A writer in the UK said she’s more motivated than ever to get active and be adventurous after doctors removed a watermelon-sized cyst that had been growing on her ovary.
Layla Cummins, who said the cyst caused her to look pregnant, told SWNS that she hadn’t noticed anything was amiss until a few weeks before the growth was detected.
“It was really uncomfortable.” Cummins, 30, told the news outlet. “I couldn’t lay on my front at all. It felt like I had a remote control sticking in my side. I lost my appetite completely and just felt really heavy and tired a lot. I had bursts of pain but it wasn’t really painful at all.”
When she was sent for an ultrasound, Cummins said doctors estimated that the mass had grown to be around 20 centimeters (7.87 inches). She underwent surgery on March 27 to remove the mass, which was later measured at 40 centimeters (15.7 inches), her right ovary and fallopian tube, which had been damaged by the weight of the cyst.
According to the Mayo Clinic, ovarian cysts are fluid-filled sacs or pockets in an ovary or on its surface. While many women develop ovarian cysts at some point, most present little or no discomfort and are harmless, and disappear within a few months without requiring treatment. But larger ovarian cysts can cause pelvic pain, fullness or heaviness in the abdomen or bloating. Risks for developing an ovarian cyst include hormonal issues, pregnancy, endometriosis, pelvic infection or previous cysts.
Cummins’ cyst was found to be benign, but she was left with a large scar across her abdomen. She said she had a “natural curiosity” to see the cyst after it was removed.
“I couldn’t believe it when I saw how big it was, I was so shocked,” she told SWNS. “I’m really pleased I asked for a photo to be taken.”
She said when she weighed herself after surgery, she found she was 10 pounds lighter.
“I feel great now it has been taken out, I feel so much lighter,” she said.