After months of stomach pains, weight gain, and fatigue, a woman was told it was just bloating. But when her concerns were finally heard, horrified doctors discovered a tumor weighing nearly 50 pounds.
Ash, 26, started to notice the intense bloating and weight gain in September 2023. At the time, she couldn’t explain the cause since she hadn’t made any significant lifestyle changes.
She tried to get through it for a while, but it was starting to affect her work as, she told Newsweek, she “couldn’t stay awake or remain focused.” Getting through each day was a struggle, and as her weight continued to increase, her self-esteem plummeted.
“I had intense bloating, weight gain without lifestyle changes, and I had irregular periods,” Ash, of Florida, said. “My period would be twice a month and on one occasion lasted two and a half months.
She continued: “I’m a fairly active person, and I had to quit my workout classes, and towards the end, I could barely walk around Target without having to sit down. It also impacted my confidence, and I didn’t really want to leave the house. “
@glam_and_glasses / TikTok
Ash eventually spoke to her doctor in the hopes of getting an answer. Unfortunately, she was told that it was probably just bloat and perfectly normal. She’d previously been diagnosed with polycystic ovaries syndrome (PCOS), one of the symptoms is bloating and pelvic pain, so Ash was told that her symptoms were “normal for the condition.”
However, she told Newsweek that it didn’t necessarily feel like bloating because her stomach was “hard and painful.”
She made changes to improve her diet, reduced her stress levels, and started taking medicine to increase her estrogen levels. It was hoped that by adapting her lifestyle, she could reduce the painful bloat and resume normality.
“I started taking the medication and I was referred to a nutritionist during the time,” Ash said. “But my symptoms only got worse as time went on. I started to question the diagnosis when I made all these changes, and yet the symptoms persisted.”
But they didn’t just persist, they took over her life.
Before long, Ash was “basically bed bound” due to the constant fatigue and the pains she endured. She could no longer eat solid food, her hair was falling out, and not only did it look like she was pregnant, but she felt it too. The mere task of bending over to tie her shoes proved impossible because she couldn’t get around her stomach.
It became clear that this wasn’t just bloating, nor something she could live with silently. By mid-October, she urged her doctor to run further scans, and she was finally granted an ultrasound.
It turned out to be far worse than expected, as the ultrasound revealed a large mass in her pelvis.
“When they told me what they found, I was terrified, and I threw up. They didn’t know what it was, just that it was a large mass ranging from my pelvis all the way to my diaphragm,” Ash said.
“The first diagnosis was that it was a very large intra-abdominal multiseptated cystic mass. Then after having a CT scan, the diagnosis notes stated that it was a cystic lesion measuring 26.2 centimeters by 33.5 centimeters.”
For so long, Ash thought she could fix her symptoms with diet and lifestyle changes, but it was far beyond that. Of course, she felt vindicated, but learning what had been growing inside her body left her feeling incredibly overwhelmed.
The tumor needed to be surgically removed in November, and only then could doctors learn what it actually was. Ash was diagnosed with a mucinous borderline tumor of the right ovary with multifocal microinvasion.
Once the huge tumor was removed, it weighed in at almost 46lbs (or 18 gallons) and was roughly the size of a basketball.
@glam_and_glasses / TikTok
People with a tumor or a condition may develop many symptoms, but emergency medicine physician Dr. Heather L. Hinshelwood tells Newsweek that “rapid abdominal size expansion” can signal a range of maladies or diseases. It shouldn’t be overlooked, and she urges anyone to see a healthcare provider if they experience this.
Dr. Hinshelwood, Chief of Medicine at The Fraum Center for Restorative Health, said: “Being bloated won’t kill someone, but cancer can. It helps if the provider doesn’t assume the least innocuous pathology. Someone involved in the patient’s care needs to order the imaging.
“If you are experiencing ongoing pain, please go to your doctor to talk about it. If something starts hurting and stays that way, it needs to be evaluated. So if you think something is wrong, advocate for yourself and ask for the imaging,” she continued.
Sharing Her Story Online
There’s no doubt Ash was relieved to be rid of it and finally move on with her life. She’s even been documenting her experience on TikTok (@glam_and_glasses) to encourage others to advocate for themselves and listen to their body.
If anyone else has concerns about symptoms, Ash encourages them to see a doctor and be their own advocate.
She told Newsweek: “I shared it on social media because it was a really weird and unfortunate thing that happened to me, and sometimes sharing it helps me to understand it better.
“Having it removed was absolutely life changing. I’m able to do everything I used to do without pain or exhaustion. Right now, it looks like everything’s going well and there’s no physical signs of regrowth. But it’s possible that my other ovary could grow a tumor, so they want to keep a close eye on me,” Ash said.
Is there a health issue that’s worrying you? Let us know via health@newsweek.com. We can ask experts for advice, and your story could be featured on Newsweek.