Margaret McMahon is a 55-year-old Irish mother of two. One day in 2013, her belly began to swell abnormally. At first she thought it was a pregnancy, but the symptoms worsened and began to ruin her life, until she finally got the right diagnosis in 2016. When you find out what she's been through, you'll be shocked.
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Margaret McMahon was misdiagnosed
In doubt, Margaret went to her doctor to find out what she was suffering from... Her doctor told her that she probably suffered from irritable bowel syndrome, a common condition that causes recurrent pain. But Margaret had her doubts. Her symptoms didn't really seem to match those of IBS. She told the Daily Mail in 2016:
The last year was awful. It was like having a never-ending pregnancy except when you're pregnant you're going to get have a baby at the end.
She had all the symptoms of pregnancy, but without the baby. This problem continued for several years, grew worse and forced her to quit her job because of the excruciating pain.
Read more:A woman learns she has two vaginas while in labor
The revelation finally came 3 years later
After three years of unbearable pain, she decided to have a CT scan and MRI to find out for sure. The results showed that she was suffering from non-cancerous uterine fibroids. These are clusters of cells present in many women, but rarely grow large enough to have an impact on our daily lives.
Unfortunately for her, Margaret was an exception: her fibroid was so large that it was the size of a watermelon. She had to undergo a hysterectomy, meaning that a part of her uterus was removed. Since the operation, Margaret says she feels much better. She has gradually got on with her life. She used to urinate every five minutes, but now she can lead a normal life.
Read more:Endometriosis: 'I'm in excruciating pain every day but no one can see it'
This article has been translated from Oh!MyMag FR.
Sources used:
Daily Mail: Mother who 'looked pregnant for 3 YEARS' is found to have a melon-sized tumour growing in her womb
