Awesome - Woman Gives Birth To A Giant Tumor She Thought Was A Baby
Finding out you’re pregnant can be one of the happiest moments for a woman, especially if you are trying to start a family. But for this Scottish woman, what should have been nine months of joy and anticipation became the hardest ordeal of her life.
A Growing Family
27-year-old Lauren Knowles was a full-time mom living in the UK with her son Charlie and fiancé Trent. The couple wanted to have another child, so when her pregnancy test came back positive, they were elated. They began to plan for the baby’s arrival, even though she was still in the early stages. But then, a few weeks later, things started to go wrong.
Something Wrong
When she was around seven weeks pregnant, Lauren began to experience heavy spotting. At first she didn’t worry, because the same thing had happened when she was expecting Charlie. But days passed, and the bleeding didn’t stop. Concerned this could be something more nefarious, Lauren decided to go to the doctor. What he told her was something she was not ready for.
A Strange Condition
At the hospital, Lauren had several tests and scans done. When the results came back, the doctors told her she had a molar pregnancy. Lauren had never heard that term before, and first thought it might just be some complication with her pregnancy. But when the doctor handed her a fact sheet with information about the condition, her heart sank.
A Tumor In The Womb
Molar pregnancy, formally called gestational trophoblastic disease, happens when a cluster of cells forms inside the womb, turning into a tumor. The mass inside the womb tricks the body into thinking it’s pregnant, so the same hormones are produced and the tumor grows just like a baby would. That is why Lauren’s pregnancy tests always came back positive. But the news was worse than she thought.
Fighting Cancer
Lauren’s mass was cancerous. The doctors decided to surgically remove the tumor, and put her on a low-dose chemotherapy treatment to get rid of the remaining cancerous cells. But the tumor kept growing back, aided by pregnancy hormones. Lauren continued with the chemo in hopes that it would eventually be eradicated. Then, five months after she started treatment, things came to a head.
State Of Emergency
Lauren was at the park with Charlie, pushing him on the swings. Out of nowhere, she started having severe cramps. She rushed back home, and found that she was bleeding heavily. She knew this wasn’t right, so she went back to the hospital, where they immediately sent her to the cancer ward. Her condition had taken a turn for the worse.
Deteriorating Health
Lauren was given six high doses of chemotherapy, and lost all her hair in a week. She was in constant pain, and her health was deteriorating. Despite frequent visits from Trent and Charlie, Lauren became depressed. She began to think she wasn’t going to make it, as the tumor didn’t seem to be receding. Then, one day, the most bizarre thing happened.
Extreme Pain
Lauren started experiencing severe stomach cramps. She hoped that they would go away on their own, but the pain just seemed to be getting worse. Lauren thought going to the bathroom might help, so she got out of bed, pulling her IV drip along with her. There, in the hospital toilet, she felt the urgent need to push.
Like Giving Birth
Lauren realized she was having contractions, so she started to push just like she did when she gave birth to Charlie. It might not have been a child, but she struggled just as much. “It was the same size as a baby at 17 weeks, so it was a big tumor to push out with no assistance,” recalled Lauren. Finally, she looked down into the toilet bowl and felt nothing but relief.
Light At The End Of The Tunnel
As she stared at the big dark mass she had just pushed out, Lauren cried. “A massive sense of relief came over me — I felt so thankful that the tumor was finally out of me.” The mass ended up being the size of a large pear. She soon started to regain her health and was able to go back home. But doctors warned her things may never be the same.
Rebuilding Her Life
Lauren was told by doctors the tumor had damaged her womb, so she may struggle to conceive again. Though this news broke her heart, her focus was on getting better so she and her family could have a normal life again. The trio eventually moved to Perth, Australia, where the sunny weather helped heal their wounds. And Lauren’s fortunes turned back around.
Expecting Once More
A year after her ordeal, Lauren found out she was pregnant again. Instead of joy, though, she felt terrified. She feared she might be having another molar pregnancy. “I wasn’t able to enjoy the feeling,” she said. She waited impatiently until the pregnancy was far enough along to detect a heartbeat.
The Long-Awaited Heartbeat
Laying in the doctor’s office, looking at the screen as the nurse scanned her womb, Lauren was flooded with tears. The scan detected a strong heartbeat. She was expecting again, for real this time. Her pregnancy progressed without big complications, and finally, early this year, she and Trent welcomed the newest member of their family.
A Healthy Baby Girl
Though she was born five weeks early through an emergency C-section, baby Indi arrived in good health. Life had rewarded Lauren and her family for all they had been through. “After all my treatment, the light at the end of the tunnel was falling pregnant with Indi,” she said. But she will never forget the pain and the terror, and hopes other women won’t have to endure what she did.
Raising Awareness
Lauren is sharing her story with the media because she wants to spread the word about molar pregnancy. She believes that, if people know about the condition, they can choose the right course of action and prevent a tragedy. “I want to give people hope that even in the worst scenarios, what seems impossible is still possible while raising more awareness to molar pregnancy.”
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