Home Australia A woman who had to undergo a complete hysterectomy at age 28 after doctors found an 8-pound, watermelon-sized tumor in her abdomen reveals “pregnancy-like” symptoms that led to her cancer diagnosis.

A woman who had to undergo a complete hysterectomy at age 28 after doctors found an 8-pound, watermelon-sized tumor in her abdomen reveals “pregnancy-like” symptoms that led to her cancer diagnosis.

by Elijah
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Casey Halterman, 29, from South Carolina, recounted the terrifying moment she learned she needed to have a hysterectomy after doctors found a tumor inside her.

A young woman has told of the terrifying moment she knew she needed to have a hysterectomy after doctors found a tumor the size of a watermelon inside her.

Casey Halterman, 29, from South Carolina, discovered she had uterine cancer in 2022 and was forced to undergo a complete hysterectomy at the age of 28 to prevent it from returning.

Now the nurse has revealed how doctors found the eight-pound tumor and her road to recovery.

She also talked about how she stayed positive during her illness by hosting a party to say goodbye to her uterus.

Casey Halterman, 29, from South Carolina, recounted the terrifying moment she learned she needed to have a hysterectomy after doctors found a tumor inside her.

She discovered she had uterine cancer in 2022 and was forced to undergo a total hysterectomy at age 28 to prevent it from returning.

She discovered she had uterine cancer in 2022 and was forced to undergo a total hysterectomy at age 28 to prevent it from returning.

Now the nurse has revealed how doctors found the eight-pound tumor and her road to recovery.

Now the nurse has revealed how doctors found the eight-pound tumor and her road to recovery.

At the end of 2022, Casey began to experience acute abdominal pain, had symptoms that mimicked pregnancy, such as hair loss and frequent need to urinate, so she decided to go to her doctors.

That’s when doctors found the tumor, which they said was the size of a watermelon.

She explained that it was difficult for her to notice that the tumor was there due to its weight, however, when the doctor showed it to her, she was stunned.

The nurse, now 29, said: ‘When I saw the picture of the tumor they had removed, it looked like an alien and I couldn’t believe it had been inside me.

“I’m not the smallest kid, so it was hard to know it was there, but as soon as my doctor touched it, I could feel it myself.”

Doctors told Casey she would need to have surgery to remove it and find out if it was cancerous.

“When they found the tumor, they weren’t sure if it was cancer because when tumors grow that big, they’re usually benign,” he said.

“I remember thinking, ‘Okay, maybe it’s not cancer; “maybe I just had this benign tumor all along.”

She also talked about how she stayed positive during her illness by hosting a party to say goodbye to her uterus.

She also talked about how she stayed positive during her illness by hosting a party to say goodbye to her uterus.

In late 2022, Casey (seen with her mother) began experiencing acute abdominal pain, had symptoms mimicking pregnancy, and hair loss.

In late 2022, Casey (seen with her mother) began experiencing acute abdominal pain, had symptoms mimicking pregnancy, and hair loss.

That's when doctors found the tumor (seen), which they said was the size of a watermelon.

That's when doctors found the tumor (seen), which they said was the size of a watermelon.

That’s when doctors found the tumor, which they said was the size of a watermelon.

WHAT IS A HYSTERECTOMY?

A hysterectomy is a surgical procedure to remove a woman’s uterus.

There are three types:

  • PARTIAL HYSTERECTOMY: Eliminates two thirds of the uterus.
  • TOTAL HYSTERECTOMY: Eliminates the uterus and cervix.
  • RADICAL HYSTERECTOMY: Eliminates uterus, cervix and ovaries.

The operation is most often performed on women between 40 and 49 years old.

More than 20 million American women have had a hysterectomy, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

As women approach menopause, their chances of developing one of several serious uterine health conditions increase. Doctors may recommend a hysterectomy as a treatment for:

  • fibroids
  • endometriosis
  • uterine (endometrial) cancer
  • chronic uterine pain or bleeding
  • collapsed uterus

In some cases, doctors may suggest a hysterectomy as a preventive measure if a woman has significant warnings or early signs of developing one or more of these conditions.

When necessary, surgeons can also remove the ovaries and fallopian tubes, if these too have been damaged or are at serious risk of damage.

Removal of the reproductive organs sends a woman’s body into menopause, no matter how old she is.

This leads to unpleasant side effects, such as hot flashes, and many women have to start hormone therapy and take estrogen to balance their own hormones.

‘So that’s what we thought going into surgery, but it ended up being cancer.

‘When I woke up, I had the feeling that something wasn’t right.

“They told me it would take an hour and a half and in the end it was four hours.

‘The tumor was in my right ovary and grew so much that it attached to my right pelvic wall.

‘I was diagnosed with stage three uterine cancer. It is a slow growing cancer.

She added: “I was terrified.”

Doctors initially told her she needed a partial hysterectomy.

She explained: ‘Because uterine cancer is so rare in someone my age, it usually occurs in postmenopausal women.

‘They did pathology to see where it was coming from, and there were many possibilities, like my colon and my skin.

“But they discovered that it originated in my uterus during what was supposed to be a partial hysterectomy.”

However, because her cancer was so intense, doctors quickly recommended that Casey undergo a full hysterectomy to reduce the chances of it returning.

‘Having everything taken away from me was more difficult. Although since high school I didn’t think I could have kids, I guess that was my intuition again,” she said.

Although Casey felt like she had lost her good health and her life was in ruins.

“I had a pre-op hysterectomy party in February,” she said.

‘It was my way of taking control of the situation.

“It was also a celebration because it was a life-saving operation.”

After surgery, Casey underwent six rounds of chemotherapy and 28 rounds of pelvic radiation therapy.

She explained: ‘Then I did chemo from March to July and radiation from the end of August to October 6th.

“I’m in remission now.”

Casey noted that this terrifying experience had taught her to always advocate for herself and her health.

She added: ‘If I’ve learned anything from this, it’s to be your biggest advocate when it comes to your healthcare.

“I also learned the importance of therapy, as the mental health aspect of all of this has been much more difficult than my physical recovery.”

Because her cancer was so intense, doctors quickly recommended that Casey undergo a complete hysterectomy to reduce the chances of it returning.

Because her cancer was so intense, doctors quickly recommended that Casey undergo a complete hysterectomy to reduce the chances of it returning.

Because her cancer was so intense, doctors quickly recommended that Casey undergo a complete hysterectomy to reduce the chances of it returning.

The now 29-year-old woman credited her support system for helping her get through this extremely difficult time, adding that people should always reach out.

The now 29-year-old woman credited her support system for helping her get through this extremely difficult time, adding that people should always reach out.

The now 29-year-old woman credited her support system for helping her get through this extremely difficult time, adding that people should always reach out to those affected by cancer to let them know they are loved.

“I also want others to know the importance of reaching out to people affected by cancer because it makes a difference,” she said.

Claire Merrifield, GP and medical director at Selph, spoke about Casey’s diagnosis and how rare womb cancer was in women her age.

‘It is rare to suffer from uterine cancer at a young age. “More than 90 percent of new cases of uterine cancer are diagnosed in postmenopausal women and most cases are diagnosed in women between 60 and 70 years old,” the doctor said.

“One of the symptoms of uterine cancer is abnormal vaginal bleeding, which is much more evident in women who have stopped having periods completely, so the diagnosis is usually quicker in postmenopausal women.”

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