What Vanessa Drummond, 27, initially thought was the beginning of a new chapter turned out to be something completely unexpected: a rare condition known as Gestational Trophoblastic Disease (GTD).
It started with a positive pregnancy test on July 17, which prompted Drummond, from Manawatu in New Zealand, to visit her doctor for confirmation.
In a TikTok video, which has received over 60,000 views, Drummond explained that GTD is a group of rare tumors that involve abnormal growth of cells inside the uterus.
In her case, instead of a zygote developing into an embryo, it formed into a tumor. GTD includes 6 types of tumors, the most common being a molar pregnancy—information that Drummond has had to clarify she categorically does not have.
More concerning are the malignant forms of GTD that can develop into cancerous tumors, but Drummond was quick to tell social media users that these are highly treatable.
The 27-year-old explained in the TikTok video that when you take a pregnancy test, your body secretes the hormone that makes the test turn positive. But when you have GTD, the tumor secretes too much of the hormone.
"Basically, I thought I was pregnant, and the doctor thought I was pregnant. They were testing my blood but instead of me having 15,000 milliliters of this hormone in my blood, I had 150,000 and they were like, that's not good," she said in the clip.
Drummond told Newsweek about the surreal and difficult days between her initial tests and formal diagnosis. Tests were completed on Friday and her appointment was the following Monday, prompting Drummond to read up on medical conditions that caused high levels of beta-HCG—the pregnancy hormone level in the blood. GTD was the only logical diagnosis to her.
"It's hard to explain my feelings at the time. I had the weekend to research treatment and process the situation myself, so when the time came to be formally told I skipped right over the shock factor and wanted to know my chances of needing chemo and radiation," she said.
She told Newsweek that her "baby" had turned into what's known as an invasive mole, a type of GTD that has a relatively high chance (20-50 percent) of developing into choriocarcinoma, a more serious form of cancer.
Fortunately, her condition was caught early but Drummond had to travel to a different city to receive proper testing, as the hospital in her hometown "refused" to run necessary tests and advised her to wait 2 weeks instead.
"Gestational Trophoblastic Disease is a range of disorders of pregnancy that cause cells from the placenta to grow abnormally. They are made up of two main categories: hydatidiform moles and gestational trophoblastic neoplasia," Dympna Weil, MD I Board Certified OB/GYN told Newsweek.
She explained that GTN means abnormal tissues that behave malignantly by exhibiting characteristics associated with cancer.
"GTN can metastasize to other parts of the body, most commonly the lungs. However, in some higher-risk cases, it can also travel to the brain, liver, and kidneys, causing significant symptoms and complications," Weil told Newsweek.
All GTN cases require significant intervention, such as chemotherapy, chemotherapy and radiation or, in some cases, hysterectomy and additional treatments, she said.
"The more high-risk types are best served in tertiary care medical centers with varied specialists, including GYN Oncologists," Weil added.
Drummond's tumor has now been removed and the next steps are chemotherapy, she told Newsweek.
Faced with the option of waiting 12 months to monitor her condition or undergoing preventative chemotherapy, Drummond opted for the latter to complete chemo "and continue to try and get the first grandchild ribbon."
Although there is a slight chance she may require radiation therapy, her doctors assured her that the likelihood is very low.
Drummond underwent two operations: a D&C (dilation and curettage) to remove the gestational sac and tumor from her uterus and an exploratory laparotomy to check for any signs of ectopic pregnancy or metastasized tumors.
"The hardest part of the recovery has been asking for help," she told Newsweek.
"For the first three days, I couldn't get up or lay down without assistance, use the bathroom or lift or hold anything on my own. You'd be amazed how much you need your abdominal muscles for."
A week has passed since her surgery and Drummond is making progress. She can move around, drive and walk, though sleeping remains difficult due to the discomfort caused by her stitches.
Ultimately, if something doesn't feel right, Drummond encourages people to always seek a second opinion.
"As much as we should trust our doctors and trust what they're saying, if something doesn't feel right, always seek a second opinion because in my case, if I hadn't gone to a different hospital, I still wouldn't have had a single test run by now and who knows what could have happened if this had two extra weeks to grow," she said.
