How Ovarian Cancer Hid Behind the Disguise of Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Irritable bowel syndrome is a common phenomenon that can affect many people, including young women. That's why Fiona didn't think too much of things when she had bloating, upset stomach, and acid reflux after meals.

It was normal, the doctors had said, and they were somewhat right about that. Though its global prevalence varies and averages to about 11%, the prevalence of irritable bowel syndrome can be higher in certain regions such as the United States, where it's estimated to affect over 20% of the population.

So, Fiona did what most other young women do when they're told they have irritable bowel.

You cut out gluten, wheat products, and dairy products hoping for some sort of resolution. For many, a simple lifestyle change can make a huge difference. For Fiona, this was not the case.

Still struggling after IBS medications

Fiona tried medications. She was given peppermint capsules, a drug called Buscopan, and was told to de-stress her life. Though she put in her full effort to take these medications and de-stress as much as she could, there was still the bloating which was now almost permanently present, even when not eating.

Fiona noticed that her bloating and discomfort was only getting worse. Despite trying all kinds of special diets and lifestyle changes, she also was getting worsening acid reflux too. She started to worry that something was seriously wrong with her body, but the doctors had no idea where to look. Doctors would never have guessed that Fiona's symptoms were gynecological because she was having regular periods at the time.

Her symptoms began to worsen

Then, when she was 24, she had an episode of intense pain that left her writhing on the floor. The pain eventually went away on its own, but after that, Fiona got a period that strangely lasted for over 1 month. This worried her immensely, but Fiona blamed the symptoms on her new job as cabin crew for an airline. They had warned her that the new position often threw people's bodies off balance. Flying long-haul flights, it's quite normal for women to get irregular periods and other bodily changes. Fiona assumed that that was the reason for her irregular bleeding.

Soon, Fiona also started physical changes in her stomach. She felt that her rock-hard muscles were actually results of her new personal training classes, and at first, she was kind of happy about it. However, soon her stomach started to take on a dome-type shape, and it didn't look quite normal. She even took a pregnancy test, worried that perhaps that was the reason for the changes she was seeing in her body.

Doctors finally referred Fiona to get an ultrasound. The nurse there was so concerned for Fiona that she referred her immediately to the emergency room. The ultrasound revealed a huge ovarian cyst which had grown to over 10 by 15 centimeters in size and was also filled with 4 liters of fluid. The mass overall weighed over 9 lbs.