Bump in woman’s belly wasn’t a baby – it was a giant tumour the size of a watermelon Layla was shocked to discover a growth in her stomach was a 10lb tumour on her ovary

When Layla Cummins began feeling tired and uncomfortable with a stomach that seemed to be growing larger by the day, she wondered if she might be pregnant.

But the underlying cause behind her symptoms turned out to be much more unusual. Unbeknown to the 30-year-old writer, she was actually harbouring a giant tumour the size of a watermelon.

“I couldn’t believe it when I saw how big it was, I was so shocked,” Layla told i. “I’m really pleased I asked for a photo to be taken.”

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Layla, from Bristol, began feeling unwell in December last year, suffering from exhaustion and pains in her stomach. She also noticed that her belly had started to swell and felt tender to the touch.

Huge mass

When people began remarking that she looked pregnant, she went to see her GP who felt a hard lump in the area so referred her for tests at Bristol’s St Michael’s hospital in January this year. The results were shocking – an ultrasound revealed a huge mass growing on Layla’s right ovary. But doctors weren’t yet sure how large it was.

“It was really uncomfortable,” explained Layla. “I couldn’t lay on my front at all. It felt like I had a remote control sticking in my side.”

Doctors explained that although the growth was probably a harmless mass, it would need to be surgically removed because it could cause other health issues.

My stomach looked absolutely massive and I couldn’t wait to have it taken out Layla Cummins

Layla wasn’t able to have the surgery for a few weeks, so had to carry on working in the meantime, feeling incredibly uncomfortable, lethargic, and unable to eat properly.

“I lost my appetite completely and just felt really heavy and tired a lot,” she said. “I had bursts of pain too.

“It wasn’t ideal. My stomach looked absolutely massive and I couldn’t wait to have it taken out.”

With her partner Jon Everett, 35, by her side, Layla underwent major surgery to remove the growth on 27 March this year. When she came round she was shocked to see a huge scar running up the middle of her belly.

Doctors had thought the tumour was around 20cm in length. But when they opened her up, they found it was double the size at 40cm and had to cut an extra large hole in her stomach to remove it. Her ovary also had to be removed because it had been damaged by the mass.

The one consolation Layla had was that the growth turned out to be non-cancerous, which meant she wouldn’t need further treatment. She was discharged four days later, feeling ‘much lighter.’

My doctors were really shocked. Up until that point they thought it was half the size Layla Cummins

“I weighed myself afterwards and I was 10lbs less heavy. It was absolutely massive,” she said. I feel great now it has been taken out.

“I looked pregnant before it was removed. My doctors were really shocked because up until that point they thought it was half that size.”

Read more: A new finding has given scientists hope of a treatment for polycystic ovary syndrome

Layla has been left with a huge scar on her stomach but is relieved she no longer has to carry around the giant tumour.

“They put a lot of staples in my stomach but they will be taken out,” she explained. “Hopefully it heals fine. It doesn’t look great now but it will heal over time.”

Full recovery

Layla is expected to make a full recovery within the next couple of weeks and says the health scare has inspired her to get active too.

“”I haven’t exactly felt great with the cyst so I’m looking forward to getting back to normal,” she said. “It has motivated me to get my ass into gear. I feel great now and like I want to do more. I feel like I’ve got more enthusiasm to try new things and be a bit more active.”

And she hopes the ordeal won’t affect her future chances of becoming a mother either.

“I have done my own research and it may take a bit longer for me to get pregnant, but I should still be able to,” she explained. “I still have one perfectly fine and functioning ovary.”