26-year-old Siobhan Foster from Nottingham faced an agonizing wait of 11 months before she could have a colossal 40cm cyst, weighing two and a half stone, removed from her stomach.
Initially believed to be pregnant by onlookers due to the cyst’s massive size, she struggled with mobility, and breathing, and felt too self-conscious to leave her home. The cyst’s size even compelled Siobhan to leave her job in childcare.
After enduring severe abdominal pain and undergoing multiple tests, it was in April 2023 that doctors identified the cyst as a ligament cyst.
The condition initially thought to be an ovarian cyst, was benign but necessitated surgery. On June 7, 2023, Siobhan underwent a transformative keyhole operation at Nottingham City Hospital, where doctors drained an astounding 16 liters of fluid from the cyst.
Describing the post-surgery experience, Siobhan expressed relief and newfound confidence, stating it felt like she had lost three stone overnight.
Now proudly donning size 18 clothing, down from a size 24, Siobhan shared her excitement in embracing a new lease of life, saying, “I see myself rather than looking at a lump. I feel like a new person in a new body.”