A woman who sought medical help after years of weight loss was horrified to learn she had a 20-pound tumor filled with hair and teeth growing around her ovary.
Jaime Conwell, 28, a Texas nurse, struggled with her weight for years, explaining that she couldn’t lose weight no matter how hard she tried, despite following a series of strict diets, including cutting calories and keto. like training twice a day.
To make matters worse, Jaimi began to gain even more weight rapidly two years ago, accompanied by a host of disturbing new symptoms, including nausea.
Worried, she decided to seek advice from doctors, who eventually uncovered the strange cause of her condition: a huge 20-pound ovarian tumor that completely engulfed her right ovary and grew steadily inside her body throughout Jaimi’s life.
Now Jaimi opens up about her shocking diagnosis, talking about the drastic physical transformation she underwent after having her tumor removed, allowing her to shed a staggering 103 pounds in a matter of months.
The 28-year-old nurse expressed horror after learning she had a 20-pound tumor filled with hair and teeth growing around her right ovary.
Jamie Conwell of Texas was diagnosed with teratoma in March 2021 and now opens up about her condition, revealing she lost 103 pounds after having the mass removed.
The nurse initially sought medical attention after trying to lose weight for years; an exploratory procedure revealed a 20-pound tumor that had grown around her right ovary.
Explaining her decision to seek medical help after years of losing weight, the nurse said she only did so when she started experiencing other symptoms, which she realized were probably a sign that something was wrong. .
“I would bend over to tie my shoelaces and get sick, which I thought was normal for big people,” she said. “I had a blood test done to make sure everything was normal and my white blood cells were abnormal.”
The doctors recommended that Jaimi undergo a diagnostic procedure that would allow them to better determine the source of her medical problems; she was given anesthesia prior to the operation and her mother was given control over any decisions that might need to be made.
It was during this procedure that the doctors discovered the tumor, which they decided to remove – along with Jaimi’s right ovary – due to concerns that the tumor could be cancerous.
“I was placed under anesthesia, but I was with my mother, whom I made a confidant so that she could make any decisions for me,” Jaimi recalls.
“The doctor came and told her that I had a large tumor in my abdomen that had swallowed my right ovary.
“He asked if they could remove it and my mom agreed, so I had the tumor removed along with my right ovary.
Jaimi has spent years trying to lose weight, but without success; despite trying several diets and workouts, she was never able to shed the pounds (left) and later found out it was due to a tumor. She has lost 103 pounds since she was removed (right)
In March 2021, Jaimi (pictured before surgery) began experiencing other symptoms, including nausea, prompting her to see a doctor.
Blood tests showed that Jaimi (newly seen) had an abnormal level of white blood cells, and doctors later learned that this was due to her tumor, which had been growing for years.
Jaimi had to have her right ovary removed along with the tumor, and she admits she was devastated at the thought that it might prevent her from having children.
“After I woke up, I took a walk with my mother and saw the anxiety on her face, so I knew that something was wrong.
What are ovarian teratomas and WHY do they contain teeth and hair?
Ovarian teratomas originate from germ cells that form human eggs and can create hair, teeth, and bones, among other structures.
They are thought to be present at birth, but are often only discovered later in life.
They are a rare form of germ cell tumor and are usually diagnosed in girls and young women under the age of 20.
They are either classified as immature because the cancer cells are at a very early stage of development, or mature (also known as a dermoid cyst) because the growth is benign.
Most immature ovarian teratomas are cured, even if they are diagnosed at an advanced stage.
“She told me about the tumor and that they were not sure if it was benign.
“I was in such shock that I can’t remember what I thought or felt at the time. At one point, however, I remember thinking, “Am I going to die? Did I live the life I wanted to?
Although she was stunned, Jaimi agreed with the decision to have her right ovary removed, as numerous tests showed how dangerous the tumor was.
Eventually, she was diagnosed with a teratoma, a slow-growing tumor that had been growing all her life.
Doctors believe that due to the size of the 20-pound tumor, it exceeded all the nutrients she was giving her body to grow.
“I was shocked because you have three children inside you,” Jaimi said. ‘[I was told] that he also grew teeth, which was an absolute shock.
“He also grew hair, and I think that was more disgusting to me than anything else.”
Although doctors were unable to confirm what caused the tumor to grow, Jaimi says they believe her mother may have conceived a twin when Jaimi became pregnant.
This fetus may have then developed into a growth that was found on Jaimi’s ovary.
“They said it could be due to a number of reasons, and since my mom, grandpa and aunts are twins, it’s possible that I had a twin in the womb,” Jaimi explained.
Although Jaimi felt relieved after having the tumor removed, she admitted that she was terrified that the removal of her ovary would interfere with her future attempts to conceive.
Ovarian teratomas like Jaimi’s teratoma (pictured) come from the germ cells that form human eggs and can create hair, teeth, and bones, among other structures.
Jaimi decided to upload her makeover to TikTok after her sister said she should share her weight loss journey.
‘At first I thought that [having my right ovary removed] meant I couldn’t have children and I was devastated. All I ever wanted was to have kids and have a big family,” she said.
“I was so depressed and cried all the time until I saw my OB/GYN who assured me that all my hormones and eggs would go to my left ovary.
“I shouldn’t have any problems getting pregnant, but not being able to have children is still hard on me at heart.”
Armed with the knowledge that the tumor was probably the reason she had so far failed to lose weight, she returned to her diet and exercise regimen, eating protein shakes, fish, chicken and salads.
She lost 103 pounds in a year and now weighs 147 pounds.
Jaimi decided to upload her makeover to TikTok after her sister said she should share her weight loss journey.
In the clip, which has racked up 1.8 million views and over 437,000 likes, she shows off her transformation.
She starts with a video of herself before losing weight when she lip-syncs, “If I get beautiful one day, it’s over for you bitches.”
As she cuts to the clip revealing her transformation, she lip-syncs, “I just want to announce that it’s over for you bitches.”
“You are so beautiful,” one viewer commented, followed by a love heart emoji.
Another person added: “You were beautiful before and beautiful now.”
“It’s really over for me,” someone else said.
One person wrote: “Why is my glow passing me by?”
“You look like Kylie Jenner to me,” another viewer said.
Someone else commented, “Noooooo, the comment section is down, your transformation is insane.” [sic]