Mama Of The Month
Meet our fifth Mama of the Month, Michelle Velez! Here at TSB, we want to develop a community of supportive, inclusive and strong mamas. Each month we will be featuring a different mama with a unique story. Keep reading to learn all about this December’s Mama, Michelle.
From her journey as a news anchor to coping with molar pregnancy and being diagnosed with a rare form of cancer, to everything in between, keep reading to learn more about Michelle!
Michelle is a local news anchor for the NBC station in Las Vegas. She is married with two small children aged two and four. She has been in the business for more than 15 years, working in Las Vegas for almost a decade. She got her on-air start in Yuma, Arizona and didn’t just get much needed experience in the small starter market, she also met the man she would later marry! Normally Michelle would be described as a hard working career momma with a crazy 3 am wake-up call just trying to balance work and mom life.
Unfortunately this past October, all that changed when Michelle was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer caused by a pregnancy. The cancer developed from an often unheard of rarity called a molar pregnancy. Michelle’s happened when the baby never formed but instead of miscarrying like it should – the placenta continued to grow and developed invasive tissue. In most cases that tissue is cleared out surgically and the pregnancy hormone is monitored until it gets back to zero. However, In some very rare cases it develops into a rare form of cancer and in Michelle’s case, spread to other organs. By the time it was caught, which was only a matter of weeks, she was diagnosed with stage 4 Gestational Trophoblastic Neoplasia that has spread to her uterus, spleen, liver and all over her lungs. She started aggressive chemotherapy treatments 4 days later. The good news is this type of cancer is treatable with an excellent prognosis, but the treatment is harsh.
So now Michelle’s life as a woman, wife, mother and journalist has all shifted while she takes on this new battle. She is in the middle of chemotherapy treatments and is now trying to navigate fighting cancer while still being mom. It has not been easy, but with her deep faith and incredible support system she is making it through. Michelle has also found tremendous comfort and support by choosing to share her entire journey on her instagram account – which has unexpectedly connected her with hundreds of women from around the world also affected by her same condition. It has also put a spotlight and brought awareness to molar pregnancies which is something Michelle believes every woman of child bearing age should know about. You can follow her journey on Instagram @MichelleNews3LV.
Something about Michelle people may not know, Is she is half Nicaraguan, and a quarter Lebanese. It’s an interesting mix with a rich history, great food, and my favorite part – amazing music! She can belly dance and Latin dance and was a Zumba instructor for almost ten years before she had kids.
As a mother of two, were you anticipating having a third child?
We went back and forth about having a third baby but ultimately agreed we did want one more. We decided not to actively try, but just stop preventing and see what happened. We were thrilled to find out we were expecting baby number three.
A molar pregnancy occurs in 1 out of every 1,000 pregnancies and causes tissue growth in the uterus but very few individuals know about it, how did you know something was wrong?
We found out at six weeks that the pregnancy wasn’t viable when we did and ultrasound and there was nothing in the sac. At that point, my doctor and I decided we would let my body miscarry naturally and made plans to come back in four weeks. I knew something wasn’t right when my body started to show more signs of pregnancy. I was extremely fatigued, then started having food aversions and nausea. I should have been having a miscarriage, but instead I was feeling more pregnant. It just didn’t make sense, but I was also having vaginal bleeding, so I thought maybe all this was part of the process. When the nausea became so bad I could no longer function, I went back to my doctor and the moment they pulled up my ultrasound – my doctor knew it was a molar pregnancy. As a high-risk perinatal specialist, he is familiar with molar pregnancies, so he could see it on the screen. Molar pregnancies resemble a grape-like cluster inside the uterus and are very visible on ultrasounds. I saw it too, but of course, had no idea what it was.
Upon being diagnosed with stage 4 choriocarcinoma (cancer that follows molar pregnancies and is extremely rare), how long did it take for the gravity of the condition to truly be processed?
My diagnosis happened fast and furious. I found out about cancer only three weeks after learning my miscarriage was actually a molar pregnancy and about two months after finding out we were pregnant. Of course, like most people, I had never heard of a molar pregnancy – let alone the type of cancer it could cause. I started chemo four days after finding out I had cancer and was also very sick in the hospital at the same time, so I never really had a moment to process what was happening to me. It wasn’t until I was two weeks into chemo that the reality I was battling cancer really started to sink in.
You have two little ones at home, how did you share the news with them?
My children are two and four years old so explaining cancer to them is not easy. My four-year-old son already knew I was wasn’t feeling well, so when I got diagnosed, we decided to keep it simple. We told him a really mean germ was making mommy feel yucky, but the medicine was going to make mommy better. I was very specific about the words we chose to use. Instead of “sick” we say “not feeling good” and when my hair fell out we said the medicine was going to make mommy’s hair “get short” – instead of “fall out”. We didn’t want to scare them by making a big deal out of it and it seems to be working. When I’m having a bad day and need to stay in bed we just say mommy is sleeping and they don’t ask a lot of questions. I do believe their age has a lot to do with it. They are just not quite old enough to really comprehend the magnitude of what’s happening and I’m very grateful for that.
As a news anchor, media entities are often reporting on and sharing stories of tribulations, how did you make the choice to start sharing your journey?
I made a public post announcing my diagnosis on all social media platforms and in a company-wide email, exactly one week after finding out. That’s how long it took us to let close family and friends know I had cancer. I kept the pregnancy and miscarriage private, but I knew I would not be able to keep cancer a secret. The molar pregnancy was making me very sick, so I had been already missed a lot work. It was obvious something was wrong and I knew I would need to provide and explanation. My initial post was only ever intended to inform viewers and my co-workers what was going on. That same night I posted the announcement, I collapsed in my bathroom and had to be transported by ambulance. While being treated in the hospital for severe anemia, my story was picked up by a writer for Yahoo news and then went viral. At first I was really overwhelmed by it all, but I quickly realized not only was sharing my story therapeutic for me, it was also bringing awareness to a rarity not enough people know about. It gave my cancer journey a purpose that made sense to me.
As you continue to forge forward in your battle, what keeps you going?
Finding out you have cancer is hard to put into words. For me, terrifying and unbelievable describe it best. The first thing I said to my doctor through loud breathless sobs is “I have two young babies!! I have to be here for them!!!”. She promptly said that was exactly why we needed to start treatment immediately. At the time it all seemed so hopeless, but once you have time to process the diagnosis, it’s a little easier to think. However, there are still plenty of dark days. There will be moments where you are perfectly fine and then it hits you and you have a complete breakdown. Some days you just feel like giving up and its those times that I look at my kids and my husband and my mother and remember why I have to keep fighting. They need me and they need me to be well. My family is my reason to keep going every single day.
Your strength is indescribable, but cancer isn’t Michelle, tell us a few things you love to do with the kids?
When I’m not fighting cancer I’m just a regular working mom trying to do it all. I have the kids in the afternoons and on weekends because of my husbands schedule so keeping them entertained is part of the daily challenge. One thing we love to do is take walks to the family dog park. Usually its me juggling two toddlers in a very large double stroller with two eager dogs pulling us along. Every time we go it never fails, I always get at least one “WOW! You have your hands full!” We also love riding bikes and playing soccer. My husband is an athlete and our son is quickly becoming one as well. We play soccer, baseball, hockey, golf – you name it. It is not unusual to have balls flying past my head at any given moment.
If you could advise mothers in similar situations one thing, what would it be?
I find myself wondering on a regular basis what cancer would be like if I didn’t have two little kids. The physical effects from the chemo alone are so intense some days you can barely move and you just need to stay in bed. Your doctors tell you to rest when you need to and listen to your body. Of course, you know thats impossible because you have two small children who are completely dependent on you for everything. My advice to any mother going through something like this is to let people help you. You cannot do this alone so when people offer help TAKE IT!! A lot of times we moms will politely thank those who offer help, knowing very well we won’t actually accept it. This time I told myself I would not do that. If they offer and I need something, I ask and I don’t feel bad about it. The only part I’ve struggled with is being separated from the kids for long periods of time. We’ve had to let family out of state take them a few times when I’ve been sick in the hospital, and as a mom that is hard. I’m getting better with it. I’m learning to let go of trying to do it all and accept that help because of my body literally, physically can not right now. It may not be easy, but my kids need a healthy mom and I can’t rest and recover if I’m chasing them around. It’s also better for them not to see me when things get bad. So I have to make hard choices, which to be honest is really harder for me than them. They love going to visit their cousins and are usually too busy having fun to even talk to us!
What’s next for Michelle and where can we stay tuned with your updates?
Once I get through my treatments which will be finished mid-January, I plan to start my recovery and make up for as much lost time as possible with my family. The goal is to get back to life as we knew it before cancer, but with a lot more appreciation for every blessing we have. As always I plan to be open and transparent about life after cancer. You can follow my journey on Instagram @MichelleNews3LV, and on Facebook at Michelle Velez News3.