Zawadiac, purple hair and amazingly beautiful eyes. This is what you see when you first look at Emilia. It radiates warmth and joy of life, as if she wanted to celebrate every moment, take what is best, most interesting and precious from it. In 2013, when she found out that she was pregnant, the joy was immense. Later, however, the disease also came …
When Emilia starts talking, she has a hard time interrupting. He presents his curriculum vitae very succinctly: - I live
in Mińsk Mazowiecki, I work in a boarding school with young people. I have two sons: 7-year-old Gabrys and 2-year-old Julian. I have a good life overall. Bogdan's loving husband, wonderful parents, proven friends and a lot of kind people around him. I come from a family that deeply believes in God. I have both parents and six siblings so we are a big support group for each other. I just ran out of he alth …
In October 2013, Emilia found out that she was pregnant. The joy in the family was great, as it was the culmination of a year's effort to have a second child. The first month of pregnancy went smoothly, although the
hormonal changes made her breasts very swollen. In the second month, the hormonal storm subsided and Emilia felt a small lump in her left breast while she was bathing.
- I wasn't worried because six months ago I had had a breast ultrasound and everything was fine. But I went to investigate this change, she recalls. - The doctor said the lesion looked mild, but a fine needle biopsy must be done to be sure.
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The result was good, mild change, control in three months. But Emilia's inquisitive sister-in-law wanted to confirm this diagnosis.
Emilia reported to the Oncology Center in Ursynów, Warsaw. Here she was taken care of by Dr. Jerzy Giermek.
- The doctor reviewed my results, examined me and found that not everything was correct - says Emilia. - He explained that solid lesions are suspicious, that in pregnant women fine-needle biopsy is not performed because it is unreliable. It was necessary to perform a core needle biopsy. When I went to the checkup, I had a bad onepremonitions. The results came after two weeks.
- "It's a malignant tumor," said the doctor. "Breast amputation is necessary, followed by chemotherapy."
Cancer and pregnancyBreast cancer is the most common cancer among pregnant cancer patients. It is the most difficult cancer to detect at this stage of a woman's life, because pregnancy masks its symptoms. Gynecological neoplasms are in second place.
Disappointment, anger, rage are feelings that Emilia remembers well from that time. But she wasn't going to give up.
- I made an appointment at the hospital at Madalińskiego in Warsaw, which specializes in the treatment of cancer in pregnant women - he says. - I had to go to an institution where, if necessary, specialists would be able to help not only me, but also my child. It was March 7, 2014.
I endured the operation well, but I was worried because the baby was not moving. Fortunately, everything was fine after the examination.
Emilia's cancer turned out to be hormone-dependent. A mutation in the BRCA1 gene was also found in her. Doctors decided to start administering chemicals as soon as possible.
- I endured consecutive infusions well - says Emilia. - I had nausea, stomach pains. But it wasn't that bad. I was depressed by the glances and questions of other patients: "What are you doing here?" "I have cancer". "But you're pregnant." "Come on, I am." "And it won't hurt the baby?"
And a fear was growing in me that it might actually hurt … That's how I went through four chemicals. I did not report my pregnancy until the 37th week. Childbirth had to take place a little earlier to make it between chemotherapy and chemotherapy. Managed to. Julianek was born he althy and strong. He got 10 points even though he was a premature baby.
Six months after the end of the treatment, Emilia started trying to have her breast reconstructed because it could not be performed immediately after the amputation. She wanted to do it as soon as possible so that she could return to normal life. She wanted to buy herself nice underwear, not to be ashamed of taking a bath or having sex with her husband.
- Due to the mutation of the BRCA1 gene, I also made the difficult decision to prophylactically amputate a he althy breast to minimize the risk of recurrence of the disease - she says. - Three procedures allowed to reconstruct the left breast, and two more were needed to amputate and reconstruct the other one. It was a hard year, frequent separation from the children,
pain after subsequent operations, rehabilitation, I gritted my teeth and did not let go, because I wanted to put my he alth matters in order and close this chapter.
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But during one of the follow-up visits, she confided to the doctor that something under her arm was hurting her. A careful examination has shown that there is indeed a disturbing swelling in the armpit. First, there was an ultrasound that did not dispel any doubts. A biopsy should have been performed. She came to Dr. Squire again, but the doctor did not have good news.
- When I heard from the doctor: "it's a metastasis", I was furious with him: "How is it? Such a diagnosis without examination, only after palpation?". I did not agree to it. It was supposed to be different. The child was raised,
went back to work. What's here? One and a half years from the end of treatment, metastases?
It turned out. that removing the sentinel node, which was free of cancerous cells, was not enough. Something was left somewhere. This situation only happens in 5% of the time.
Emilia returned to the hospital in Madalińskiego Street, where she had already been operated on. Dr. Aleksandra Starościak performed the biopsy herself to make sure that the material was well collected. The results were inconclusive. The doctor ordered a PET examination - the node in the left feed is lit. You have to operate.
- I am falling apart, I am losing faith in God, because I do not see any sense or God's mercy in all of this - recalls Emilia. - A colleague at work urges me to attend a holy mass led by Father Witko for release and healing. During the mass, I cry and pray fervently for he alth, faith, trust in God's plan, love and forgiveness of the wrongs suffered. I feel calm and confident that God has not forgotten me and that He has healed me, if not in my body, then certainly in my soul.
During the operation, the doctor removed one lymph node and ordered an intraoperative examination. If the initial diagnosis is confirmed, you will have to delete all of them.
- When I woke up and was told that all the nodes had been removed, I knew there was another fight ahead, another battle, but I decided to keep my guard high. Now I have
10 chemistry courses behind me, and there are 6 more to come.
Remembering her experience with the first therapy that caused her hair loss, she wanted to avoid it. Not only because the family's wedding was coming up and she wanted her own hair, but also because she had a
vacation ahead of her … and wearing a wig is not good for swimming in the lake. The real reason for the fight to save the hair was much more serious.
When her hair started falling out in handfuls after the first chemotherapy, Emilia asked her husband to shave her head. This was witnessed by their older son, Gabryś. He was terrified. He asked dad not to cut his momhair, and when
couldn't help it, he left crying.
From that day on, although it was a family ritual, he did not want his mother to read him fairy tales in the evening. When asked why, he replied, "I'm afraid of mom." Gabryś asked her to wear a handkerchief at home, because it was less unpleasant for him than the sight of his mother's bald head.
- I explained that I take medications that make my hair fall out, but if I stop taking them, my hair will grow back. He accepted the translation, but shunned me a bit. In the West, women who receive chemotherapy wear special hats to cool the scalp to - 5 ° C, which allows most
of hair to be preserved. This method is still in its infancy in Poland. But Emilia made a proper hat herself.
- To the joy and interest of my patients, I take another chemotherapy while sitting in a cap filled with ice. - But the hair is still there. I am happy because soon my husband and I are going to my sister Ula's wedding.
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Divine MothersThe number of pregnant women suffering from cancer increases every year. This is happening all over the world. The reasons for this phenomenon are believed to be in later motherhood and the growing tendency to cancer with age.
It is estimated that pregnancy with cancer occurs in 0.5-1% of pregnant women. Most pregnant women who are diagnosed with cancer hear that they should terminate the pregnancy and get treatment because "the pregnancy feeds the cancer."
However, scientific research and the experience of specialists clearly indicate that during pregnancy you can undergo oncological treatment and give birth to a he althy child. The first Polish woman to prove it was Magda Prokopowicz in 2009. It was she who came up with the idea of Divine Mothers, women who were diagnosed with cancer during pregnancy or up to a year after its termination.
Divine Mothers is also a program of comprehensive care for pregnant women diagnosed with cancer developed by the Rak'n'Roll Foundation. As part of the program, women from all over Poland can receive free assistance from an oncologist, obstetrician-gynecologist, neonatologist, psychologist, nutritionist and rehabilitator.
You can contact the Foundation by e-mail: [email protected]