Latest news with #RobynMcGhee
Daily Record
3 days ago
- Health
- Daily Record
‘I looked nine months pregnant and the truth was absolutely terrifying'
Robyn McGhee thought she was just bloated after the festive season and initially put her weight gain down to that. In February 2024, when Robyn McGhee noticed an unexplained increase in her weight following the festive season, she initially dismissed it as holiday indulgence. Determined to shed the pounds, she hit the gym and started eating healthier. "I spent a few months eating healthy and trying to lose weight but the weight wasn't shifting, I was actually getting bigger," she shared. "I could physically see it, it wasn't all in my head." Yet despite her efforts, Robyn's size continued to expand along with growing fatigue, and soon people were mistaking her for being pregnant. Recounting her experience to The Mirror, the 28 year old Glaswegian expressed the awkwardness: "I just had to say 'no I'm not pregnant' and just leave so they didn't feel awkward. It kind of highlighted how extreme my stomach actually looked." Looking at those photographs today, Robyn finds it challenging to hold any resentment towards those who assumed she was expecting—her appearance suggested she was far along in pregnancy. "I looked about eight or nine months pregnant, the weight had shot up. But I couldn't eat at all, I'd lost my appetite." For a time, Robyn even questioned herself due to the physical changes she was enduring: "Maybe I am pregnant, maybe that's what is going on and I just don't have the usual symptoms that you would expect." Robyn was in a bind, unable to fit into her clothes, go out, or walk easily. When she came back from a June holiday feeling unlike herself, she knew it was time to consult a doctor. 'At that point, I could feel a ball in my stomach and it was causing a lot of pain. I went to the doctor and explained my symptoms and they off the bat said 'are you pregnant',' she recounted. 'I knew I wasn't, I'd taken a few pregnancy tests. ' She expressed frustration at how she felt brushed aside by the medical professional: 'I felt like I was getting dismissed by the doctor, I explained my symptoms and said I was worried it was something more than weight gain and they said 'like what? 'I thought, 'I don't know, that's why I'm here'. ' However, after seeking a second medical opinion, Robyn was fast-tracked for CT scans and blood tests, which led to the discovery of a significant ovarian cyst, measuring around 25cm and weighing over a stone. As defined by the NHS, an ovarian cyst is typically a fluid-filled pouch on an ovary, with potential symptoms such as pelvic discomfort, irregular menstruations, swollen abdomen, painful intercourse, frequent urination, and quickly feeling full post-eating. Despite the daunting prospect of surgery, Robyn felt overwhelmed with relief: 'I was relieved, because I had an answer for why I was feeling this way. It was confirming that it wasn't all in my head, it was actually happening to me.' In September, Robyn endured a three-hour operation for a cyst too large for keyhole surgery, resulting in a prominent scar down her stomach's centre. Unexpectedly, during the procedure, surgeons discovered she also had endometriosis – a condition where uterus lining tissue grows externally, Endometriosis UK notes it affects 10% of women globally and can cause intense menstrual pain and discomfort during toilet visits. "I thought my period symptoms were normal, the pains and cramps I had were the type that everybody had," Robyn recounted. The operation involved removing not only the cyst but also an ovary, fallopian tube, and her appendix, leading to a gruelling 12-week recovery dominated by "ridiculous" levels of pain, although she noted feeling significantly lighter post-surgery. Driven by the scarce information available, Robyn turned to social media to share her ordeal, saying: "I was trying to research the type of surgery I was getting online and on TikTok but there wasn't that much about it. I thought 'I don't have any reference point of anybody going through a similar situation to what I am'." After sharing her experience on her TikTok account (@_robynmcghee), Robyn has received messages from individuals globally. "It's been wild, I feel like I have helped people", she expressed. Despite the surgery being "absolutely terrifying", she reassures others facing similar situations that it was "better than any other outcome".
Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mirror
‘People thought I was nine months pregnant - it was a giant ovarian cyst'
WARNING: DISTRESSING CONTENT Robyn McGhee, 28, went to the doctors after people mistakenly thought she was pregnant - and discovered she had a giant ovarian cyst that made it hard for her to walk In February 2024, Robyn McGhee noticed that she was gaining weight. However, with Christmas and New Year 's just gone, she put it down to overindulging over the festive period and resolved to hit the gym and cut back. 'I spent a few months eating healthy and trying to lose weight but the weight wasn't shifting, I was actually getting bigger,' she said. 'I could physically see it, it wasn't all in my head.' Then the tiredness came, and the pressure she felt to lose the weight intensified - worsened by the fact that strangers on the street were asking her when she was due to give birth. The 28-year-old from Glasgow told The Mirror: 'I just had to say 'no I'm not pregnant' and just leave so they didn't feel awkward. It kind of highlighted how extreme my stomach actually looked.' Looking back at the pictures now, Robyn said, it's hard to feel angry at the people who presumed she was pregnant. 'I looked about eight or nine months pregnant, the weight had shot up. But I couldn't eat at all, I'd lost my appetite." At one point, despite knowing she wasn't, Robyn thought: 'Maybe I am pregnant, maybe that's what is going on and I just don't have the usual symptoms that you would expect.' None of her clothes would fit, she couldn't go out, and was struggling to walk. After returning from a holiday in June during which she didn't feel like herself, Robyn decided it was time to see a doctor. 'At that point, I could feel a ball in my stomach and it was causing a lot of pain. I went to the doctor and explained my symptoms and they off the bat said 'are you pregnant',' she said. 'I knew I wasn't, I'd taken a few pregnancy tests.' Robyn added: 'I felt like I was getting dismissed by the doctor, I explained my symptoms and said I was worried it was something more than weight gain and they said 'like what?' I thought, 'I don't know, that's why I'm here'.' After getting a second opinion, Robyn was referred for urgent CT scans and blood work, which was when they found the cyst. It was about 25cm and weighed more than a stone. The NHS describes an ovarian cyst as a fluid-filled sac that develops on an ovary. Symptoms can include pelvic pain, heavy or irregular periods, a swollen tummy, pain during sex, a frequent need to urinate, and feeling full after only eating a little. Despite knowing an operation was imminent, Robyn felt that she could finally breathe. 'I was relieved, because I had an answer for why I was feeling this way. It was confirming that it wasn't all in my head, it was actually happening to me.' In September, Robyn underwent a three-hour operation. While keyhole surgery is usually used for cysts, the size of Robyn's meant that open surgery was the only option for her, and she now has a large scar down the centre of her stomach. But there was another surprise in store when surgeons found that she had endometriosis as well - which is a disease in which tissue on the inside of the uterus grows outside of it. According to Endometriosis UK, 10% of women (176 million) worldwide have endometriosis, which can cause severe period pain, heavy periods, and pain when going to the toilet. 'I thought my period symptoms were normal, the pains and cramps I had were the type that everybody had,' she said. Doctors removed the cyst, along with one of Robyn's ovaries and fallopian tubes, and her appendix. The recovery took about 12 weeks and the first part was 'really tough' with 'ridiculous' amounts of pain. 'I also felt a lot lighter, obviously,' she said. Taking her experience to social media was her next step, and the decision to open up came from the lack of stories or resources on the topic out there, she said. 'I was trying to research the type of surgery I was getting online and on TikTok but there wasn't that much about it. I thought 'I don't have any reference point of anybody going through a similar situation to what I am'.' Since posting her story on her TikTok page (@_robynmcghee), Robyn has had messages from people all over the world. 'It's been wild, I feel like I have helped people', she explained. While the operation was 'absolutely terrifying', she insists to others going through the same thing that it was 'better than any other outcome'.
