first weeks of being a mother, seeing mothers who had given birth naturally running around. Three days in she barely could straighten up to go to the bathroom. She dug deep and did manage with the help of family as she spent the first weeks with her in-laws. 

Years later, her scar still tingles, and it is a bit tight. 

With her children’s laughter filling the air behind her Kemielia said she would tell mothers that have battles through this to remember, “You sacrificed your life to bring in a new one that deserves it. You did it!” 

It was not easy, and she admits that having a great support system will assist with the recovery. But she is proud of her badge of honour according to her, “My scar is a battle wound and a battle wound of my victory.”