# Mystery weight gain? See a doctor (please)



## moonvine (May 14, 2012)

Hi folks,

Haven't been around in some time. I woke up Easter morning in horrible pain and went to the ER. They discovered, via CAT scan, a massive ovarian tumor. Apparently the tumor shifted and began pressing against my internal organs. So in several ways I am lucky, as if it had gotten any bigger apparently it could have done severe and permanent damage. 

I had to have a partial hysterectomy (fortunately they were able to save one ovary) and of course the tumor had to be removed. It weighed 40 pounds. Fortunately it was benign.

I had been gaining weight (so I thought) around my midsection when I had always been pear shaped. I did not go to the doctor as I figured he would just tell me to eat less, exercise more. I had been doing karate for a year and had lost some weight, but none in the midsection. I also was not in pain, until I was. 

Abdominal surgery blows. It just does. I was in so much pain I was sure I would die. I was in the hospital in excess of 2 weeks. (Aside - I cannot BELIEVE anyone willingly subjects themselves to any kind of abdominal surgery including WLS, tummy tucks, lap band and whatever else is out there). OMG. I cried for my mommy. Even with a morphine pump. I would have had to had surgery anyway, but if it had been caught earlier it would have been much less invasive. I now also have a lovely scar from right under my breast bone to right above my pubic bone. 

Anyway, if you start gaining weight for no reason, please go to the doctor, even if you're fat. (The ER doctor said "You are not fat - you have a tumor.")
At whatever weight I am at now, I totally disagree that I am "not fat" but having lost 40 lbs when they removed the tumor plus whatever I lost not eating anything for 2 weeks (hospital food - blech) I am a lot less fat than I was.


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## Orchid (May 14, 2012)

vitamin E oil from capsules helps to smooth the scar use when scar is healed.


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## moonvine (May 14, 2012)

Thank you - this is going to be one nasty scar.


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## Tad (May 14, 2012)

Sorry you went through that horrible experience. I'm glad that at least it was benign, but that seems an innapropriate word for somethat that caused you so much pain and disruption!

I'm glad that you are on the rebound, at least.


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## Tracyarts (May 14, 2012)

That's about the same kind of B.S. I went through when I was dealing with my ovarian cyst. 

I knew something was wrong because my belly was not symmetrical anymore. The right side was half again as big as the left side, and it was ridiculously obvious. But there were no other symptoms. Nothing hurt, it wasn't hard, hot, or tender to the touch. I brought it up when I saw my then G.P for something else and he blew me off by saying that extremely large people can lose body symmetry because of the way their fat deposits. Which can be true, one of my upper arms is noticeably larger than the other, so what he said made sense and I just didn't think about it anymore. 

Until I woke up one day in the worst pain I had ever felt in my life. Turns out it was a melon-sized cyst on my right ovary that had gone into torsion. Thankfully it was also benign, and I was able to have it removed and completely recovered over time. Now all I have is a foot long scar to remind me of the ordeal. 

Tracy


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## moonvine (May 14, 2012)

Hey Tracy,

Did they tell you how much yours weighed? It has been very bizarre to find out I am not actually as fat as I thought I was.

Almost as surreal was the nutritionist personally coming to visit me and asking if there was anything I would eat, and the surgeon who performed my appendectomy (they relieved me of my appendix while they were in there - I actually had a surgical team) coming and telling me they were not going to release me from the hospital until I ate at least 1/2 of my breakfast, lunch and dinner!


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## Tracyarts (May 16, 2012)

" Did they tell you how much yours weighed? It has been very bizarre to find out I am not actually as fat as I thought I was. "

I don't remember exactly, but I want to say 18 pounds? I do remember making my surgeon really uncomfortable by wanting to know everything about it, down to asking to see the pathology photos. I guess he thought I was being ghoulish or obsessing on it, and only gave me a vague description. But, I was genuinely curious since it did come out of my body. And medical stuff in general fascinates me.

Tracy


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## moonvine (May 16, 2012)

Tracyarts said:


> " Did they tell you how much yours weighed? It has been very bizarre to find out I am not actually as fat as I thought I was. "
> 
> I don't remember exactly, but I want to say 18 pounds? I do remember making my surgeon really uncomfortable by wanting to know everything about it, down to asking to see the pathology photos. I guess he thought I was being ghoulish or obsessing on it, and only gave me a vague description. But, I was genuinely curious since it did come out of my body. And medical stuff in general fascinates me.
> 
> Tracy



That's funny, I thought they were used to people asking anything. My parents were given a picture of the tumor, I am not sure if they asked. I wasn't that interested in the pathology photos. "Not cancer" was good enough for me. I'm told that some people save their parts- my friend said her aunt kept her gallstones in a jar and took them out to show her. I wanted to know who had been there during my surgery since it is a teaching hospital and was really glad to hear that they had closed the viewing area for some reason, I think risk of infection?

My nurses all wanted to see the picture. My partner didn't and was grossed out by the idea.


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## KHayes666 (May 16, 2012)

Jesus, are you going to be alright? That scares the daylights out of me. Hope you're ok


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