DonateRochelle’s Story
Rochelle’s Story
Rochelle was diagnosed with a partial molar pregnancy when she was 29 years old and 8 weeks pregnant. Partial molar pregnancies are very rare. Not only do they risk the life of the mother, but the foetus only has a 2% chance of being born.
With the advice of our chair Professor Michael Seckl, Rochelle overcame the odds, and her daughter Eden was born on 24th March 2014. This is her story:
When did you first start feeling unwell and what symptoms did you start having?
I started feeling unwell when I was about 6 weeks pregnant. I was 29 yrs old at the time, and it was my second pregnancy. At first, I thought it was just normal early pregnancy vomiting, but within a few weeks I was sleeping on the bathroom floor, sometimes with my face on the toilet seat because the vomiting was so continuous.
When did you get the diagnosis of a partial molar pregnancy?
I think I was about 8 weeks pregnant when we got the diagnosis of a molar pregnancy. I went to A&E with the vomiting. They gave me medication, rehydrated me and arranged for me to have a scan the next day. It was at this scan that they realised it was a partial molar pregnancy. As I am a doctor, I did know about molar pregnancies, but my husband had not heard of it. I had not heard of a partial molar pregnancy however, which is even more rare.
How did you feel when you received the diagnosis?
I was quite shocked and upset. I assumed I would lose the pregnancy and need treatment (chemotherapy) afterwards meaning a lot more sickness. I was also worried about how all of this would affect my 2-year-old daughter at the time. She was already constantly being passed around friends and family because I was too unwell to look after her.
What was your treatment plan which led to a miracle pregnancy and birth of your daughter, Eden?
A consultant, Mr. Zaidi, in the Royal Free Hospital started me on steroids and contacted Prof Seckl in Charing Cross Hospital to help with management.
I had scans and blood tests every week to monitor the pregnancy and molar mass. It was decided that if my bHCG levels went above a certain threshold or if the baby stopped growing then we would end the pregnancy.
Each appointment, every week for the scans and bloods, was quite stressful, especially when at 20 weeks they thought she may also have Downs Syndrome. I think I didn’t relax until about 36 weeks when the vomiting actually stopped, and my elective caesarian date was booked in.
Tell us about the fantastic fundraising challenge yourself and Eden have been taking on this year?
After Eden was born we wanted to give something back to Professor Seckl and his team, as without his advice we would have ended my pregnancy. My husband had the idea of fundraising and walking the Capital Ring in three days around Eden’s first birthday.
Eden is now about to turn 12 years old and have her Bat Mitzvah and she asked if she could do something similar again. She is too young to walk 78 miles in 3 days as we did, but the ring is split into 15 individual walks that join together so she is planning on doing each walk separately and eventually have done as many as she can before she is 12.
How can people support your fundraising?
They can donate online. Stephen Rosenthal is fundraising for Cancer Treatment And Research Trust CIO Eden has also invited a few friends and family to walk with her each time to help keep her entertained!
Tell us why you are supporting CTRT with fundraising?
Professor Seckl is the Chairman of CTRT which is an amazing charity that helps fund research into a range of cancers. I was lucky enough not to develop Trophoblastic Disease, but I very nearly did. We wanted to help Professor Seckl continue his research in order to help future women who develop molar pregnancies.
Approximately 1 in 2 people* will develop cancer at some point in their lifetime and many more will have loved ones affected. Therefore, CTRT is a charity that can affect so many lives with its cancer research and development of new treatments.