A 25-year-old Minnesota woman has spent the better half of the last five years receiving congratulations and warm wishes for a pregnancy that did not exist. Raquel Rodriguez Soto was not pregnant, despite appearing to be to others. In fact, what appeared to be a "baby bump" was actually an ovarian cyst that weighed more than 10.5 pounds in total. Sharing videos and stories on TikTok, trying to make light of her circumstances, Raquel let followers in on her journey and path to finally having the cyst eventually removed via surgery.
Raquel says her problems started almost five years ago.
Raquel had been experiecing recurring UTIs and kidney infections, as well as painful sexual intercourse, and needed to see a doctor to figure out what was going on, she explained to Today.
As it turns out, doctors discovered an ovarian cyst that measured around 8 centimeters at the time. According to Raquel, they did not believe that it needed to be removed when they discovered it.
Doctors continued to "minimize" her pain and symptoms.
Raquel said that in the span of five years, she had seen nine different doctors who did not believe she needed to have her cyst removed. According to Heathline, guidelines for removing ovarian cysts can vary depending on size, type, and whether a cyst is cancerous.
"For instance, a simple cyst may be left alone until it’s 10 cm (4 inches) in size. And cancerous cysts may be removed when they’re much smaller," the website noted.
She says when she went to the emergency room for her pain and discomfort, she was sent home.
"I think maybe if I had been more aggressive about pain I was having, they would have listened more? I'd go to the emergency room and they refused to do simple tests, so I'd leave with no answers. They'd say, 'Oh, you're probably just bloated, you're probably just having cramps,'" Raquel explained to Today.
Finally, one doctor agreed to surgically remove her cyst.
After seeing nine specialists and doctors, one finally agreed to remove her cyst earlier this year. On June 9, she had surgery to both drain and surgically remove the ovarian cyst.
After surgery, doctors revealed that her cyst weighed 10.5 pounds and was filled with about 1.1 gallons of fluid, the New York Post reported.
Leading up to her surgery, Raquel remained in good spirits.
Raquel decided to have some fun with friends to celebrate her surgery and the next chapter of her life. Her friends threw her a "baby shower" in which they played games where they had to "guess the weight and size of her cyst." She showcased the festivities in TikTok videos leading up to her surgery.
After having the cyst removed, Raquel says she's feeling like her old self again.
The cyst wasn't cancerous, she shared, but it did damage her right ovary and fallopian tube. “Unfortunately, my right ovary and fallopian tube were too damaged! But my left ovary, tube and uterus are in perfect condition," she shared.
Now over a month post-op, she said her stomach is more flat and she is starting to feel like her old self once more.
"My stomach went back to normal — no loose skin or anything like that. But honestly, the best part is that I'm no longer in excruciating pain," she told Today.
Source: cafemom.com
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