In her mid-twenties, Katie Smith was just a normal young lady. Well, that’s if you believe the situation is normal. When something unexpected began to grow in her stomach, Mrs. Smith was a mere 24 years old. The doctors were disconcerted and couldn’t figure out what it was…
Woman Thought She’s Pregnant But What Her Doctor Told Her Left Her Speechless
The Beginning
Katie’s stomach began to grow and exploded so quickly that it looked like she was pregnant! The weird part, she wasn’t pregnant at all! After the pregnancy test, she took a pregnancy test, all of which were negative, but doctors dismissed her concerns.
The Beginning
Her Story
Smith is from Swansea in Wales and began to notice an odd gain in weight. She had gone from normal to someone in a few years who looked as if they were full-term pregnant. Smith told the BBC that she had never been a skinny girl, but she had gradually developed this huge belly.
Her Story
Healthy Lifestyle
As most of the young ladies were at that age, Katie really followed a healthy lifestyle and was aware of her figure. She was a passionate gym-goer, and she embraced her curvy figure. This is the reason why it was not only frustrating but confusing to gain weight. That mystery went on…
Say Hi To Katie
Not As It Seems
Katie didn’t even want to work at a Christmas party because her figure was so misleading. She felt uncomfortable and insecure. As any woman would feel uncomfortable in her situation, Katie felt that she was fat and that her outfit was truly unflattering.
Not As It Seems
Too Fast To Keep Up With
Katie had done it all, but her belly would not stop growing. She said, “I was exercising and eating healthily, but I was slowly getting bigger.” Nothing is more frustrating than following a healthy way of life and still packing on weight and quickly.
Too Fast To Keep Up With
What Was Going On?
“It crept up so slowly [that] I didn’t know anything was wrong – I thought I was putting on timber,” Katie continued. Katie put a lot of weight on it, so she didn’t have any clue why.
What Was Going On?
Not Just Growing
The time had come when Katie could no longer ignore that excessive weight gain. It was becoming clear that all the weight she put on was directly transferred to her belly area. The weight felt weird. How would she move on?
Not Just Growing
Staying Hopeful
Katie felt a hard stomach, and the touch irritated her. Nevertheless, she was satisfied and adamant that the situation would progress and hopefully end in time. However, this situation was not going to work out as she had hoped…
Staying Hopeful
There’s Only One Explanation
In dresses, she had gone up several sizes and had now reached size eight. She felt so frightened and did not want to seek medical care. Her dad was a doctor, which made her apprehensive about the entire situation.
There’s Only One Explanation
Her Gut Feeling
Katie never knew that there was much more to things ahead. Only one conclusion she had come to was not what she wanted or wanted to accept. This was potentially what her situation had come to be, however. What could be the one thing that made her do this?
Her Gut Feeling
With Child
She analyzed her symptoms and all the features that accompanied what her body was going through, and one explanation was given… pregnancy. She was constantly tired, her stomach area was expanding, and she was also in a serious relationship.
With Child
Unplanned Pregnancy
She was certain that it meant she had a bun in the oven as she analyzed all the aspects over and over again! Katie and her boyfriend were both rather anxious. It was certainly unplanned if she was actually pregnant, and it was not on her agenda right now.
Unplanned Pregnancy
Soon To Be Parents
Jamie Gibbons was Katie’s boyfriend of ten years, and the couple thought there was a chance she had a little human inside her. They were definitely not prepared, but it was obvious that they had to get at least it checked out.
Soon To Be Parents
The Blue Stripe
The couple was a bit taken aback after taking a pregnancy test, so it came back negatively. The two thought the test was incorrect and went for round two instantly. The test was negative, with the same result.
The Blue Stripe
Getting Really Worried
The couple decided the time had come for a healthcare professional to pay a visit. What could take place here? Could Katie be ill? Did she miscarry? Their minds were racing, and they were both simply scared!
Getting Really Worried
Facing Her Fears
Quite frankly, She had run out of options, and she had to see a doctor. Sadly, the news she wanted was not given to Katie. The doctor explained that she was “merely fat.” The spirits of Katie were down. She saw no escape at the rate of things happening.
Facing Her Fears
Following Her Instincts
The doctor had blatantly dismissed her fears and concerns, but Katie knew something was wrong. Since she had seen a doctor and her daily routine was not affected by this, she ignored it.
Following Her Instincts
Not Trustworthy
Katie had been thinking about it so much that she didn’t understand how pregnant she was. It looked like she was; really, what was up? She did not have any confidence in the doctor and his conclusion. They were professionals, though she didn’t really have any other choice.
Not Trustworthy
No Solution
If Katie were indeed pregnant, then when the baby was born, the issue would disappear. Her belly, however, continued to grow for two full years. It got bigger and bigger every month until something horrible happened one day at work…
No Solution
She Didn’t Feel Well
It was an average day for Katie at work until she began to feel ill-light-headed, nauseous, and spacey. She collapsed. When Katie regained consciousness, her coworkers informed her that she had fainted.
She Didn’t Feel Well
A Difficult Period
Katie knew she had to see a doctor immediately. Katie said, “It was a tough period in work, and when I passed out, my GP put it down to stress.” There was another explanation, and just as she was living before this ordeal, she had to continue.
A Difficult Period
All From Stress?
Is fainting from stress normal or even possible? Katie didn’t think that this was the rationale. Her doctor reassured her that nothing major was happening, and she was certainly not pregnant.
All From Stress?
Not What It Appears
Katie was being asked everywhere; she was going about her “pregnancy.” People noticed her rapidly growing stomach, and she couldn’t even try to hide it. She explained the situation countless times.
Not What It Appears
No End In Sight
“The doctors say I am just overweight, ” Katie continued telling all those that asked every day. Shortly, she was frustrated with the situation and saw no solution. There was no resolution ahead.
No End In Sight
Due Date
Katie said that when the baby was coming, she was constantly stopped and questioned about when she began to give in to spare them and herself the embarrassment. She stopped telling them that she was overweight, but that was what she had started to consider.
Due Date
Changing Appearance
With a huge belly, Katie was walking around town and had begun to feel both embarrassed and insecure. In the maternity section of shops, she started shopping, nothing fitted her, and her fake baby bump was still growing.
Changing Appearance
Maternity Clothes
She recounted, “I remember trying to shop for clothes in December 2016, and nothing would fit. I was skin and bone on top, then this massive lump and normal legs. The only thing that was going to fit was maternity wear.”
Maternity Clothes
Needs Help
Katie had become stubborn to see the physician. Breathing difficulties and significant weight gain had truly stopped her quality of life after fainting a few times, and she needed help more than ever.
Needs Help
Seeking Assistance
Only if her coworkers were so adamant about it, she still would never actually have gone. People wondered how Katie let herself go and why she did not necessarily care for herself. Something certainly wasn’t right, and we can’t believe she was waiting that long.
Seeking Assistance
A New Explanation
She moved on, avoiding it as much as she could. However, it got to the point that it was just enough—she had fainted for the fourth time. The doctor said this time round that it was her acne medication. Katie didn’t take that reasoning for herself; she knew he was wrong.
A New Explanation
Time To Stand Up
It is as if the doctors did not take her case or her symptoms seriously. They carried on blaming anything and everything they could in her life as time went on. Katie had decided it was enough for her to want answers, real ones.
Time To Stand Up
Enough Was Enough
Months earlier, Katie had stopped taking her acne medication, and she did not settle for this diagnosis. She went to the doctor for a second opinion and said she must be pregnant. After blood testing, he performed a blood test, and there were no conclusive results.
Enough Was Enough
Getting To The Bottom Of It
Katie’s general practitioner even said she had to be pregnant, regardless of the blood test results. Another ultrasound was ordered. It had reached the point where Katie’s even walking had become difficult, let’s not forget her difficulty breathing too
Getting To The Bottom Of It
The Truth At Last
As for the others, the next doctor requested a pregnancy test. Was she finally going to get the proper diagnosis? Hopefully soon enough, but a door was thrown wide open in the meantime, revealing Katie’s case with an entirely new aspect…
The Truth At Last
Terrified
Katie observed the doctor as she did the ultrasound. It became clear that something was not right, not at all when she saw her expression. The doctor’s eyes grew, and her facial expression dimmed, and the doctor seemed to be petrified.
Terrified
Consoling Katie
The doctor had asked for a consultant, and Katie was scared. Her boyfriend, Jamie, tried to calm her down and ease her fear, but she was completely shaken, and panic had set in. What was in her stomach, what had been growing?
Consoling Katie
Not Pregnant
The screen, the ultrasound screen that it is, was completely blank. It was confirmed that Katie was not pregnant. But there was something wrong—they didn’t know what it was, but they knew it was life-threatening.
Not Pregnant
Surprising News
There were numerous options, although they urgently requested a CT to get to the bottom of this. Katie was frightened, worried, anxious, and had no clue as to what would follow. As she waited to find out what was wrong, her mind was racing.
Surprising News
Emergency CT
The CT that was requested since the ultrasound was completely blank depicted something totally insane! Doctors were trying to calm down Katie and prepare her for what they were going to disclose and explain. She and her boyfriend were both waiting… in suspense…
Emergency CT
Definitely Not Pregnant
Katie was not pregnant; that’s for sure. Her enlarged stomach was due to a massive ovarian mass being developed. At this very moment, Katie’s world came to a complete halt; the doctor did not know what he was dealing with or the extent of the mass.
Definitely Not Pregnant
To The Skin
This was not your average cyst, and it was also attached to her stomach, measured at 24 centimeters thick. This explained, finally, the weight gain. Her life, however, was at risk, and it was necessary to remove the mass as quickly as possible.
To The Skin
What Exactly Is An Ovarian Cyst?
A cyst is a fluid-filled sac on the ovary of a woman that can grow. They often do not usually cause any additional problems or harm; they usually dissolve on their own. This was not the case for Katie.
What Exactly Is An Ovarian Cyst?
Oddly Large
As they can block the blood supply to the ovaries or grow to an abnormal size just like this one, cysts interfere with people’s lives when they rupture. Katie’s had honestly grown to a different level; it was totally massive.
Oddly Large
Exploring Her Options
A month passed, and to move forward, Katie was discussing her options with a specialist. She says that she could still visualize the consultant’s look when she saw her belly. He was absolutely shocked.
Exploring Her Options
Complete Shock
He had explained the ovarian mass nicely and very gently to her, but his face said it all. In utter awe, he was. Nobody expected it to be so big, and even the expert could not believe how big the cyst was.
Complete Shock
That’s Not All
There was another possibility: multiple cysts were present and attached to other organs inside her abdomen. Katie was petrified, and she knew that there was no choice but surgery.
That’s Not All
The Effects
They had crossed out any further explanations and were unaware of the effect the cyst had had on Katie’s body. She most certainly experienced side effects, those that had no connection with being pregnant.
The Effects
You’re Fine
The doctor was unsure of the cyst’s details but decided something needed to be done. The doctor was also shocked that the other doctors had turned her away without any further evaluation and told her she was fine.
You’re Fine
One Thing For Certain
There was one thing the doctor was sure of, and that was that Katie would lose an ovary! She was also told that her stay in the hospital might have to be longer than expected-it depended on where exactly the cyst was. She felt as if she were giving away her life.
One Thing For Certain