Tyler, TX – Kirsten Vulgamott, a registered nurse, successfully navigated a challenging breast cancer diagnosis and extensive treatment while pregnant, culminating in the birth of her daughter, Hazel. Vulgamott, who was 12 weeks pregnant when she discovered a lump, now works as a nurse in pre-op day surgery at UT Health Tyler, drawing on her experience to encourage patients facing similar frightening diagnoses. Her journey included surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation, all while preparing for and caring for a newborn.
Vulgamott, then working in UT Health Tyler’s Emergency Department, noticed redness and felt a lump under her left breast after a night shift. Her initial hopes that the lump was related to pregnancy hormones or mastitis led her to a doctor, where the area was lanced as a suspected abscess. However, when the area did not heal after three weeks, she visited UT Health East Texas Breast Cancer for an ultrasound. An ultrasound revealed a mass, and a subsequent biopsy confirmed invasive ductal carcinoma, a diagnosis of breast cancer.
According to the National Cancer Institute, breast cancer occurs in approximately one in every 3,000 pregnant women, with 85% of these diagnoses being invasive ductal carcinomas. Most women receiving this diagnosis are between the ages of 32 and 38. Vulgamott was 34 years old at the time of her diagnosis.
Days after learning her diagnosis, Vulgamott met her oncologist, Dr. Marc Usrey, with UT Health East Texas HOPE Cancer Center. Dr. Usrey, who had treated a previous patient for breast cancer during pregnancy, connected Vulgamott with that patient, offering her a source of hope and comfort. Later that same week, Vulgamott met breast surgeon Dr. Christine Moulds-Merritt, with UT Health East Texas, who performed surgery to remove the cancerous tumor a day after their initial meeting. Dr. Moulds-Merritt noted that Vulgamott was her first patient after joining UT Health East Texas and recalled thinking about caring for both Vulgamott and her unborn baby.
Going into surgery while pregnant was nerve-wracking for Vulgamott, who found reassurance in hearing her baby’s heartbeat both before and after the procedure. Following four weeks of recovery, Vulgamott began chemotherapy when she was around 20 weeks pregnant. She described the start of chemotherapy as terrifying but realized she could manage it after a few days. Her chemotherapy continued through much of her pregnancy, with a six-week pause to allow her to give birth.
After her daughter, Hazel, was born, Vulgamott resumed treatment, undergoing 35 rounds of radiation. She stated that caring for a newborn while going through radiation was exhausting but provided a joyful focus. Vulgamott continued working until she was 34 weeks pregnant, finding that staying busy helped her cope. After Hazel’s birth, Vulgamott took time away from work for recovery, which she described as a blessing that allowed her to stay home with Hazel for a period.
Vulgamott eventually returned to UT Health Tyler and now works as a nurse in pre-op day surgery, a schedule that provides more time with Hazel, who turns 4 in December. In her current role, she works alongside many of the physicians who cared for her during her treatment. She notes that she doesn’t think about cancer much anymore, which she finds comforting.
Today, Vulgamott leverages her personal experience as both a nurse and a cancer survivor to encourage and support patients facing their own frightening diagnoses, stating, "You don't know how strong you are until you're going through it." Dr. Moulds-Merritt, who now regularly sees Vulgamott in pre-op, confirmed Vulgamott's role as a source of encouragement for others. Dr. Moulds-Merritt remarked on how Vulgamott supports her after long days and provides incredible support to scared patients, going to talk to them. Vulgamott recently attended the UT Health East Texas Breast Cancer Survivor Summit on September 19 at Green Acres Baptist Church Crosswalk Conference Center, where Dr. Moulds-Merritt was a speaker on a panel of breast cancer experts.
