Woman’s weight gain was actually a 17-pound cancerous tumor removed at Texas hospital

Amanda Shoultz says listening to her gut saved her life.

Now, she’s telling others to do the same.

This advice comes as the 29-year-old woman from Dallas recovers from a surgery where a 17-pound tumor was removed from her abdomen. In a video Shoultz posted to Facebook on Monday, she shared she was diagnosed with liposarcoma.

“A liposarcoma is a rare type of cancer that develops in your fatty tissue,” John Hopkins Medicine says. “This type of tumor can grow anywhere in your body. ... A liposarcoma is a malignant tumor. This means your cancer can spread to other areas, including vital organs. You must get treatment.”

Shoultz might not have received her life-saving treatment if she didn’t listen to her gut.

In January, Shoultz noticed she was gaining weight in her stomach and always felt bloated, according to WFAA.

“I started exercising more and dieting more,” she said, according to the Texas TV station. “I gave up lactose, I gave up gluten, and I even gave up meat for a while. But I was somehow getting bigger despite working out and eating better.”

She went to a physician for blood work, WFAA says, but doctors didn’t find anything wrong. Unconvinced, Shoultz recently went to a gastroenterologist where she had a CT scan done. There, she learned she had a cancerous tumor inside of her.

Shoultz first only shared her diagnosis with close family and friends “to stay strong and focused,” but following her surgery, she opened up with all her Facebook friends in a public post. There, she included a compilation of videos recorded throughout her fight with cancer.

“So today is September 23, 2021, and today was the day that I found out that I have cancer,” she said through tears. “It’s liposarcoma and they think it’s low-grade, which is great. And I have surgery on Monday. I had a CT scan on Tuesday that confirmed I have a 33-centimeter tumor, which is about 13 inches long in my abdomen.”

Warning: Part of her story includes a graphic video of surgery.

Her video story included many moments, including the weekend-before-surgery celebration complete with a toast among friends.

The night before her surgery to beat cancer, Shoultz recorded an emotional video.

“And I am not excited,” she said. “I am freaking out. The whole waiting and picturing it ... freaking out is easily the worst part.”

On surgery day, in her mask, hospital gown and cap, Shoultz was anxious to be sedated.

“Here we are,” she said. “No more cancer.”

Her video journey included the moment doctors and staff removed the 17-pound tumor from her body during a two-hour surgery.

Her first night after surgery was “rough,” requiring lots of pain medication. But the next day, she said surgery went great. Doctors removed the entire tumor, though they did have to take out her right kidney and one of her adrenal glands. She was relieved her colon and ovaries did not need removed, and doctors only had to make one incision.

And, about a week after surgery, Shoultz got the news she was ready to leave T. Boone Pickens Cancer Hospital and go home.

“I am now home and on the road to recovery, and am happy to share with all of you that I am okay,” she wrote on Monday. “Life throws us curveballs - and this one hit me straight in the face. There’s a reason sports involve a team of people working closely together. I couldn’t have done this without my family, friends, and a team of badass medical professionals who fought for me and with me.”

Doctors are unsure what causes liposarcoma, according to Mayo Clinic, though it forms when “a fat cell develops errors (mutations) in its genetic code.” It is more common in older adults, though anyone can develop the rare cancer.

If you notice a growing lump, pain, swelling or other symptoms, Mayo Clinic advises making an appointment with your doctor.