A mother who was told a giant growth in her womb was benign is now fighting for her life after doctors discovered it is in fact an aggressive cancer.
Rachael Thomas' 5lb growth weighed almost as much as a newborn and left her looking six months pregnant.
She thought surgery in November to remove what was believed to be a non-life threatening fibroid tumour would be the end of her health worries.
The 45-year-old had lost two stone within a month but claims doctors reassured her there was little to worry about.
But after the operation, the growth was found to be cancerous, and last week, Mrs Thomas was given the devastating news it had spread.
Doctors say the tumour's location at the base of her spine means further surgery could leave her paralysed.
Mrs Thomas and her husband, Michael, also 45, from Newport, Wales, are angry at doctors for leaving the situation so late.
Rachael Thomas, 45, who was told a giant grwoth in her womb was benign is now fighting for her life after doctors discovered it is in fact an aggressive cancer. Pictured last year
Mrs Thomas, a mother-of-three, lost two stone in a month when her health took a turn for the worst. She had been on the waiting list to have a fibroid in her womb removed. Pictured in hospital after the removal of the growth which weighed 5lb
Mrs Thomas and her husband, Michael, 45, are angry that doctors didn't give Mrs Thomas' fibroid - which is normally non-cancerous - more attention
Mrs Thomas was on a waiting list last year to have her fibroid tumour removed.
According to the NHS website, fibroids are non-cancerous growths made up of muscle and tissue that develop in or around the womb.
They can grow to the size of a melon, but can be as small as a pea.
The mother-of-three explained: 'I had various gynaecological issues so I was already waiting for this routine op.'
But then her health took a turn for the worst.
She said: 'After we got back from our summer holiday in France, I began bleeding so heavily that I couldn't even make it into work. I became a virtual prisoner in my own home.
'I had zero appetite and my weight plunged from eight and a half to six and a half stone. Friends and family were shocked when they saw my frail appearance.'
Mr Thomas grew increasingly concerned for Mrs Thomas' health and repeatedly took his wife to see her GP.
Around one in three women develop fibroids — benign growths in or around the womb - most often between the ages of 30 and 50.
They are thought to develop more frequently in women of African- Caribbean origin.
It's also thought they occur more often in overweight or obese women because being overweight increases the level of oestrogen in the body.
Only very rare that fibroid develops into cancer but there is 0.2 per cent risk of malignant transformation (i.e. becoming cancerous).
TELL-TALE SIGNS
Heavy or painful periods. In some cases it can lead to anaemia — iron deficiency — causing tiredness, lethargy and shortness of breath.
Abdominal pain. Bloating, discomfort in the stomach, and pain in the lower back and legs.
Frequent urination and constipation, caused by fibroids pressing on internal organs.
Pain or discomfort during sex
britishfibroidtrust.org.uk
He said: 'In the space of two months, my beautiful wife lost two stone. Everybody around her could see that there was something seriously wrong.'
Mrs Thomas' GP monitored her condition, but she said she was always reassured there was nothing to worry about.
'Fibroids are non-life threatening. It meant I was left on the waiting list and wasn't seen as a priority,' she said.
Many women
