>> OKAY WE KNOW IT IS ENOUGH TO APPRECIATE MOM JUST ONE DAY OUT OF THE YEAR BUT MOTHER’S DAY IS
A GOOD START.
>> IT SURE IS.
OUR NEXT GUEST IS A WITH THE
STORY OF LOVE AND SACRIFICE AND
SELFLESSNESS.
DURING HER PREGNANCY LAST YEAR,
CHELSEA WAS DIAGNOSED WITH A
RARE TYPE OF LEUKEMIA AT THE
AGE OF 27.
AS A RESULT OF HER CONDITION
HER SPLEEN HAD GROWN AND THEN
IT’S SIZE WAS PUTTING HER BABY
IN DANGER.
EVEN THOUGH IT WAS A RISKY
PROCEDURE, CHELSEA’S ONLY
OPTION WAS TO HAVE THE SPLEEN
REMOVED.
SO SHE UNDERWENT SURGERY.
>> PASSPORT TO TODAY, CHELSEA
HAS A LOT TO BE EXCITED ABOUT
THIS MOTHER’S DAY INCLUDING
BEING A WIFE AND MOM OF TWO
DAUGHTERS.
SHE JOINS US NOW WITH HER
ONCOLOGIST FROM ADVENT HEALTH.
SO THANK YOU BOTH SO MUCH FOR
BEING HERE THIS MORNING.
>> YES, THANK YOU FOR HAVING US
IN GREAT TO BE HERE.
>> SO TAKE US BACK TO WHEN YOU
RECEIVED THE DIAGNOSIS.
>> HONESTLY, THAT DAY WAS A
RELIEF.
WHEN THE DOCTOR WALKED IN THE
ROOM AND SAID WE HAD A
DIAGNOSIS, IT WAS NICE TO KNOW
WE HAD AN ANSWER FOR WHAT HAD
BEEN GOING ON.
>> OF WHAT HAD YOU BEEN
EXPERIENCING THAT YOU WERE JUST
CONFUSED ABOUT?
>> HONESTLY THERE WAS NOT MUCH.
I WAS REALLY TIRED BUT SHOW ME
A MOM THAT HAS A FIVE-YEAR-OLD
AND IS PREGNANT THAT ISN’T.
BUT MY DOCTORS CAUGHT IT EARLY
ON THROUGH ROUTINE TESTING.
>> AND WHEN IT COMES TO
SURGERIES LIKE THIS, IT WAS
PROBABLY A TOUGH DECISION.
HOW OFTEN DO YOU SEE SOMETHING
LIKE THIS WHERE A SPLEEN IS
GROWING LIKE THAT DURING SAY A
PREGNANCY OR ANOTHER HEALTH
CHALLENGE THAT MAKES IT RISKY?
>> IT IS A VERY UNUSUAL KIND OF
LEUKEMIA THAT SHE HAD.
SO MAKING THE DIAGNOSIS WAS THE
FIRST THING.
PICKED UP ON HER ROUTINE
ULTRASOUND.
IT WAS VERY LARGE.
NORMALLY THE SIZE OF YOUR FIST
AND IN HER CASE ALMOST THE SIZE
OF TWO FOOTBALL’S.
AND PUSHING DOWN TO WHERE WE
WERE BURIED ABOUT HOW THE BABY
WILL DEVELOP AND SO FORTH.
-- WE WERE WORRIED.
DIFFERENT TREATMENT OPTIONS AND
CHELSEA WAS AMAZING ABOUT
REALLY HELPING STEER US AFTER
GIVING APPROPRIATE INFORMATION
ABOUT WHAT WOULD BE BEST FOR
HER.
WE’VE HAD THE POTENTIAL TO GIVE
HER SOME CHEMOTHERAPY BUT
THERE’S A LOT OF UNKNOWNS.
11 CASE REPORTS IN THE
LITERATURE ABOUT THIS KIND OF
LEUKEMIA AND PREGNANT PATIENTS.
>> HAIRY CELL.
>> IT IS CALLED THAT BECAUSE
WHEN YOU LOOK UNDER THE
MICROSCOPE THE CELLS THAT ARE
EMBEDDED LITTLE PROJECTIONS ON
THEM THAT LOOK LIKE HAIR.
SO CALLED HAIRY CELL LEUKEMIA.
>> AND YOU SAID CHELSEA WAS
GREAT IN GETTING YOU GUYS AFTER
SHE’D APPROPRIATE INFORMATION.
WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT FOR
PATIENTS TO BE ARMED WITH THE
APPROPRIATE INFORMATION AS YOU
SAY?
>> I THINK WE ARE IN A WORD OF
REMARKABLE TECHNOLOGY AND
INFORMATION AND SO FORTH BUT
ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT
THINGS YOU CAN DO AS A
PHYSICIAN IS TRY TO COMMUNICATE
APPROPRIATELY TO GIVE PATIENTS
INFORMATION SO THAT IF THERE
ARE CHOICES THAT THEY CAN HAVE
A THE APPROPRIATE CHOICE FOR
THEM.
AND ACTUALLY HAVING HER SPLEEN
REMOVED IS AN OLD-FASHIONED
TREATMENT FOR THIS.
AND GENERALLY WE WOULD DO THAT
IN PATIENTS WHO WERE NOT
PREGNANT THEY WOULD BE A MUCH
MORE SIMPLE PROCEDURE.
BUT A VERY DIFFICULT PROCEDURE
BUT WITH EXPERTS OR SURGICAL
INPUT IT WAS TO NOT EXPOSE THE
BABY TO CHEMOTHERAPY.
LET’S ATTEMPT THIS OLDER
APPROACH AND SHE DID
BEAUTIFULLY.
THE SURGEONS DID A GREAT JOB IN
ALL GOOD.
>> TELL US ABOUT YOUR CANCER
FIGHT NOW IN YOUR BEAUTIFUL
BABIES.
>> YES WE ARE LOOKING AT
PICTURES THERE OF YOUR
CHILDREN.
>> YES.
SO NOW WE GO BACK TO LIFE AS
NORMAL AS LIFE CAN BE.
AND I JUST WORK WITH THE DOCTOR
AND WE KEEP AN EYE ON THINGS
AND WE MAKE SURE I’M STAYING
HEALTHY AND FEELING FINE.
AND NOW I’M ABLE TO ENJOY BEING
A MOM WITH MY GIRLS.
>> THE BIG ACCOMPLISHMENTS
RECENTLY TELLS ABOUT THE.
>> YES I GRADUATED FROM THE
UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA
AND YOU SAID BIRTHDAY SEASON
YOU ARE MAKING BIG PLANS THIS
WEEKEND.
IT IS ON TAP FOR MOTHER’S DAY.
>> WE WOULD JUST RELAX AROUND
THE HOUSE AND ENJOY YOUR TIME
AS A FAMILY AND JUST KIND OF
SOAK IN THE LOVE THAT WE HAVE.
>> THAT IS WONDERFUL.
WE’RE JUST EXCITED ABOUT WHAT
IS HAPPENING IN HEALTHCARE IN
YOUR STORY SO THANK YOU FOR
SHARING THAT.
>> YES, OF COURSE.
>> IT IS AMAZING WHAT YOU CAN
DO JUST IMAGINE HAVING THAT
TYPE OF SURGERY WHILE SHE IS
PREGNANT.
IT IS AMAZING.
>> SHE’S A REMARKABLE YOUNG
LADY AND YOU CAN ALL SEE THAT.
AND GRATIFYING THINGS AND THE
THINGS WE DO HERE AND SO YES,
WE REALLY HAVE GREAT RESPECT
FOR CHELSEA AND WE LOVE BABIES
IN OUR OFFICE.
YOU CAN IMAGINE AS A CANCER
DOCTOR WHENEVER YOUR PATIENTS
HAVE BABIES WE KIND OF EXPECT
YOU TO BRING THEM IN.
SOMETIMES MOM SAY I WOULD
REALLY LIKE TO GET AWAY FROM
THE BABY FOR A LITTLE WHILE SO
THEY DO NOT ALWAYS BRING AMANDA
WE REALLY LIKE IT WHEN THEY DO.
>> HAVE YOU BEEN BRINGING THE
BABY IN TO VISIT I HOPE.
>> THAT IS NEXT ON MY LIST.
[LAUGHTER]
>> YOU KNOW IF YOU SAY
SOMETHING ON TV IT’S ACTUALLY A
BINDING CONTRACT SO YOU HAVE
THAT ALL WORKED OUT FOR YOU.