A STUDENT claims she was left with a cancerous tumor the size of a melon that grew hair and teeth after doctors wrongly diagnosed her with a UTI.
Mia Robins was finishing her first year of university when she began to feel painful pressure in her stomach.
8
The 21-year-old then began noticing other worrying symptoms, including fatigue, weight loss and hair loss.
However, the biomedical sciences student said doctors had ruled out these illnesses with a range of diagnoses – from alopecia to anemia and urinary tract infection (UTI).
But Mia’s health continued to deteriorate and an ultrasound in June 2022 confirmed that she had ovarian cancer.
Mia, who was 19 at the time, underwent emergency surgery to remove the growing tumor, which doctors said was the size of a melon and full of hair and teeth.
And despite the cancer returning six months later after successful chemotherapy treatment, Mia was discharged in August 2023.
Now, the activist urges others to always challenge medical professionals if they have concerns about their health.
Mia, from Liverpool, said: “I had my appendix removed in December 2021 and started having pain the following month.
“I would wake up in pain as if I needed to go to the bathroom immediately.
“I felt a lot of pressure and was dying to go to the bathroom, but it went away as soon as I went to the bathroom.
“I also slept 12 or 13 hours a day and kept sleeping late to work.
“I wasn’t eating either. I lost about half a stone and went down a dress size.
“Then my hair started falling out. I realized there was a bald spot the size of my palm on the back of my head.”
But the most worrying sign of all was the “huge bulge” on her stomach.
“I looked like I was four or five months pregnant,” Mia added.
“I went to the emergency room twice in three weeks and had about five doctor visits in six months because of my symptoms.
“I was told a lot of things, like I could have celiac disease, anemia, alopecia and a UTI.
“I told them in the ER that I was crawling to the bathroom in pain and they gave me antibiotics for a urinary tract infection, but I knew that wasn’t it.
“I took antibiotics and they didn’t help at all.
“I remember thinking I might have cancer and my friend said, ‘Don’t be silly.’
I was in a lot of pain because it was directly above my bladder
Mia Robins
Mia went to the emergency room once again in June 2022, where further tests revealed that the student had stage one ovarian cancer.
The medical team told Mia that her tumor was the size of a cantaloupe and that she would need emergency surgery.
“They caught it early, but it was absolutely huge and growing,” she said.
“I was in a lot of pain because it was directly above my bladder.
“The fact that they told me it was early stage and that it hadn’t affected any other organs was a relief, but of course I was upset.
“I was a little angry that my symptoms were ignored. I feel like if I had gotten an ultrasound sooner, it would have been detected.
“It took six months to be diagnosed. I was sure I would be fine.
“The surgery was a success, but they had to remove my right ovary, my fallopian tube, part of my abdomen and some lymph nodes.
“They told me that the tumor itself had teeth and hair, which is apparently normal for a fairly large tumor.
“He had such a good blood supply that he was able to grow teeth and hair.”
What are the signs of ovarian cancer?
Ovarian cancer affects the ovaries – the organs that store the eggs needed to make babies.
It mainly affects women over 50 and can sometimes run in families, according to the NHS.
Cancer symptoms can be vague, especially in its early stages, says Cancer Research UK.
The charity advises you to speak to a GP if you experience the following symptoms:
- Feeling full quickly
- Loss of appetite
- Pain in the abdomen or lower abdomen that does not go away
- Bloating or increase in the size of the abdomen
- Needing to pee more often
- Fatigue that is inexplicable
- Unexplained weight loss
- Changes in your bowel habits or symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, especially if it starts after age 50
The NHS added that vaginal bleeding after menopause could be another possible symptom of ovarian cancer.
Despite the tumor being removed, Mia’s cancer returned in February 2023 and she underwent a three-month chemotherapy treatment.
In August, she was discharged and needs to undergo regular checkups to ensure the cancer does not return.
“It felt good knowing I was done with it and could go back to my normal life,” she said.
“This is the first summer I haven’t had to be in the hospital in two years, but I know I will be nervous for the rest of my life.
“I felt a little ignored because my symptoms were dismissed.
“I was feeling a lot of pain and I knew it wasn’t a UTI, but I didn’t believe it. I felt ignored for six months.
“I tell other people: always challenge the medical team if you feel something is wrong.
“I could have died if I hadn’t kept going to the emergency room. My tumor would have continued to grow and I could have died.”
8
8
8
8
8
8
What is a UTI?
Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are usually caused by E.coli bacteria – found in feces – entering the urinary tract.
The bacteria enter through the tube that carries pee out of the body (urethra).
Women are more likely than men to get UTIs as they have a shorter urethra than men.
This means the bacteria are more likely to reach the bladder or kidneys and cause an infection.
According to the NHS, things that increase the risk of bacteria entering the bladder include:
- Having sex
- Pregnancy
- Conditions that block the urinary tract – such as kidney stones
- conditions that make it difficult to completely empty the bladder – such as an enlarged prostate in men and constipation in children
- Urinary catheters (a tube in the bladder used to drain urine)
- Having a weakened immune system – for example, people with diabetes or people undergoing chemotherapy
- Not drinking enough fluids
- Not keeping the genital area clean and dry
Check if it is a UTI
Symptoms of a urinary tract infection (UTI) may include:
- Pain or burning sensation when urinating (dysuria)
- Needing to pee more often than usual
- Needing to pee more frequently than usual at night (nocturia)
- Needing to pee suddenly or more urgently than usual
- Pee that looks cloudy
- Blood in your pee
- Pain in the lower belly or back, just below the ribs
- High temperature or feeling hot and chilly
- A very low temperature below 36C
Your pee may also be dark or smell bad. If this is your only symptom, it may be because you haven’t been drinking enough water.
What to do if you think you have a UTI
If you think you have UTI symptoms, speak to your doctor to discuss treatment options.
Most people will need antibiotics.
Some people may be prescribed a “delayed antibiotic,” meaning they will only be asked to use it if their symptoms do not go away after a certain period of time.
If you continue to have urinary tract infections, your doctor may recommend that you take a low dose of antibiotics for a long period of time or refer you to a specialist for further testing and treatment.
For women who have gone through menopause, there is evidence that vaginal estrogen creams can reduce UTI symptoms.
Source: SNS
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
