When 18-year-old Riley Benando went to see a doctor after experiencing severe bloating and pain in her pelvis, her gynecologist thought she was pregnant.
When the pregnancy test came back negative, the doctors performed a CAT scan along with blood tests on Benando to determine what was wrong with her as she was not sexually active. The series of tests revealed that the reason why Benando looked five months pregnant was because of the 4.3-by-5.1 inch mass on her ovary.
Benando of Paso Robles, California, was diagnosed with stage 3 ovarian cancer on September 23 and was scheduled to undergo the alarming surgery just three days later.
The former high school varsity cheer captain had a mass so large it affected both ovaries, causing the build up of extra fluid in her stomach and enlarged lymph nodes.
On Saturday, Benando, a freshman at Cuesta College, underwent a full hysterectomy. According to a post made by her family on Monday, doctors were able to save one of her ovaries and her uterus.
At this age, removal of these parts of her body is not only scary, but it’s heartbreaking. She has always dreamed of having her own children and raised a family. She loves kids but unfortunately she will never be able to have children of her own.
Riley's parents revealed on Facebook that the surgery was a success, and that their daughter was doing fine and was set to come home very soon.
Her parents were terrribly grateful that their daughter's surgeon was able to save one of her ovaries and uterus.
But the doctors were unsure what type of ovarian tumors she has, as her entire abdomen was covered with small tumors. Her future treatment will be determined following results of lab tests on the removed tumors.
Still, Riley's family said they feel blessed for the time being and they believed that this small miracle was due to her being so positive about her situation.
Riley has set up a GoFundMe page to raise money for her expensive medical bills.
