Brittany’s health journey.

Brittany Menon found out she was pregnant beginning of September. She had to undergo many blood tests as her HCG level wasn’t rising as they should have been. She ended up going for a few ultrasounds and they found that she was having a Molar pregnancy. She then got booked in for the 16th of September 2020 (two weeks after her 21st) to have a D&C(clean out) done. A week or so later she was told she had a molar pregnancy of twins. She was then monitored each week for blood tests to make sure her HCG levels drop and don’t rise again

Fast forward to mid October 2020 she was contacted by a doctor from Christchurch hospital saying her HCG hasn’t been dropping as they should have been and they had started to rise again. 8th October her HCG was 552. 28th of October her HCG was 1256.

She started her chemotherapy of Methotrexate on the 2nd of November 2020 she was told she would be on chemotherapy for a maximum of 3 months, Methotrexate was doing its job for a month or so and her HCG levels started rising up and down 3-4 times. She finished being on the Methotrexate chemotherapy on the 8th of February.

She has had mouth ulcers, been very fatigue, loss of appetite, her voice has changed(as the chemotherapy affects her lining of her throat). She has also lost 11kgs.

They have decided to change her chemotherapy which now she is starting on another Chemotherapy called Dactinomycin, she started this chemotherapy on the Wednesday 10th of February 2021

This chemotherapy causes Hair loss. She will lose her eyebrows, eyelashes, hair and other hair on her body.

Her journey isn’t over yet, she still has a long road ahead of her. With weekly blood tests, monitoring as well as chemotherapy.

UPDATE: 18/02/2021

Brittany has had a hospital appointment and been told her levels have gone from 20 to 37. She is due to have her next treatment on the 24th. She has been told if she has 3 rises in her levels she will need to change to the stronger chemotherapy which means she will need to stay in hospital for that one as that one is very strong. Only 5 people every year need to be changed to that chemotherapy.