When this young woman discovered that her stomach had begun to grow, she figured that it wasn't anything to worry about. She had no idea how dangerously wrong she was...
Normal Girl
Katie Smith was just like any other 24-year old. Then, without any explanation, her belly began to grow. She took pregnancy test after pregnancy test, hoping for answers...
Strange Growth
Katie was from Swansea, Wales, where she lived a relatively healthy lifestyle. She was an active girl who enjoyed working out at the gym. When she put on some weight, she didn't think much of it, but things quickly turned upside-down for her...
Weight Gain
Katie's mysterious weight gain frustrated her. She had always made sure to look after her figure, and she couldn't figure out what would cause her stomach to bloat. The young woman was beginning to feel insecure...
It Wouldn't Stop
Dismayed, Katie continued to exercise and eat healthily, but her belly continued to increase in size. "I was exercising and eating healthy but I was slowly getting bigger," she said. At first, she thought that there was nothing worse than this infuriating weight gain, especially when she was doing all she could to look her best.
Slowly Expanding
Months went by, and Katie's belly only got bigger. "It crept up so slowly [that] I didn't know anything was wrong—I thought I was putting on timber!" she said. Strangely, Katie's weight was not distributed evenly throughout her body. She couldn't understand why only her stomach was continuing to grow...
She Couldn't Ignore It
Katie was shocked to find that her stomach had grown hard to the touch. It was as if she had a bowling ball strapped to the front of her body! She hoped that by staying positive, she would be able to get through whatever was happening inside of her...
Gut Feeling
Despite her best efforts to keep a smile on her face, Katie was beginning to realize that something was wrong. She eventually came to terms with a possibility... was Katie pregnant?
What Now?
Katie acknowledged the facts and accepted that she was most likely carrying a child. She was always tired and her stomach was still growing. Fortunately, Katie had a serious boyfriend who was willing to shoulder the responsibility of a child. Neither of them knew what was coming...
Parents to Be?
Katie and her boyfriend, Jamie, had been together for a decade. He waited by her side as she took a pregnancy test. It was time to find out what their future would look like!
Negative
Katie and Jamie were shocked to find that the pregnancy test came back negative. When the blue line appeared, Katie's surprise soon turned into nerves. She took another test just to be sure...
She Wasn't Pregnant
The second pregnancy test mirrored the first. Katie and Jamie had no idea how to react. If Katie wasn't carrying a baby, then what was inside of her massive stomach?
Only One Thing Left to Do
Was Katie seriously ill? Did she have a miscarriage, or worse? The more she thought about what could be wrong with her, the worse Katie felt. Out of options, she knew it was time to face her fears and go to the doctor...
Not the Reaction She Expected
Katie was dreading the doctor's appointment. She was scared that she would receive some terrible news. Instead, her doctor acted like she was crazy. He told her that she was "merely fat." Katie was astounded. She went home feeling as though she would never get her old body back.
Trying to Ignore It
If the doctor was right, then there was nothing to worry about—or at least, that's what Katie thought. She did her best to ignore her swollen belly, even as it continued to grow. Still, Katie couldn't help but wonder why she looked pregnant. Even her coworkers had begun to ask questions...
Something Was Wrong
One day while at work, Katie began to feel nauseous and lightheaded. Before she knew what was happening, Katie was passed out cold on the floor. She came to surrounded by her coworkers, who were all scared for her health.
Doctors Blamed "Stress"
Katie went to go see the doctor again, who assured her that she had fainted from "stress." She wasn't pregnant, and her doctor claimed that nothing was seriously wrong with Katie. When Katie went home, she broke down in tears. What was happening to her?
When Is the Baby Due?
Katie was miserable. People kept coming up to her and asking when her baby was due. Eventually, she started to lie and say she was pregnant because it was easier to spare them the embarrassment. Besides, Katie was even shopping in the maternity section, since nothing else would fit her massive midsection.
Getting Help
Katie was at her wit's end. She missed her old clothes. "I was skin and bone on top, then this massive lump and normal legs," she said. Soon, Katie began to experience dizziness and shortness of breath at work. She fainted three more times, buts he refused to go back to the doctor. Her coworkers begged her to change her mind...
Back to the Doctor
Finally, Katie went to the doctor one more time. To her disbelief, the doctor blamed Katie's exhaustion and stomach on her acne medication! Katie was stunned. Why did he keep dismissing her condition?
Fed Up
Kate told the doctor that she had stopped taking her acne medication months ago. Determined to get answers, she went to see another doctor. Katie hoped that maybe this time, she could get some real help.
Moment of Truth
Katie took so many blood tests that she thought she might pass out. All of them came back negative for pregnancy. Katie's new doctor was about to give up and send her home, but he had second thoughts and ordered an ultrasound...
Blank Screen
When the doctor scanned her stomach, the screen was completely blank. It was obvious that Katie did not have a baby inside of her. Then, the doctor realized what he was looking at. His face paled...
Emergency Scan
Katie was ordered to undergo an emergency CT scan. She was so scared that she could barely breathe. After the CT scan, Katie and Jamie waited, hand in hand, for the doctors to tell them the news.
Massive Cyst
Katie wasn't pregnant. She had a massive ovarian cyst! For most people, ovarian cysts are harmless—but Katie's cyst almost two feet in diameter, and it was crushing her organs. Her life was in serious danger.
She Was In Danger
If Katie's cyst were to rupture, it might have killed her. She was scheduled for emergency surgery in four weeks. The doctors were certain that Katie was going to lose at least one of her ovaries. They were baffled by her previous diagnosis of being "merely fat."
Overwhelmed with Fear
Katie's world had come crashing down around her. Her mother flew out from Australia to help care for her. Together, Katie, Jamie, and Mrs. Smith prepared for Katie's surgery. Between her diagnosis and the procedure, Katie's stomach grew another five inches!
Ready for Surgery
When Katie entered the operating room, she was panicking. It had been almost three years since Katie's belly had first begun to grow. If her first doctor had done more to treat her, perhaps she could have avoided all this! The doctors told Katie she would be in and out in an hour, but that wasn't the case...
Five Hours Later
It took all of Katie's surgeons five hours to remove the cyst from her body. When the doctors weighed the cyst, it clocked in at 60 pounds. It was as if Katie had been carrying septuplets for three whole years!
Hospital Celebrity
When Katie finally woke from surgery, she was practically a celebrity in the ward! She was still groggy from surgery, but the hospital staff wanted to take photos of her. Katie's cyst was so heavy that it accounted for nearly one-third of her total body weight.
Free At Last
Without the weight of her cyst, Katie came back to life. She could walk up and down stairs without being out of breath, and she didn't have trouble fitting behind the wheel of her car. Katie was a real-life medical phenomenon!
A Permanent Reminder
In the end, Katie was left with a large scar that extended from her sternum down to her pelvis. Her right ovary was removed, but the doctors told her that it would have no effect on her being able to conceive children. Although Katie wished she never had to go through the experience in the first place, she was grateful that Jamie stood by her side the whole time.
She's A Survivor
Katie also had many stretch marks on her belly after the cyst was removed. She preferred the look of a few scars to walking around with an extra 60 pounds attached to her body. To Katie, the marks served as a reminder that she went through something incredibly difficult, and came out on the other side in one piece.