Her ovarian tumor has grown to the size of a watermelon, and the doctor suspects it is cystitis

– I would wake up in pain, as if I had to go to the toilet immediately. “I felt a strong pressure and wanted to sit on the shell, but as soon as I sat down, it stopped,” said the girl from Liverpool. In addition, A 19-year-old girl developed other unusual and worrisome symptomshow much she had at the time, such as fatigue, weight loss, hair loss, etc.

Young woman experiencing menstrual pain |
Image: 123rf

“I sleep about 12 or 13 hours a day, but I still feel sleepy when I work,” she said. Because of her condition, she couldn’t even eat, so she lost weight quickly, which was also reflected in the fact that her favorite clothes became a size larger.

– Then my hair started falling out. I noticed a palm-sized bald spot on the back of my head. But the sign that worried me the most was a large lump on my stomach. “I looked like I was four or five months pregnant,” Mia said. She went to A&E twice in three weeks and booked five GP appointments in six months. The doctor suspected a lot of things, as he could have coeliac disease, anaemia, hair loss and/or bladder inflammation.

– I told them in the emergency room that I crawled to the bathroom in agony and they gave me antibiotics for a urinary tract infection, but I knew that was not the case. I took the antibiotics but they did not help at all. I remember at one point I thought I might have cancer but my friend just waved me off – Mia added that the thought did not leave her as she felt an uncomfortable pain above her bladder.

Image: 123rf

But the doctor listed possible diagnoses one by one, from anemia, hair loss, to bladder inflammation. It was not until June 2022 that she finally underwent an abdominal ultrasound and found that she did have Ovarian cancerShe eventually underwent emergency surgery to remove a growing tumor that doctors themselves said was the size of a watermelon and filled with hair and teeth.

– On the bright side, it was detected very early, but it was large and continued to grow. The fact that they told me that it was the earliest stage and that it did not affect any other organs was a relief, but of course I was upset that my symptoms were actually trivialized and ignored. If they had sent me to UZV immediately, I would have received the diagnosis much earlier, and it took six months to get there. In the end, the operation was successful, but they had to remove my right ovary, fallopian tube, part of my abdomen and several lymphatic vessels – says Mia.

He added that the fact that her tumor was described as having teeth and hair suggested it had a very good blood supply and had been growing unhindered.

Photo: Dreamstime_/Illustration

Although her tumor was removed, her cancer returned in February 2023, so she underwent three months of chemotherapy. In August, doctors declared her fully recovered, but she must undergo regular checkups to detect any recurrence of the cancer.

here See what Mia looks like and what the ultrasound images of her tumor look like.

– I’m glad to know that I’m over it and I can go back to my normal life. “This is the first summer in two years that I haven’t had to go to the hospital, but I know that I’ll be walking on edge for the rest of my life,” said the 21-year-old who decided to star in Today is an activist. He publicly urged those who experience unexplained symptoms to always ask a medical professional until their health problem is resolved.

What are the symptoms of ovarian cancer?

Commenting on Mia’s case, the UK Public Health Service (NHS) said ovarian cancer mainly affects women over 50, but can sometimes recur in men in the family. According to Cancer Research UK, a charity that helps patients, the symptoms of this cancer can be vague, especially in the early stages.

They advise contacting your GP if you experience any of the following symptoms: feeling full quickly, loss of appetite, persistent pain in the tummy or lower abdomen, bloating or increased abdominal girth, and the need to urinate. All of these may be accompanied by unexplained tiredness, weight loss and changes in bowel habits, symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, particularly if the cancer presents after the age of 50. On the NHS, vaginal bleeding in postmenopausal patients can increase these symptoms.