BOB体育

In the summer of 2021, Jenna was on the precipice of major life changes.

Jenna, then 24, had recently moved from Jacksonville to Gainesville, Florida, for a new job as an event planner at the University of Florida. Her days were filled with exciting yet somewhat stressful tasks, including planning her wedding, settling into a temporary apartment, and house hunting.

The thrills of a new city, a new job, and a new fianc茅 filled her days, but beneath the surface, something felt off. Always attuned to her body, Jenna felt out of sync. Her menstrual cycle suddenly stopped, but she chalked it up to stress. With so many changes underway, it seemed a logical explanation.

Months passed, and Jenna checked things off her to-do list. She settled into her job, she and her fianc茅 bought a house, wedding plans were locked in. But as life stressors eased, her health was still in decline. The gnawing worry that something wasn鈥檛 right persisted.

Jenna reached out to a solo practitioner OB-GYN her friend recommended. The doctor listened to her concerns about having gone more than six months without a period but ultimately dismissed it as stress. Jenna left the appointment with mixed feelings 鈥� half relieved, half doubtful.

By mid-2022, the symptoms were more acute. She had mounting abdominal pain, hot flashes, and night sweats. She started a new job at BOB体育 on the marketing and communications team in May and married the love of her life in September, but the wedding marked the start of a steep health decline. Her symptoms worsened, now occurring almost daily and making everyday life increasingly difficult.

The breaking point came on Christmas Eve. Jenna had a severe hot flash that left her feeling like she was burning from the inside out despite the unusually cold weather. She knew she had to do something.

Jenna found herself on UFHealth.org, searching for help. She booked a next-day appointment with Angelica Estrella, DNP, APRN, who immediately set out to understand Jenna鈥檚 condition.

Jenna鈥檚 diagnosis

Dr. Estrella ran a series of blood tests. The results came back quickly, revealing an abnormally high level of prolactin, a hormone produced by the pituitary gland. Hers was over 260 ng/mL, while the typical level for a woman her age is less than 25 ng/mL. Dr. Estrella ordered an MRI to rule out other issues, particularly a prolactinoma, a benign hormone-secreting tumor on the pituitary gland.

The MRI in February 2023 confirmed their fears: a 2 cm tumor was growing on Jenna鈥檚 pituitary gland. Jenna got the news the next day while at her parents鈥� house, overwhelmed with emotion, but relieved to have clarity.

鈥淏efore I went to get the MRI, Dr. Estrella did her best to comfort me without raising alarm bells,鈥� Jenna said. 鈥淪o, once I found out, while scared, I felt ready to move forward to fix the issue.鈥�

She spoke highly of Dr. Estrella and felt that because she had a health care provider that really listened to her, she was able to get a diagnosis quickly.

Jenna knew the tumor was benign, but it was still a daunting diagnosis. Within days, Jenna was referred to an endocrinologist, Gayane Barsamyan, MD, who gave her and her husband the reassurance they desperately needed. While the situation was serious, Dr. Barsamyan had successfully treated similar cases. The treatment began with medication 鈥� cabergoline 鈥� to shrink the tumor by reducing the prolactin levels.

鈥淚 was excited that this was the treatment course because it meant that I didn鈥檛 quite need surgery yet, which at the time I was not mentally ready for,鈥� Jenna said.

The plan was to take the medication for a year, maybe two. But those initial plans took a turn.

Changing course

The medication was working to shrink the tumor effectively, but Jenna felt that it was destroying her 鈥渇rom the inside out.鈥�

The medication left her constantly nauseated, fatigued, and emotionally drained. Over a few months, her weight dropped from 147 to 117 pounds, and she could barely keep anything down despite taking anti-nausea medication.

Despite the medication鈥檚 success in reducing her prolactin levels and shrinking the tumor, the side effects were unbearable. Jenna鈥檚 life became a shadow of what it once was 鈥� her eyes lost their sparkle, and her once-joyous and playful spirit was crushed under the weight of constant illness.

Determined to change course, Jenna and her family asked for a different approach. Noticing Jenna鈥檚 side effects, her doctor agreed to reduce the medication dosage by half, which alleviated about half of her symptoms.

鈥淭he nausea and fatigue became bearable, but overall I still felt miserable,鈥� Jenna said.

Jenna鈥檚 condition became bad enough that she had to work from home most days as co-workers watched her deteriorate.

An MRI in July 2023 showed a minor decrease in the tumor鈥檚 size. However, at her next appointment, she and her husband asked to consult with the neurosurgery team to discuss surgical options. Just a month later, Jenna met with Steven Roper, MD, a neurosurgeon who specializes in treating conditions like Jenna鈥檚.

Coincidentally, neurosurgery was one of the service lines that Jenna worked closely with as a marketing coordinator, so she was already familiar with Dr. Roper.

鈥淭here is no way it was a coincidence that I ended up getting a job that just so happens to have one of the best neurosurgeons specializing in pituitary tumors in my backyard,鈥� Jenna said. 鈥淧atients fly from across the country to see Dr. Roper, and he happens to be 20 minutes from me.鈥�

Dr. Roper immediately validated Jenna鈥檚 feelings and understood the severity of her situation. He agreed that her rapid weight loss was reason enough to consider surgery, but they had to wait for the tumor to grow again to prove that the medication wasn鈥檛 a permanent solution.

鈥淚t became clear that Jenna could not tolerate the side effects of the medication that she was taking to treat the tumor,鈥� Dr. Roper said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 when we knew that surgery to remove the tumor was a good option.鈥�

Dr. Roper worked collaboratively with Jenna鈥檚 endocrinologist and his colleague Brian Lobo, MD 鈥� an otolaryngology surgeon who would help perform Jenna鈥檚 surgery 鈥� to make sure everyone was on board with the care plan.

As Jenna went off the medication, her transformation was almost immediate. Within two weeks, she could eat, her energy returned, and for the first time in a long while, she felt joy. One evening in early September, her husband noticed Jenna dancing to her favorite artist, Taylor Swift, in the living room. He was struck by emotion.

鈥淚 was happy to have her back,鈥� he said.

鈥淓veryone around me did a really good job of not making me feel sick,鈥� Jenna recalls. 鈥淪uddenly, everyone was like, 鈥楯enna is back!鈥� I didn鈥檛 know how much my condition impacted my family, friends, and co-workers.鈥�

With a renewed sense of life, Jenna took on a new role at work and began preparing for the surgery that she and her husband hoped would change her life.

Surgery and self-advocacy

By early 2024, as expected, the tumor had grown. Jenna鈥檚 prolactin levels were back up to over 250 ng/mL, after having dropped under 30 ng/mL while on the medication. Meanwhile, her period had stopped again.

Despite lingering fear from previous health care experiences, she was determined to face this challenge. A sexual assault survivor, Jenna worried about a return of post-traumatic stress disorder. She just wanted to come out of surgery OK.

鈥淭here is no way to go into this stress-free,鈥� Jenna said. 鈥淏rain surgery is brain surgery.鈥�

Throughout 2023, Jenna saw a mental health counselor to work through her feelings. With her therapist, they came up with the idea to use a version of a 鈥渉andle with care鈥� card that Jenna had seen on social media, shared by a teacher.

In the social media post, a teacher shared that she gave these cards to her students鈥� parents at the beginning of the year and said, 鈥淚f there is a day that I need to give your child grace, put this card in their folder and I will know.鈥�

As a foster parent with her husband, Jenna used this type of card with the kids that came to them. Jenna thought this approach might work well at the hospital to explain her past trauma to her caregivers. So, she made up her own card.

The card asked caregivers to ask before touching their patient and to explain procedures before they took place, among other things.

鈥淚 thought the nurses and doctor would read it maybe once, but immediately, the nurses taking care of me became very protective and put a note on my door for anyone entering the room to see the nurse鈥檚 station before doing so,鈥� Jenna said.

They gave a card to everyone on her care team, from nutritionists to therapists.

鈥淭hey also taped it to the computer and gave one of the cards to everyone on my care team, including the doctors, residents, fellows, therapists, nutrition, and environmental services teams. This felt so affirming, and I can鈥檛 stress enough how great my experience was at BOB体育, even if it was for brain surgery.

鈥淢y medical team made me feel like I had control over a situation that I had little control over,鈥� she said.

The surgery, performed in March 2024, was a success. Dr. Lobo and Dr. Roper worked together to navigate through her sinuses to remove the tumor. Jenna鈥檚 recovery, though difficult, was smoother than she expected.

Two days later, she was home adjusting to life post-surgery with the support of her husband, family, and medical team. The first meal she could tolerate was a spicy carnitas bowl from Chipotle, a small but significant victory.

Jenna returned to work part-time after a few weeks and by June 2024, she was back to living life fully 鈥� riding roller coasters (with Dr. Roper鈥檚 OK), going on new adventures, and enjoying food again. The tumor was gone, and with it, the symptoms that had plagued her for so long.

Reclaiming her life

Today, Jenna is vibrant and healthy. She reflects on her journey with a deep sense of gratitude for the lessons learned and the strength she discovered within herself.

鈥淚 didn鈥檛 realize how much my body could be affected by a 2-centimeter tumor,鈥� Jenna said. 鈥淚 learned that so many things I experienced over the past few years were connected to my tumor. But I also know that if I had to go back and decide on this path of healing again, I would.鈥�

Jenna is so appreciative of her BOB体育 doctors, nurses, and surgeons.

鈥淓very single one of my providers listened to me and believed me. I felt that I had a voice when it came to the direction of my care, and ultimately, that led me to where I am today, healed and back to my normal self,鈥� she said.

In sickness and in health, Jenna and her husband faced unimaginable challenges together in their first two years of marriage. Now, they look forward to a future filled with love, adventure, and the simple joys that make life worth living. Jenna is more than a survivor. She is a testament to the power of resilience, advocacy, and unwavering determination.