As advanced as our medical understanding may be in the modern age, there is still a huge margin for human error when it comes to treating certain conditions. Some illnesses just aren't as easy to spot without the correct equipment, and other times - unfortunately - a doctor's opinion may cloud their judgement when it comes to handing over a diagnosis.
Take the case of 30-year-old Kayla Rahn, who was snubbed by medical professionals for being overweight - when really she had developed a 50lb cyst on her ovaries.
Rahn, from Montgomery, Alabama, began experiencing health problems a number of months ago. She was experiencing pain in her abdomen, and frequently found that she was short of breath after doing very little activity. "I couldn't even walk to my car without losing my breath," she said.
The most obvious symptom of her condition, however, was the weight gain.
"I had been trying to lose weight for about a year, but I was gaining weight," Rahn explained. "I legit looked like I was a solid 9 months pregnant. We went to dinner and someone asked me if I was having twins. It was frustrating and rough."
Still, doctors insisted that all her problems would be solved if she just adopted a better diet and exercise routine.
That all changed in May this year, however, when Rahn's pain got so bad that her mother had to rush her to hospital. Once there, she underwent several medical tests - and only then was it revealed that she had a 50lb mass on her ovaries.
Pictures of the cyst are below, but please be warned - they are not for the squeamish.
"The technical diagnosis; it was a mucinous cystadenoma. It is a benign condition," said Dr. Gregory Jones, an OB-GYN at Jackson Hospital.
While not uncommon, cysts of this type very rarely grow to be so large - perhaps partly because they are often caught before they have the chance to. "I've seen the condition [before] but I've never seen one this large," Dr. Jones told BuzzFeed. "It was the largest that I've ever seen or operated on."
What's more, though it was benign, the cyst could have caused some severe health problems for Rahn if it had been ignored any longer. "Anytime a person develops a large mass they can develop something called abdominal compartment syndrome," Dr. Jones explained.
Basically, because the cyst was taking up so much space in Rahn's body, it obstructed urine flow, blood flow, and restricted her breathing by putting pressure on her diaphragm. This caused painful swelling and - had it been left any longer - could have caused massive damage to her kidneys.
Since the operation, Rahn has managed to get back to her old self.
"As soon as I got home and was able to move a little, I tried on every shirt I had on and it was awesome,” Rahn said in a statement.
She hopes that her story will act as a lesson to others - both to doctors, who need to listen to their patients if they suspect something is wrong, and also to anyone who suspects they may have a serious health condition, but has been ignoring it for whatever reason.
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