Mansi (name changed) is a 32-year-old year old woman who had a 12 kg tumour in her right ovary. Here she talks to us about her experience and life post the tumour removal and why it is important to be vigilant about any unexplained changes in your body
Can you tell us about your condition? How did it happen?
I was a healthy young 28-year-old woman living an active life. I noticed that my stomach area was starting to look bigger. I never had fat on my stomach. But it became the size of a thick rock, and it felt extremely hard inside. It looked like I was pregnant. At the same time, I was losing weight in other parts of the body.
I also used to get very severe pain during my periods for many years. It used to be so bad that I used to cry. I did not pay much attention to it because it is normal to get period pain.
This mass in my stomach made me very uncomfortable and over a period of time I was not able to eat well. I also found it difficult to breathe and had heavy breathing.
I was in my hometown Coonoor when the hard rock in my tummy became very apparent. I got an ultrasound done but the lady doctor couldn't figure out what it was and said it is a big ‘gaanth.’ She advised me to go to a specialist in Delhi or Mumbai who could diagnose it correctly.
What were the tests you did in Mumbai?
I came to Mumbai and went through two tests. One was the sonography, and the other one was the contrast CT. Apart from these two tests, I did blood tests CA125 and CA19.9 to rule out cancer. The tests revealed a mass of 12 kilos in the ovary. That is comparable to carrying the weight of triplets. This was in 2021. The test results showed that the mass was benign which was confirmed by the biopsy as well.
The doctor told me, and my own research also showed me that ovarian tumours are often benign.
Do you know how long the mass took to grow to this size?
The mass had been growing over some years, but you don’t come to know of it because as women we experience weight fluctuations due to hormonal changes, so we tend to ignore these things.
What were the next steps?
Surgery was my only option. It was a turning point in my life. As a young healthy 28-year-old, I had never expected a surgery to come my way. I was not prepared at all. When I heard the doctor, I was not able to come out of a state of shock. I went numb and could not communicate with the doctor who wondered how to get through to me. Later on, once I had made peace with the course of treatment and I understood there was no choice, I told the doctor that I have a lot to do in life so please just get this out of me.
Were you aware of any risks associated with the surgery?
I was not aware of any risks before the surgery, but the doctor had told my parents that it was a very delicate surgery, and my life was in danger. My doctor has given me my second life.
What was the reaction of your family to this diagnosis? How did they deal with it and the fact that you needed surgery?
When my tests were going on my parents and brother were taken aback. My parents could not understand why something like this had to happen to a person like me who had never done any wrong in her life. They could not see their child in pain. I told them it's okay. I was very calm and very chill and set about getting things done.
Once my parents and younger brother had accepted the diagnosis, they kept a brave face and hid their sadness and worries from me. They boosted my morale by telling me that it will be all okay. Even though they were breaking inside they always supported me. I could face this surgery because of them. My family became my strongest strength.
How did you prepare for the surgery?
I prayed to Lord Shiva constantly on the day of the surgery. From 6 am up to 2 pm when my surgery began, I was constantly listening to Jai Ho, Jai Ho Shankara. An inner voice told me all would be well since God was with me and I felt strong and confident after that.
What was your condition post the surgery?
I lost 14 kgs of weight after the surgery apart from 12 kgs of the tumour.
I was on a liquid diet to begin with as I could not eat anything after such a major surgery. But I am a foodie, and I felt hungry so after one and a half days of not eating, I wanted food. I started eating but my body could not take it because my intestines had gone on sleep mode. I started throwing up green color bile.
My hospital stay stretched to two weeks. I had to get back to normal very slowly. I was put back on a liquid diet. Then, slowly, I moved to semi-solids and then to normal food. They gave me a protein rich diet as I was low on protein.
The other thing that happened was that I got my periods out of cycle. The doctor said that was just out of stress and it was nothing to worry about. He reassured me that I was completely fine and could go home soon.
I was made to walk in the hospital after the surgery. I would take daily walks with the help of the nurse in the hospital corridor, even with all the pipes, the central line and the urine bag attached to me.
Did you have to take any medication after the surgery?
After the surgery, I was advised multivitamins because my body had lost a lot of vitamins. I am still on multivitamins.
What were the consequences of the surgery?
My right ovary has been removed. My left ovary is still there. My doctor reassured me that I could conceive with just one ovary as well.
I had disposable silicon stitches for the surgery. The doctor gave me a cream to help the scar of the surgery fade away. The scar is long starting from the center of my stomach to the end of my pelvis. But I decided I will never remove my scar because I think my scar has made me strong. I have a very positive outlook towards my scar. It serves as a reminder that I emerged as a warrior.
Are there any other check-ups you need regularly?
I have to get regular check-ups once every 3 months. I have to do a sonography and the CA-125 test, just to make sure everything is okay.
Post the surgery and removal of one ovary, have you faced any challenges?
I would like to share this, and it is very important to put it out there. What is still happening is that people have these stereotypes associated when it comes to ovaries. They feel just because a woman has one ovary, it will mean problems in reproduction. But I know for a fact that with one ovary also, it is completely possible to reproduce.
My parents have been looking for a match for me in the last few years. We are honest and the moment we tell them that I have one ovary, they have been backing out because of the belief that with one ovary the girl will not be able to conceive. I do not see this as a challenge. Rather, I pity the people who think like this.
How do you feel about these things?
There are two things here. Firstly, as an individual, I am very positive about the scar. I see it as my greatest strength. Society may see it as my biggest weakness, and I don’t care really because it is difficult to change a mindset. I have full faith that I will meet a person who will love me the way I am with my scar.
Do you have any worries about the future?
No, I don’t have any worries because the tumour was benign, and it was removed, and it’s all done. I can lead my life very peacefully and happily.
Life has actually changed in a very positive way after my surgery. My pimples went away, my skin became better, and it started glowing.
What are your learnings based on your experience?
If you have very bad pain which exceeds your first day and lingers on for more days and that happens during every period, please go to the gynecologist.
Secondly, if only your stomach area is gaining weight, please get it checked. We think that it's weight gain, but it may be small cysts. If ignored, the small cysts grow and then become a big tumour as it happened in my case. You should not ignore such unusual weight gains and get it checked. I practice yoga regularly. It helps to relax the muscles.
The third point that one ovary doesn't mean anything in terms of a reproductive ability. You can lead a normal life and had children with one ovary also.
I want to talk about body positivity. I always had this dream even before the surgery, of wearing a bikini on the beach. Now I'm going to make sure I wear the bikini with my scar and flaunt it. We start negating our bodies because of pimples, scars and other blemishes. After my surgery marks and blemishes stopped affecting me. My message to everyone is please don't care about your blemishes and scars. Make peace with them. They are part of you, and they make your personality. A scar from a surgery don’t make you a lesser person. It is a sign that you're a brave person. It is something to celebrate and not hide.
As told to Smita Vyas
