When you look pregnant, but you're actually not...
The things our bodies are put through...
Being a woman is both invigorating and nauseating (literally!)...
We say that in the most sensitive of ways because we know that many women go through a lot with their bodies.
And it isn't solely one thing, it could be a range of things that build up. Recently we have seen many women share their stories with having ovarian cysts.
Now the crazy thing about this condition is that the women who have them look like they are pregnant.
In one of the stories, the woman even experienced pregnancy symptoms. But after visiting the doctor (who might we add also thought she was pregnant) and performing an ultrasound, she found out that she had an 18cm cyst growing on her ovary that required surgery.
Check out her video below, courtesy of TikTok.
@holliewelham First photo is December… been growing this fucker a while😬 #ovariancysts #ovariancystawareness #ovariancystsurgery #owentheovariancyst #fyp #foryou #foryoupage ♬ September - Earth, Wind & Fire
Then there is another woman who shared her story on TikTok and is now using her own story to raise awareness with women in being their own health advocates.
After first finding out about her cyst, the reaction from her doctors was far from concern. She went on thinking that it wasn't a big deal, but it took intermittent kidney and bladder issues as well as pain during intercourse for her to give it some thought.
She began doing her own research after feeling undermined by several doctors, and eventually sought help from a midwife. The midwife ordered an emergency ultrasound, which revealed an ovarian cyst that extended from her pubic bone to her sternum.
Check out a video she shared on TikTok of the before and after. Courtesy of TikTok.
@rockiesoto33 We’re getting there 💪🏽 #ovariancyst #28CM #10POUNDS #NOTpregnant #awarness #BigInkEnergy ♬ original sound - Amara Otto
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After undergoing a two-hour surgery, doctors removed a 10-pound (roughly 11cm) cyst.
"Ovarian cysts, fluid-filled sacs that forms on or in the ovaries, can happen monthly in the ovulation process. Most of the cysts are what gynecologists call "functional cysts" that resolve on their own and are typically benign, according to the U.S. Office on Women's Health." (Good morning America)
Sadly, there is no standardised way of checking if women have cysts. If a woman has a problem with her ovaries, then doctors generally do an ultrasound to check.
"Ovarian cysts -- which can be caused by hormonal changes, endometriosis, pregnancy and severe pelvic infections -- often cause no symptoms at all. If an ovarian cyst does cause symptoms, they may include bloating, pressure or pain near where the cyst is located. Symptoms of a ruptured ovarian cyst may include dizziness, nausea, vomiting, bleeding and intense pelvic or abdominal pain on the side of the body where the cyst is located, according to the Office on Women's Health." (Good morning America)
Image Courtesy of TikTok