A California woman, 56, reveals how a tumor the size of a watermelon on her stomach kept her from having sex with her boyfriend for years… and she broke up with him as soon as it was removed!

A woman whose watermelon-sized tumor stopped her from being intimate with her boyfriend has been ‘given the gift of new life’ after the mass was removed.

Jennifer, 56, from Coarsegold, California, first noticed a spot on the right side of her stomach in 2014, which “exploded in size” in 2019.

By the time she saw a doctor that year, the mass had increased to almost 5 pounds, after which she was unable to work on the farm and felt too self-conscious to have sex with her boyfriend Bill.

But when she finally had the growth removed, she said, “My self-confidence is through the roof. I feel really good.’

And a few weeks after her surgery, Jennifer broke up with Bill.

She said: ‘Before I had the tumor, being intimate wasn’t really on my radar. I haven’t thought about it much.

‘And now that I no longer have the tumor, it is very liberating.’

Jennifer said on this week’s episode of TLC’s Take my tumor that she had never received a proper diagnosis of her tumor and when she visited a doctor in 2019, the doctor was shocked – and didn’t know who to refer Jennifer to.

Jennifer said: ‘(In 2019) that’s when things got a little scary for me.’

Determined to take her life back, however, the ranch owner discovered surgical oncologist Dr. Kimberly Dalal, who was able to remove the tumor.

Jennifer said, “Things like this affect you in a different way than you could ever imagine psychologically.”

The 2.5 kilo tumor took a serious toll on her life. She could no longer walk her favorite hiking trails with her dog and boyfriend, help out on the farm they owned, bend over or lift heavy objects.

It was even difficult to walk for long periods of time.

Additionally, Jennifer said the tumor had a “major” impact on their intimacy as it undermined her self-confidence and made her feel very self-conscious around her partner.

The tumor made her feel unattractive, and as the mass grew, so did the distance between the couple.

She hoped that removing the Mass would restore her self-confidence.

Before her surgery, Jennifer traveled to San Francisco to meet with Dr. Dalal, medical director of surgical oncology at Sutter Health Mills Peninsula Hospital.

After examining Jennifer, Dr. Dalal became very concerned about the veins running through the mass and told Jennifer that the tumor could be a rare form of cancer. She said it should be removed as soon as possible and sent for examination.

Jennifer said: ‘Once it stares you in the face, the possibility of it being cancer, it’s just emotional. The fact that she investigated me, that I was spoken to and that I finally got it done, it’s quite overwhelming, I think.’

On the day of surgery, Dr. Dalal told Jennifer that her goal was to remove the entire tumor, and even cut away some healthy tissue around the tumor to ensure that every piece was eliminated and that the tumor would not grow back, for fear it was a rare form of cancer. .

But cutting deeper into Jennifer’s muscle meant a more painful recovery.

Although the procedure was largely uncomplicated, the major veins and blood vessels in the tumor bled more than the surgeon expected.

Dr. Dalal said the tumor was so large that it had developed its own blood supply. And every time the surgical team hit a vein, blood spurted violently to the operating room floor.

Dr. Dalal said she had more bleeding than expected, but was able to remove the entire mass.

A week later, the doctor called Jennifer with the pathology report. Her tumor was malignant.

The results showed that the mass was a solitary fibrous tumor, a rare soft tissue growth. The growths can develop anywhere on the body, but are most common in the lining around the lungs.

In Jennifer’s case, the tumor was classified as a soft tissue sarcoma, a form of cancer that develops in muscles, tendons, fat, lymph nodes and blood vessels.

It is a rare form of cancer that accounts for less than one percent of all cancer cases in the US. Research has shown that the incidence is between two and five cases per 100,000 people.

In 2024, the American Cancer Society estimates 13,600 new cases of soft tissue sarcoma, with 5,200 deaths.

Despite the diagnosis, because the entire tumor had been removed, Dr. Dalal that Jennifer is considered cured – although she has repeatedly sent Jennifer for body scans to see if the cancer has spread.

Three months later, Jennifer was pleased to report that additional scans showed she was cancer-free.

She said: ‘The quality of my life has improved dramatically since the tumor was removed.

‘I feel so different now. I feel lighter.

‘My self-confidence has gone through the roof. I feel very good.’

With the tumor gone, Jennifer started walking and going out with friends again.

She said: ‘It feels great to be able to get out into nature. I have so much energy. It feels incredible… I feel like I have been given a gift of renewed life.”

Jennifer added that she broke up with her boyfriend, but they remain good friends.

She said: ‘Before I had the tumor, being intimate wasn’t really on my radar. I haven’t thought about it much.

‘And now that I no longer have the tumor, it is very liberating.’

Take my tumor airs Wednesdays at 10/9c on TLC.