Woman, 39, Thought She Had Food Poisoning. Turned Out It Was a Rare Form of Cancer and She Had to Have 13 Organs Removed
A woman had 13 internal organs removed following a 2019 cancer diagnosis
Rebecca Hind of Cumbria, England, initially thought she had food poisoning after feeling unwell following an office Christmas party — but she began to suspect something more was going on when she didn't fully recover after two months
Hind, 39, was ultimately diagnosed with pseudomyxoma peritonei (or PMP), a rare mucinous cancerA woman had 13 of her internal organs removed following a rare cancer diagnosis.
Rebecca Hind of Cumbria, England, first began feeling unwell after an office Christmas party in December 2018, according to The Telegraph. The now-former outdoor educator, 39, initially thought she had a bout of food poisoning, but when she hadn't fully recovered after eight weeks, she knew something more was going on.
After several visits to her doctor, a CT scan and biopsies, Hind was diagnosed with a rare mucinous cancer called pseudomyxoma peritonei (or PMP), which affects about one in a million people. According to the Cleveland Clinic, PMP "spreads by secreting mucin, a component of mucus, inside your abdominal cavity." Symptoms, which often develop slowly, can include abdominal distension and pain, nausea, loss of appetite and constipation.
The cancer cells spread beyond the abdominal cavity to other organs — which is what had happened in Hind's case.
'By the time they found it, I was pretty much riddled with it,' she told The Telegraph, adding, 'It was heartbreaking. But I've just got to try to get on with life, and deal with whatever comes my way.'
In April 2019, when Hind was 34, she underwent an initial surgery in which doctors removed her appendix and umbilicus, lesser omentum and about 1.6 gallons of mucin. She then did eight rounds of chemotherapy in an attempt to shrink the remaining tumors.
However, in November 2019, doctors were forced to remove additional organs and body parts, including her greater omentum, gallbladder, spleen, large bowel, womb, uterus, ovaries, fallopian tubes, cervix, and rectum, according to The Mirror. Surgeons also removed a portion of her stomach and small bowel, and the surface layer of her liver and both sides of her diaphragm.
She is now restricted to a diet of electrolyte fluids and a daily cocktail of 50 to 60 tablets, including codeine, Imodium and hormone replacement therapy, per the outlet.
Despite her immense health challenges, Hind has refused to let her illness define her.
'I turn 40 this year and I want to say yes to everything. I've been surfing, in a hot air balloon and dog sledding so far,' she told The Mirror.
"The message I want to get across is when you have a stoma or an incurable diagnosis, things will be incredibly difficult. My daily life is a rollercoaster,' she continued. 'But with the right attitude, you can still achieve a lot. And more importantly, enjoy whatever time you have."
Hind has since set up a GoFundMe campaign to help raise funds for cancer survivors and research.
'In September, I'm going to take part in Chris Hoy's 'Tour de 4', a bike event which aims to challenge people's perspective of Stage 4 cancer as well as raise vital funds for cancer charities,' she wrote in a message on the page.
'As a Stage 4 patient with a penchant for biking, I couldn't turn this down and not being one for half measures, I'm aiming to complete the full 90km route!!' she added.
Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Hind also wrote that 'this is going to be a particularly big challenge' for her, as doctors discovered 'a large tumor' in her pelvis last summer, which led to another surgery and a six-week hospitalization.
Hind, who said she has 'essentially run out of treatment options,' plans to donate any funds she receives to Pseudomyxoma Survivor, 'a small nonprofit organization run by patients and caregivers to assist those affected by PMP.'
The GoFundMe has raised $1,500 toward an ultimate goal of $1,760 as of May 24.
Read the original article on People
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNET
2 hours ago
- CNET
I Thought I Was Washing My Bath Towels Often Enough. I Was Dead Wrong
When it comes to cleaning our homes, bathrooms are at the top of the list. While we often clean the obvious parts of the bathroom, it's easy to overlook less visible dirty items -- like bath towels. Even though your bathroom towels may look clean -- after all, they're usually just drying off clean parts of your body -- they could be holding massive amounts of bacteria and germs. I'm often guilty of ignoring my bath towels. As long as they're dry and back in place, I rarely give them a second thought. But to keep myself and my housemates healthy, I'll make a point to wash them more regularly. Learn how often you should wash your bath towels to keep them in tip-top shape and the best temperature for getting the cleanest. Why do you need to clean your bath towels so often? When you dry off with towels, they get moist. This porous, damp environment is the perfect breeding ground for bacteria. A common bath towel can have yeast, mold and E. coli growing on it without you ever knowing it. Gross, right? Regular washing prevents bacteria from growing. LG's WashTower functions as one combined washer and dryer unit. LG When should you reuse or wash bathroom towels? Consumer Reports says that under normal circumstances, a towel can be used three or four times before it needs to be washed. That's "times" not "days." If you have many family members using a towel (like hand towels), it needs to be washed on the third or fourth use. The condition of the person using the towel matters, too. If they're sick, toss it in the laundry after one use. If it's flu season, it's best for every family member to have their own towel -- even if they aren't exhibiting symptoms -- to prevent the potential spread of germs. How often you wash towels also depends on how they're dried after usage. If towels find themselves on the floor, the lack of air circulation will cause bacteria to grow quickly. To prolong the life of your towel, be sure to place damp towels on a towel rack. Better yet, crack open a window or turn on the fan to reduce moisture in the room. Supercharge your dryer by cleaning its vent Supercharge your dryer by cleaning its vent Click to unmute Video Player is loading. Play Video Pause Skip Backward Skip Forward Next playlist item Unmute Current Time 0:04 / Duration 1:37 Loaded : 18.39% 0:04 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 1:33 Share Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Close Modal Dialog This is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button. Close Modal Dialog This is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button. Supercharge your dryer by cleaning its vent What temperature is best for washing bath towels? The Infection Control department of Mid-Western Regional Hospital of Ennis, Ireland, recommends washing towels in water that is at least 140 degrees Fahrenheit (60 degrees Celsius) or more to kill bacteria. So if you have a sanitize mode on your washing machine, use it. If not, you may consider raising the temperature on your water heater while washing that load. Be sure young children are supervised around sinks, tubs and showers while you do laundry, though, to prevent burns. And, before you reach for the fabric softener, don't. Fabric softener leaves residue on towels that makes them less absorbent.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Chipotle, Chick-fil-A and cottage cheese: The foods helping GLP-1 users hit their protein goals
Joie Armstrong knows that a home-cooked meal featuring whole foods is the best way to get her daily nutrients. She takes cues from her grandmother, who lived to be 104, because she never owned a car, walked everywhere and grew her own food, Armstrong says. Since starting a GLP-1 medication last year, Armstrong has been more focused than ever on getting the nutrition she needs. Priority No. 1? Protein, to keep her muscles fueled, her appetite satisfied and, as she puts it, to turn her body into a 'constant fat burner.' But Armstrong is also a modern mother, which means she's busy shuttling her kids from school to ballet and back, on top of everything else parenting demands. Thanks to the weight loss medication she's taking, her appetite isn't what it once was. So these days, it's about eating what she can when she can to get the most nutritional bang for the buck. 'I love a good fast food hack,' she tells Yahoo Life. 'I probably eat out once a week, and I know it's not the healthiest, but it's [my family's] reality because we're in transit far more often than we're sitting at the kitchen table.' Armstrong is one of millions of Americans taking GLP-1 weight loss medications. Many of these people refer to themselves, collectively, as a 'community.' And that community has developed countless 'hacks' to support their weight loss journeys. As a reporter, I've talked to dozens of people taking these medications, and it's kind of astounding how clearly certain foods have emerged as go-to ways for them to meet their oft-cited 'protein goals' quickly, conveniently and affordably. What are their favorite foods? Read on. GLP-1 medications — including Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro and Zepbound — work by simulating certain hormones in the body that tell you when you're hungry and when you're full. These effects on satiety signals mean that people on GLP-1s have smaller appetites and they feel fuller more quickly. That makes the drugs highly effective for weight loss, but it can pose a challenge, Dr. Spencer Nadolsky, an obesity medicine physician, tells Yahoo Life. 'Because the satiety from the medicine is so strong, some people can only tolerate smaller, easier-to-eat portions that still taste good,' he says. But people taking GLP-1s still need all the essential nutrients in their diets, and they especially need to consume plenty of protein to prevent muscle loss, promote weight loss and reduce nausea, says Nadolsky. Avoiding fat is also important, so eating grilled or sautéed meat is better than choosing breaded or fried options; the frying process for the latter adds calories and fat, which is counter-productive to people's weight loss goals. And for those on a GLP-1, 'higher fat, greasy, heavy foods tend to cause more of the nausea, upset stomach and potential vomiting in these patients,' Nadolsky says. Fattier foods, he adds, 'are just sitting there in your gut' because they take longer to digest. GLP-1s slow gastric emptying, the process of digestion in which food moves from the stomach into the rest of the digestive tract. The slowdown is particularly dramatic when someone first starts on a GLP-1, which is why they may be particularly sensitive to nausea from high-fat foods during this period. Although this sensitivity wanes over time, GLP-1 patients have to walk a fine line: Getting sufficient, nutritious food that's appetizing to them, without overconsuming stomach-roiling fat and grease. Luckily, GLP-1ers (as many call themselves) have pooled plenty of out-to-eat and at-home hacks. 12-piece grilled chicken nuggets: 200 calories, 4.5 grams of fat, 2 grams of carbs, 38 grams of protein Grilled chicken sandwich: 390 calories, 11 grams of fat, 45 grams of carbs, 28 grams of protein Small mac and cheese: 270 calories, 17 grams of fat, 17 grams of carbs, 12 grams of protein With a menu built around chicken, it's perhaps no surprise that this fast food restaurant is one of the best bets for someone taking a GLP-1. A commonly cited favorite order is Chick-fil-A's grilled chicken nuggets. Armstrong likes to order a 12-piece grilled chicken nugget meal and stretch it across a few meals (nuggets make great salad toppings, she notes). Or, she'll choose a grilled chicken sandwich, which comes on a multigrain bun, 'so it's got good carbs and whole grains,' she says. Many people acclimate and can incorporate some nutritional splurges (pizza, bagels and breaded chicken) after a few months on a GLP-1. Haley Sipes, a stay-at-home mom in Kentucky, has been taking Zepbound for about eight months now. 'I love, love, love Chick-fil-A — that's my biggest go-to,' she says. Sipes has found she can tolerate the breaded chicken nuggets, which she orders along with a small side of mac and cheese. 'That way, it's something I enjoy, but I'm still getting protein,' she says. Salad with chicken, no rice, black beans, fajita vegetables and chipotle-honey vinaigrette: 555 calories, 25 grams of fat, 46 grams of carbs, and 42 grams of protein Kids meal with chicken, rice, fajita veggies and soft flour tortillas: 380 calories, 10 grams of fat, 52 grams of carbs, 23 grams of protein Chipotle makes dietitians' and Nadolsky's lists of fast food restaurants with healthy options. 'I love the Chipotle chicken salad with no sour cream, no cheese and very light on the vinaigrette,' says Nadolsky. Since the salads and bowls are customizable, it's easy to order a Chipotle option that suits GLP-1 users' needs. And for some people, that allows them to return to an old favorite restaurant without having to eat more than they need or risk stomach upset. Branneisha Cooper, who started taking Zepbound in 2022 and previously spoke to Yahoo Life for our On My Weigh series, used to order a Chipotle bowl with extra protein. But since starting her weight loss medication, she's switched to ordering a kids quesadilla, which comes with meat and the sides of your choosing. She says it's about half the serving of food she would have previously ordered. 'I try to make sure whatever I'm getting, it's protein-focused, and I try to make sure I get at least some vegetables,' she previously told Yahoo Life. 'Protein-style' Dave's Single burger (no bun, extra lettuce): 420 calories, 34 grams of fat, 6 grams of carbs, 24 grams of protein 10-piece crispy chicken nuggets: 450 calories, 29 grams of fat, 23 grams of carbs, 25 grams of protein Continuing the chicken theme, Wendy's is another reliable choice for Armstrong. But now that she's taking Zepbound, she skips the fries and orders her chicken sandwich or burger 'protein-style,' meaning it's served on lettuce instead of a bun. But you won't find the protein-style meal on the drive-through menu, Armstrong notes. It's almost like a secret menu (if you know, you know). By choosing to get a chicken sandwich or a Dave's Single on lettuce, Armstrong can significantly cut down on carbs without sacrificing protein. One serving of low-fat cottage cheese: 90 calories, 2.5 grams of fat, 5 grams of carbs, 12 grams of protein When it comes to eating on GLP-1s, much of 'what's old is new again,' says Nadolsky. That's where cottage cheese comes in. This snack has seen a huge resurgence in popularity amid the protein craze. And GLP-1 users are here for it. Cooper likes to make a cottage cheese and egg scramble (eggs are a favorite in the GLP-1 community too) because it's a quick, easy and high-protein breakfast. 'I try to eat colorfully, so sometimes I add spinach,' she previously told Yahoo Life. Michael Donnelly-Boylen has been on Mounjaro since March 2024. For months, he was afraid to eat his former favorite food, pizza, because he felt angry about its role in his obesity. But these days, he's started making cottage cheese pizza bowls. 'It's like a great pizza dip,' he says. Balanced Break box with white cheddar cheese, almonds and dried cranberries: 190 calories, 13 grams of fat, 12 grams of carbs, 8 grams of protein What's square, preportioned and high-protein? A Lunchable. More specifically, healthier 'adult' versions of the classic (but highly processed) kids meal. Sipes likes to buy several of Sargento's take on the snack pack to nibble on throughout the week. There are several variations, but she usually chooses one containing cheese, bite-size meat sticks, nuts and chocolate. 'When you realize it's 2 p.m. and you haven't had any sustenance, it's an easy way to give your brain some energy and not have to make a decision about what you want to eat,' she says. Aside from prioritizing protein, that's the busy mom's primary eating strategy: Make it easy, tasty and grazeable. 'Time is money, and I'm all about convenience in this season in my life,' Sipes says.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Women less likely to get care for potentially fatal heart condition
Women are less likely than men to be given treatment for a potentially fatal heart condition, according to a new analysis. Researchers in the UK found women are 11% less likely to be referred to a hospital specialist after a diagnosis of the heart valve disease aortic stenosis. Academics said the findings show 'inequities in management and care of this common and serious condition' after they also found differences in care among south Asian and black patients as well as those from poorer backgrounds. Aortic stenosis, a narrowing of the aortic valve or the area immediately around it, leads to obstruction of the blood flow from the heart, which leads to symptoms including dizziness, fatigue, chest pain and breathlessness. The condition is more common in elderly people. It is not possible to reverse but treatments can include a transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) or valve replacement surgery. If left untreated it can lead to serious complications, including heart failure, heart rhythm abnormalities, and death. The analysis suggests some people are less likely to receive this treatment. Experts from England's University of Leicester examined GP data on 155,000 people diagnosed with aortic stenosis between 2000 and 2022 in England. Presenting their findings to the British Cardiovascular Society conference in Manchester, experts said as well as women being less likely to be referred for hospital care, they are 39% less likely to have a procedure to replace their aortic valve. Researchers also found people living in poorer neighbourhoods are 7% less likely to be referred for hospital care after a diagnosis compared to people from wealthier neighbourhoods. Meanwhile, black patients are 48% less likely to undergo a procedure to replace their aortic valve compared to white patients. South Asian patients are 27% less likely to undergo a procedure compared to their white counterparts, according to the study, which was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and supported by NIHR Leicester Biomedical Research Centre. Dr Anvesha Singh, associate professor at the University of Leicester and consultant cardiologist, who was involved in the research, said: 'Previous studies have shown lower rates of valve replacement in women, and clinicians had assumed that women were less likely to be diagnosed with aortic stenosis. 'This analysis using large, real-world data clearly shows that this is not the case, giving us the clearest picture yet of what is happening in day-to-day clinical practice. 'Our study highlights potential inequities in management and care of this common and serious condition. More research is needed to understand the reasons for this and the true prevalence of aortic stenosis in different groups.'
