Kayla Rahn from Alabama had been suffering from unexplained weight gain and stomach upset for a year before doctors finally realized what was wrong: she had a 50-pound tumor growing inside her body.
Rahn said it made the most normal activities seem impossible. “I couldn’t even walk to my car without losing my breath,” she said.
Her doctors initially chalked her worries up to obesity, telling her to lose some of the weight.
“I had been trying to lose weight for about a year, but I was gaining weight,” said Rahn. “I legit looked like I was a solid 9 months pregnant.”
“We went to dinner and someone asked me if I was having twins. It was frustrating and rough,” she added.
When the pain became unbearable, she rushed to the Jackson Hospital emergency room. According to a hospital news release, doctors discovered then and there that Rahn had a massive cyst in her body.
The very next day, Dr. Gregory Jones and Dr. R. D. Seirafi performed the surgery to remove the growth.
Dr. Jones was shocked by its sheer size, saying, “The technical diagnosis: mucinous cystadenoma. It is a benign condition.”
“This is one of the largest I have ever seen or certainly removed.”
“We are very excited things went well for her,” he added.
According to the doctor, patients must be persistent with their healthcare providers if they know something is wrong, and not merely take their word for it.
“I do remember telling my mom and busting out crying they were going to fix it. I knew something was wrong,” said Rahn.
After the surgery, Rahn immediately felt a weight lifted off of her. She said she is excited to get back to work now that she is feeling better.
“As soon as I got home and was able to move a little, I tried on every shirt I had on and it was awesome,” says Rahn. “This dress I have on, I actually have not been able to wear in a year.”