Time and again, people have to deal with difficult strokes of fate, be it through the loss of a loved one, as was the case with actor David Hasselhoff in early March 2025, or even through a serious illness. Presenter Zoe Ball experienced the latter first-hand a few months ago, as she received the shock diagnosis of TMJ.
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Anyone who has ever been confronted with such a situation will know, such diagnoses are undoubtedly life-changing. They are always unexpected - especially if you undergo an examination out of sheer curiosity without suspecting anything bad. This is what a woman recently had to experience. Sarah Blackburn underwent an MRI scan, only to find out that she had a splenic artery aneurysm.
Sarah Blackburn had a routine examination
MRI scans have become increasingly popular in recent years due to their ability to diagnose diseases at an early stage. Sarah Blackburn also underwent this examination - but not because she was worried or suspected of having a disease. She had ‘no symptoms’ at all, as she reveals in a video on TikTok in which she talks about her experience.
Sarah Blackburn had done the scan ‘just for fun’. She was just curious and hoped that the whole thing would give her some ‘peace’. She explained:
Looking back, I was so certain this was going to give me peace of mind. They were not going to find anything serious. I guess that's why I was so excited because I was thinking 'man I am going to sleep well after this scan'.
She received a shocking diagnosis
To Sarah's surprise, the results were very different than she expected. She was diagnosed with a splenic artery aneurysm – a bulging blood vessel near the spleen that can be especially risky for women who have had multiple pregnancies. The news came as a shock for Sarah, as she explains:
I went into a full blown panic attack and ended up in the emergency room because I needed a doctor to explain what this meant.
The following months were not easy for Sarah. She consulted several doctors, all of whom advised her to undergo surgery immediately. Sarah's family was her main support during this time. In the end, Sarah's spleen had to be completely removed - but the operation went well. In her TikTok video, she reveals that she has no regrets about having the scan.
Her case therefore shows that it is definitely advisable to go to the doctor even without existing symptoms - a routine check-up can be life-saving under certain circumstances.
This article has been translated from Oh!MyMag DE.
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Sources used:
Lad Bible: Woman who got full-body MRI scan out of curiosity left stunned after it revealed a life-threatening condition
it-boltwise.de: Vorsorge durch Ganzkörper-MRT: Eine lebensrettende Entscheidung
AOL: This mom’s whole body MRI scan revealed a potentially life-threatening ‘ticking time bomb’
