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My Story | Jacquie, Australia
Choriocarcinoma with lung metastasis, January 2002 at 33,
Chemotherapy
Crohn's disease
I am married to my soulmate, Darren, and we have a beautiful little two-year-old
daughter, Chelsea Grace. Mid last year, we decided it was time she had
a playmate.
That's when my story began to unfold.
By the end of July last year (2001), I felt so very pregnant. I had all
the symptoms and was one week overdue with my period. We did a home pregnancy
test which was positive, and three days later, my pregnancy was confirmed
with a blood test. But then I got my period and thought, "Oh no,
we'd better keep trying." At the time, I didn't know that my beta-hCG
(human chorionic gonadotropin) level was 30, well above normal.
During August and September, all was well. I had a normal period, then
I skipped a period. On October 13, I was two weeks overdue when I collapsed
at home. My right side went numb, my voice became fuzzy, and I lost bowel
control. Darren rang an ambulance, but about 15 minutes later, I was up
and about. Then it happened again, so back came the ambulance which took
me to hospital. They performed an ECG (electrocardiogram) and did blood
work which showed I was pregnant (beta-hCG 115), but when they admitted
me and performed an ultrasound, no baby was apparent. They weren't too
concerned, though, since it was so early in the pregnancy. A neurologist
diagnosed me with gestational migraines.
I spent a week in hospital, collapsing every day and feeling really crappy.
I was put on inderal to keep the migraines at bay, but that really didn't
work. I also had an EEG (electroencephalogram) done which showed minor
brain abnormalities - they said it was nothing to worry about.
Around the end of October, I met with a gynecologist and had another
ultrasound. Again, there was no baby. By this time, I should have been
at least seven weeks pregnant. He believed I had miscarried, and sent
me to a larger ultrasound machine for a scan. I had another EEG and then
an MRI (magnetic resonance image) which was normal. Thank God!
My beta-hCG was still rising slowly, first 115, then 263, then 350, to
around 480 in mid-December. My gynecologist would not give me a D&C
(dilation and curettage); he believed we could bring on my period with
hormone tablets, and it would all be fixed. That didn't work. So he arranged
a chest scan and, in December, they found a two-centimeter lesion in my
right lung. We decided that we wanted to enjoy the holidays, so I waited
until 4 January to have a lung biopsy. On 7 January, I was told I had
choriocarcinoma and would need chemotherapy.
Wow! Did my world ever turn upside down! Deep down, I had thought of
the remote possibility of cancer, but, in reality, never imagined it would
have been responsible for the preceding three months of hell. Fortunately,
I had the support of a wonderful husband, family, and friends to help
me get through this nightmare.
I commenced chemo on 14 January with the EMACO regimen which I understand
has great success in treating choriocarcinoma. My treatment is weekly,
with a fortnightly overnight stay in hospital. I have finished part of
the first cycle, and I must admit I thought it would have been worse.
Mind you, my body feels like it's been run over by a truck - and tired,
boy, I never knew how tired a person could get until now.
I also have Crohn's disease, which is terribly draining in itself. The
chemo treatments cause it to flare up, so I welcome the doses of steroids
they give me. Hopefully my appetite will come back!
So that is my story so far. I promise I will come back in six to eight
months to let you all know that I am cured!
February 2002
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