Meet your average, mid-twenty-year-old girl, Katie Smith. Well, if you consider this situation to be average. When Ms. Smith was only 24 years old, something unbelievable began to grow inside her, and the doctors couldn’t figure out what it was.
A Woman In Her 20s Thought She Was Pregnant But What She Discovered Put Her Life On The Line
The Beginning
Katie’s stomach grew so big and so fast that she looked pregnant! The weirdest part was that she wasn’t pregnant at all. Every pregnancy test she took was negative, but her doctors continued to dismiss her overwhelming concern.
The Beginning
Her Story
Smith is 28 years old and comes from Swansea, Wales. She started to gain weight back in 2014, and in just a few years, she looked like someone nine months pregnant. She told the BBC that she was never super skinny, but she gradually developed such a belly.
Her Story
Healthy Lifestyle
Katie lived a healthy life and was very conscious of maintaining her figure. She loved her curves and spent a lot of time at the gym. That’s why her gradual weight gain was so infuriating. The mystery, sadly, has been left unexplained.
Say Hi To Katie
Not As It Seems
Katie thought her biggest problem at this time was whether she could go to work for a Christmas party because she felt insecure in her outfit. Katie felt she was not thin enough at this time.
Not As It Seems
Too Fast To Keep Up With
Katie tried everything, but nothing could stop growing her stomach from growing. As she said, ” “I was exercising and eating healthily, but I was slowly getting bigger. There’s nothing worse than keeping a healthy lifestyle but still gaining an excessive amount of weight.”
Too Fast To Keep Up With
What Was Going On?
She continued, “It crept up so slowly [that] I didn’t know anything was wrong – I thought I was putting on timber.” She was still gaining an enormous amount of weight, no matter how much she worked out or maintained a strict diet.
What Was Going On?
Not Just Growing
She couldn’t ignore her excessive weight gain at this point. She began to notice that all the weight she gained went straight to her stomach, and it also felt different. How is she going to proceed?
Not Just Growing
Staying Hopeful
Her stomach started to feel hard and uncomfortable to touch. But she remained positive and hoped that this would go away over time. But some things don’t always work out the way we want them to.
Staying Hopeful
There’s Only One Explanation
At a rapid pace, her dress size was increasing, and she was now a size eight. But still, she was too scared to see a doctor. She grew up with her father as a doctor, and this made her somewhat apprehensive.
There’s Only One Explanation
Her Gut Feeling
Little did she know that bigger issues were approaching. Katie could only think of one explanation at this point. However, she wasn’t sure that she wanted to believe it. What did she think it was?
Her Gut Feeling
With Child
Katie decided that there was only one possible reasoning for this when considering all the components: pregnancy. Her stomach grew, and she gained weight, and she was always exhausted, and she also had a serious relationship.
With Child
Unplanned Pregnancy
It all pointed to a bun in the oven when you looked at all the factors! Katie and her boyfriend were nervous about this possibility. If she was pregnant, it was certainly unplanned. Nonetheless, this was a possibility given her situation.
Unplanned Pregnancy
Soon To Be Parents
Katie had already been together with her boyfriend Jamie Gibbons for 10 years, and they considered the possibility that she was pregnant. Even though they weren’t ready for it, they knew they had to at least check.
Soon To Be Parents
The Blue Stripe
They were both surprised when the couple saw that the pregnancy test was negative. They figured the test was incorrect, so she took a second one immediately. But once more, it only showed the same result!
The Blue Strip
Getting Really Worried
They were surprised and decided that it was time to see a doctor. What was going on here exactly? Was she sick? Did she go through a miscarriage? A million dreaded things were popping into her head and scaring her for real.
Getting Really Worried
Facing Her Fears
There were no options left for Katie, and it was time to visit her doctor finally. Unfortunately, she did not receive the answer she had expected or hoped for. The doctor told her that she was “merely fat.” She didn’t see any way out at this point.
Facing Her Fears
Following Her Instincts
Even though the doctors dismissed her worries, Katie felt something was wrong. Needless to say, she ignored it because it did not affect her everyday routine. Still, she couldn’t understand what was happening.
Following Her Instincts
Not Trustworthy
She couldn’t stop wondering why she wasn’t pregnant at all. She seemed to be pregnant, so what was the deal? She did not entirely trust the doctors and their thoughts. They were professionals, though, so she’s supposed to trust them, right?
Not Trustworthy
No Solution
If she were pregnant, at least the problem would disappear once she gave birth. Unfortunately, her stomach continued growing for a full two years. Every month it just kept getting larger and larger until something awful happened at work.
No Solution
She Didn’t Feel Well
It was just a normal day on the job when Katie felt light-headed and nauseous all of a sudden. It was then that she collapsed. Her coworkers told her that she had fainted.
She Didn’t Feel Well
A Difficult Period
Katie realized after this that she needed to see a doctor right away. She said, “It was a tough period in work, and when I passed out, my GP put it down to stress.” She had no other explanation and just had to continue her life as she had lived it before.
A Difficult Period
All From Stress?
Is it possible to pass out simply from being too stressed out? Katie wasn’t too convinced of that. Her doctor, however, was trying to reassure her that nothing major was happening and that she was definitely not pregnant.
All From Stress?
Not What It Appears
Unwanted questions about her “pregnancy” were impossible to avoid. People noticed her growing belly, and there was no attempt to ignore it. She had to explain herself repeatedly. There’s no escaping it no matter what since it really was unusual.
Not What It Appears
No End In Sight
Katie always replied day in and day out with the same response, ” The doctors say I am just overweight.” Even though she was annoyed with the situation, she saw no end approaching, as well.
No End In Sight
Due Date
She said people always asked her when the baby was due, and she started to lie after a while to spare them the embarrassment. But then she just told them she was overweight instead because that’s what she believed.
Due Date
Changing Appearance
With a giant belly, Katie was waddling around, and she began to feel embarrassed about her appearance. She even started to shop in the maternity section because nothing fits her.
Changing Appearance
Maternity Clothes
She said, “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 was stubborn enough to get help. She was only looking for help after a few blackouts at work, having trouble breathing, and excessive weight gain that interfered with her life.
Needs Help
Seeking Assistance
And if it hadn’t been for her coworkers who insisted that she get checked out, it wouldn’t have happened yet. Many people ask why Katie didn’t take extra care of herself. Something was clearly off, so why did it take her so long to ask for help?
Seeking Assistance
A New Explanation
By going about her life, Katie had been attempting to avoid her situation. But she had enough when she passed out four times! The doctor justified her exhaustion this time by blaming her acne medication, but she refused to respond.
A New Explanation
Time To Stand Up
It looked like the doctors didn’t take her problems or her condition seriously. They tried to blame Katie for other reasons and things going on in her life. Eventually, she realized that it was time to put her foot down.
Time To Stand Up
Enough Was Enough
For several months before that, she had stopped taking it and insisted that there had to be some reason. She was seeing a second doctor who claimed she had to be pregnant as well. He carried out several blood tests, all of which came back with no findings.
Enough Was Enough
Getting To The Bottom Of It
Her GP concluded that, because of the blood test findings and no further examination, pregnancy was the only explanation. So, he had a second ultrasound ordered. At this point, even walking was a challenging task for Katie, and she also had breathing problems.
Getting To The Bottom Of It
The Truth At Last
The doctor who saw her asked them to check immediately if she was pregnant. Is she going to get to the bottom of this, finally? Oh, it certainly opened up a whole new can of possibilities that she didn’t expect.
The Truth At Last
Terrified
Katie was watching the doctor as she was doing the ultrasound. It was clear that there was something wrong when she saw her expression. Her eyes were wide, and she had a look of terror.
Terrified
Consoling Katie
The doctor called for a consultant, and Katie became completely paralyzed. Her boyfriend, Jamie, was trying to comfort her, but the panic she felt at the time did not disappear. What was actually happening inside her stomach?
Consoling Katie
Not Pregnant
There was a blank ultrasound screen, and it was obvious that Katie was not pregnant. Within her stomach, however, there was still something going on. What they knew for certain was that her life was in danger.
Not Pregnant
Surprising News
Regardless of whether they needed a CT to find out, the possibilities were endless. Understandably, Katie was terrified and deeply concerned about what was to come. Her mind went to a variety of possibilities.
Surprising News
Emergency CT
The blank ultrasound led to an immediate request for a CT scan, which revealed shocking news. The doctors prepared Katie for what they were about to say. Katie and her boyfriend, waiting for the big news, sat hand in hand.
Emergency CT
Definitely Not Pregnant
Katie was certainly not pregnant. Actually, the reason for her large belly was the result of an enormous ovarian mass. The whole world of Katie came crashing down at this point, as the doctor could not confirm exactly what he was dealing with.
Definitely Not Pregnant
To The Skin
It wasn’t your average cyst, and it was 24 centimeters thick and attached to her stomach. Finally, this explained her gain in weight, but her life remained at risk. Measures had to be carried out immediately.
To The Skin
What Exactly Is An Ovarian Cyst?
A cyst is basically a fluid-filled sac that can develop on the ovary of a woman. They are extremely prevalent and usually do not cause harm, and disappear on their own most often. But not for Katie.
What Exactly Is An Ovarian Cyst?
Oddly Large
The only situations where a cyst can interfere with the life of a person are when it ruptures, blocks the blood supply to the ovaries, or in this case, is very large. Katie’s was massive, no … exceedingly big!
Oddly Large
Exploring Her Options
One month later, Katie spoke to a specialist who looked at the options available to her. In her brain, the image of the consultant’s face is still embedded. He was in utter shock at her belly.
Exploring Her Options
Complete Shock
His face revealed the truth, although he calmly explained that she had a large ovarian mass. He was completely shocked. No one, even the specialist, could have expected the size of the cyst.
Complete Shock
That’s Not All
The doctor said multiple cysts could occur and be attached to organs. Katie could not believe that, and yet, she knew that surgery was the only option at this point.
That’s Not All
The Effects
Even though the other explanations had been ruled out, the effect the cyst had on her body was still unclear. She certainly had side effects, and they had nothing to do with being pregnant, of course.
The Effects
You’re Fine
While the doctor was unsure of what the cyst was or how big it is, he decided that something had to be done. He couldn’t believe that all Katie’s other doctors had calmed her down with a response of “you’re fine.”
You’re Fine
One Thing For Certain
One thing that her doctor was sure about was that she was going to lose one ovary. Besides, she may be hospitalized for longer, depending on the location of the cyst. Katie felt as if she was signing off on her life.
One Thing For Certain