Florida Woman, 20, Has 100-Lb. Ovarian Cyst Removed: 'It Felt Like My Organs Were Being Crushed'

Allison Fisher opened up about her “second chance” at life after having a 104-lb. ovarian cyst, carrying about 46 liters of fluid, surgically removed

By

Vanessa Etienne

Published on March 29, 2023 03:30 PM

A Florida woman is feeling lucky about her "second chance" at life after having a 100-lb. ovarian cyst surgically removed.

In 2020, Allison Fisher started experiencing constant stomach pain and her menstrual cycle became irregular, lasting almost a year. However, the 20-year-old decided to ignore the pain, admitting that she's hesitant going to the doctors because her weight was typically the focus.

"I let myself believe that if I ignored it, it would go away," Fisher told Action New Jax. "I was scared. I was just really scared."

"[Growing up,] regardless of what I was there for—whether it was a cold or an ear infection, I was always told, 'you need to lose weight. You need to lose weight,'" she explained. "If no one's going to listen to me, if they're always gonna tell me I need to lose weight, then what's the point of going? What's the point of listening to my body?"

However, the symptoms worsened and Fisher noticed a mass growing on her stomach. After seeing stories about ovarian cysts on social media, she started to worry. Her stomach was "rock hard," making it difficult to move or even stand for more than five minutes.

"I felt like I was pregnant with 10 kids," she explained. "I couldn't lay on my stomach. It felt like all my organs were being crushed."

Fisher finally saw a doctor right before Christmas 2022, when the mass started impacting her ability to breathe.

Dr. Martin Martino, a gynecologic oncology surgeon at Ascension St. Vincent's, told her she had a 104-lb. ovarian cyst growing inside of her, carrying about 46 liters of fluid, that had to be surgically removed.

"What was really interesting in [Fisher's] case is that once we removed it, we looked at the other ovary because now we could see it, and the left ovary was twisted three times," Martino told the outlet. "That [the left ovary] was about 10 centimeters that really helped us to be able to untwist it and save [Fisher's] future fertility, and the chance to have kids."

Following a successful surgery, Fisher said having the cyst removed feels like having a "second chance" at life.

"I can see my feet again, I haven't been able to do that in years. I can stand a little bit longer. I feel so much lighter, I feel like a person," she shared. "I can wear clothes, I can do things that normal people can do. Now, moving forward, I am in the beginning stages of weight-loss surgery, and I am really excited for what life has in store for me."

"There are other people out there who are in my shoes, other bigger people, who are just so scared to go to the doctor because of their weight," Fisher added. "I just want them to know that they shouldn't be scared."

Ovarian cysts are not uncommon; the Mayo Clinic states that "many women have ovarian cysts at some time," and most "present little or no discomfort and are harmless."

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However, Mayo Clinic notes that large or ruptured cysts "can cause serious symptoms," including pelvic pain, fullness or heaviness in the abdomen and bloating.