When Jenny was pregnant with Carter, she battled superior most cancers.
Happily married, Jenny and Alex Foltz of Mathias, West Virginia, have been excited to develop their household once they realized Jenny was pregnant. But every week later, the couple obtained devastating information: Jenny had superior rectal most cancers.
The typical therapy for her kind of most cancers entails radiation remedy. But this is able to imply terminating the being pregnant.
Customizing Treatment for Jenny’s Cancer During Pregnancy
At UVA Health, a group of most cancers consultants have been in a position to customise a therapy plan to combat Jenny’s most cancers throughout her being pregnant. They would be sure that she might develop into a mother and a most cancers survivor.
Treatment for most cancers throughout being pregnant meant:
- Major stomach most cancers surgical procedure in Jenny’s first trimester of being pregnant
- Chemotherapy in her second trimester
Cancer Experts for You
UVA Health is Virginia’s solely NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center
“The positive energy that Jenny was able to maintain throughout her treatment was contagious,” shares Kristie Coles. She’s considered one of Jenny’s oncology nurses.
Jenny’s surgeon, Traci Hedrick, MD, provides, “Not many people would have been able to handle that situation with such grace.”
Becoming a Mom & Cancer Survivor
After her therapy for most cancers throughout being pregnant, Jenny delivered a wholesome child boy. “We were so grateful and beyond thrilled to be able to hold him in our arms,” Jenny shares.
But when Carter was simply 2 months outdated, the brand new mother and father obtained extra heartbreaking information: Jenny’s most cancers was again.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. But first, seize a tissue.
View Transcript
JENNY FOLTZ: I used to be 9 weeks pregnant we did a significant stomach surgical procedure to take away the tumor, which was truly situated behind the uterus.
TRACI HENDRICK: We had discovered that certainly, the most cancers had unfold to one of many lymph nodes that I eliminated through the surgical procedure. It was clear that the therapy 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. And they supported me loads to that first day and speak by way of it with me. After going by way of 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 start, 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 informed that the scans have been good. But there was one lymph node down on my tailbone that they weren’t nervous about but. They weren’t positive what it was. But they have been going to test it out and see what was occurring.
Eventually, I obtained a name again from Dr. Le, my oncologist, and Dr. Hedrick. They have been truly involved about this lymph node, that I do suppose 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 therapy 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 group lengthy earlier than I met her. We’ve mentioned her case at our multidisciplinary GI tumor board a number of instances. And then lastly, I heard about her once more sadly when she was recognized with a recurrence. While 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 in a position to get this lymph node, but additionally heartbroken about not having the ability to have any extra kids. And Dr. Modesitt was in my hospital room and mentioned, Jen, I do know that is exhausting that you could’t have extra kids. But you might have fought this lengthy for Carter. And now we obtained to combat loads for you and to present Carter again his mother.
And so typically that you just simply see that perspective. It simply helps you be glad about what you might have. I simply at all times felt they have been combating for me. And that was so essential to really feel that you could belief your medical doctors and simply to know that they actually care about you.
TRACI HENDRICK: There’s not too many individuals that may have been in a position to deal with that state of affairs with such grace.
KRISTIE COLES: The constructive power that Jenny was in a position to keep all through her therapy was contagious. She very a lot continued to stay 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 unbelievable. She is a number of years out from her therapy with no proof of recurrence. I count on her to be cured from this most cancers and to have a protracted, wholesome life.
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