Survivor Story: Amanda Merk

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - There was no good timing for cancer, but the ‘when’ of Amanda Merk’s diagnosis was especially cruel.

“It was weird because the hospital went from like, new baby, to everybody that came into the hospital was just like, the mother has cancer.’’

Amanda and her husband Ken had waited 10 years to start a family.

And the high school sweethearts were excited to be adding a second baby when Amanda discovered a lump in her breast a week before her due date.

‘It was exciting and shocking at the same time,’' said Ken. “The day of when we found out, obviously we’re all there to see our son, Maverick.

And then she got the phone call and then the room just completely silent. Everyone just had to take time to kind of take it in and decide, okay, what are our next steps? Like, what do we do?’'

“They basically said I had two weeks to wean my son and breastfeed and pump as much as I can and as much as I want to because I need to get my port in,’' added Amanda. ”We needed to get it taken care of as soon as possible because of how suspicious it looked.’

So, with a newborn at home and recovering from a C-section, Amanda started 16 months of treatment for an aggressive triple negative invasive ductal carcinoma.

Her journey included included chemotherapy, immunotherapy, a double mastectomy and radiation, before also undergoing a complete hysterectomy.

‘At least once or twice a month I had to go to the hospital for support care because of how strong the medication was and what it was doing in my body,’' said Amanda. “I was doing postpartum and chemotherapy.

“I think we went into survival mode, honestly. Holding your newborn son and having your two-year-old in your lap and you’re just looking at them and you want to be there for them. How do we do it? How do we beat this?’

Amanda and Ken fought cancer the same way they have always done everything, as a family.

‘She is one of the strongest people I know. I love her so much,’' said Ken. “To see what she’s been through. It was like two years where we’re just kind of hunkered down in here going through everything.’

‘I ended up wearing a sling and I would carry my son and not lift him, but like kind of glide him into the sling,’' added Amanda. “And then I would do that and then I would basically (the family living room) was Ground Zero. We had the changing station, everything was on the floor. I basically spent my time with him on the floor because he wasn’t walking yet so. That’s how we got through the day.’

On top of all the other unknown, Amanda faced an additional fear that her baby and her cancer were growing inside of her at the same time.

‘They kept reassuring,’' she said, “that the placenta is a great filter and a barrier and protected him 100% and he is perfectly fine.’'

Now a year and a half out and still receiving follow-up care, Amanda has turned more corners than most ever approach.

She has rung the bell twice to signal the end of treatment and is finally able to look toward what’s ahead for her family and not at what’s chasing her.

‘Don’t look back. Don’t look in the rear view mirror,’' she says. “Just keep going and enjoy every second you have, even if it’s a grueling tantrum or just having a bad day.

“Tomorrow’s never promised. Even if you don’t have cancer, tomorrow’s never promised. And that’s what my husband and I keep looking for, just the next step, the next step. How do we get to the next step? Okay, that’s done. Next step. That’s how we did it.’'