When Jenny was pregnant with Carter, she battled superior most cancers.
Fortunately married, Jenny and Alex Foltz of Mathias, West Virginia, have been excited to develop their household once they realized Jenny was pregnant. However per week later, the couple acquired devastating information: Jenny had superior rectal most cancers.
The standard remedy for her kind of most cancers entails radiation remedy. However this could imply terminating the being pregnant.
Customizing Remedy for Jenny’s Most cancers Throughout Being pregnant
At UVA Well being, a staff of most cancers specialists have been capable of customise a remedy plan to combat Jenny’s most cancers throughout her being pregnant. They’d make sure that she might change into a mother and a most cancers survivor.
Remedy for most cancers throughout being pregnant meant:
- Main belly most cancers surgical procedure in Jenny’s first trimester of being pregnant
- Chemotherapy in her second trimester
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“The optimistic power that Jenny was capable of keep all through her remedy was contagious,” shares Kristie Coles. She’s certainly one of Jenny’s oncology nurses.
Jenny’s surgeon, Traci Hedrick, MD, provides, “Not many individuals would have been capable of deal with that state of affairs with such grace.”
Changing into a Mother & Most cancers Survivor
After her remedy for most cancers throughout being pregnant, Jenny delivered a wholesome child boy. “We have been so grateful and past thrilled to have the ability to maintain him in our arms,” Jenny shares.
However when Carter was simply 2 months outdated, the brand new dad and mom acquired extra heartbreaking information: Jenny’s most cancers was again.
Jenny and Alex share how this information would form their future. Don’t miss their story. However first, seize a tissue.
View Transcript
JENNY FOLTZ: I used to be 9 weeks pregnant we did a serious belly surgical procedure to take away the tumor, which was truly positioned behind the uterus.
TRACI HENDRICK: We had discovered that certainly, the most cancers had unfold to one of many lymph nodes that I eliminated throughout the surgical procedure. It was clear that the remedy at that time was chemotherapy.
JENNY FOLTZ: I did not know of anybody that had had chemo whereas pregnant. Kristie and Cara have been my oncology nurses. They usually supported me quite a bit to that first day and discuss via it with me. After going via surgical procedure first trimester, chemo second trimester, we delivered a wholesome child boy on time with a wholesome weight. And so we have been grateful and past thrilled to have the ability to maintain him in our arms.
ALEX FOLTZ: When she gave beginning, I imply, it was, I imply, he got here out stunning and wholesome.
JENNY FOLTZ: Carter was two months outdated once we had our scans. At first, we have been advised that the scans have been good. However there was one lymph node down on my tailbone that they weren’t anxious about but. They weren’t positive what it was. However they have been going to test it out and see what was happening.
Finally, I acquired a name again from Dr. Le, my oncologist, and Dr. Hedrick. They have been truly involved about this lymph node, that I do assume it is cancerous. And that we’ll want to return to surgical procedure.
TRACI HENDRICK: So I needed to function on her once more to take away that lymph node. And so at that time, the remedy choices have been clear that she wanted radiation. And so we referred her to Dr. Janowski.
EINSLEY-MARIE JANOWSKI: I turned part of Jenny’s care staff lengthy earlier than I met her. We have mentioned her case at our multidisciplinary GI tumor board a number of instances. After which lastly, I heard about her once more sadly when she was recognized with a recurrence. Whereas the purpose for us was to protect her fertility, there was by no means a assure that that was going to be the case.
JENNY FOLTZ: After the surgical procedure, I keep in mind, I used to be actually excited that they have been capable of get this lymph node, but additionally heartbroken about not with the ability to have any extra youngsters. And Dr. Modesitt was in my hospital room and mentioned, Jen, I do know that is onerous that you would be able to’t have extra youngsters. However you could have fought this lengthy for Carter. And now we acquired to combat quite a bit for you and to present Carter again his mother.
And so generally that you just simply see that perspective. It simply helps you be pleased about what you could have. I simply all the time felt they have been preventing for me. And that was so vital to really feel that you would be able to belief your medical doctors and simply to know that they actually care about you.
TRACI HENDRICK: There’s not too many individuals that will have been capable of deal with that state of affairs with such grace.
KRISTIE COLES: The optimistic power that Jenny was capable of keep all through her remedy was contagious. She very a lot continued to reside her life and didn’t let most cancers outline who she was or the place she was in her life.
EINSLEY-MARIE JANOWSKI: Jenny’s outlook is improbable. She is a number of years out from her remedy with no proof of recurrence. I anticipate her to be cured from this most cancers and to have a protracted, wholesome life.
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