Pregnant mom diagnosed with Stage IV cancer after symptoms were dismissed

Jenney Bitner's life took a devastating turn when symptoms she initially attributed to her pregnancy were revealed to be signs of aggressive cancer. At 22 weeks pregnant with her fourth child, Bitner experienced severe headaches, nausea, vomiting, and unsteadiness. Despite seeking help at urgent care facilities, she was told these were likely normal pregnancy symptoms. However, upon returning home from a family trip, Bitner collapsed twice, prompting her husband to take her to the emergency room. An MRI scan uncovered a "giant tumor" in her brain. Subsequent tests confirmed the diagnosis: Stage IV melanoma that had metastasized to her brain. This diagnosis was particularly shocking as melanoma typically presents with a visible lesion, which Bitner had never noticed. With a grim prognosis, patients with this stage of cancer have about a 35% five-year survival rate, Bitner, then 38, felt terrified about not surviving to see her youngest child reach even one year old. Doctors advised aggressive treatment, starting with surgery to remove as much of the tumor as possible without causing permanent brain damage. Further examination revealed a cancerous nodule in her back. Treating advanced cancer during pregnancy presented significant challenges. Immunotherapy, a crucial part of her treatment, was not safe for her unborn child. The medical team determined that the baby would likely need to be delivered prematurely to allow Bitner to begin treatment. A C-section was scheduled for 34 weeks of gestation. Days before the delivery, Bitner's symptoms returned, and scans showed her brain tumor had rapidly regrown to its original size, necessitating another brain surgery in addition to immunotherapy.

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I had just turned 38, and I was pregnant with my fourth kid. I was thinking, 'I'm too young for this to be happening.' I was thinking, 'There's no way I'm going to make it through this. I'm never going to see this baby survive to a year old.' I was terrified.