A mum has been left devastated after finding out 'bloating' was actually an 8kg cancerous tumour.
Stephanie Coles, 39, was diagnosed with leiomyosarcoma after noticing the lump - that turned out to be a tumour - on her abdomen when in bed with her fiance last December.
Stephanie, from Mansfield, initially thought the lump was due to bloating and waved off other symptoms like diarrhoea and back pain as results of weight lifting and protein shakes.
But her fiance Philip Grey, 43, encouraged her to visit the doctors after noticing the size of the lump, where Stephanie found out she would need surgery to remove the 8kg tumour.
Stephanie, a prison officer, said: "After my fiance noticed the lump, I called the doctors the next day and they initially thought it was an enlarged spleen, so I was sent for an emergency ultrasound where I found out it was cancer.
"The only option is complex surgery, I've had my pre-op and am having surgery on March 2 to remove the tumour.
"At first, I noticed I'd put on weight and couldn't understand why my stomach looked so big.
"It's almost like being pregnant because I'm having to carry an extra 8kg on my stomach and even leaning forwards is difficult.
"I'm a very fit, active person and own a private gym so the weight gain made no sense to me."
The mum-of-two is fundraising with her daughters to raise awareness for the rare cancer and has had to take time off from work following her diagnosis.
Stephanie added: "We're trying to raise awareness because no one has heard of this type of cancer.
"If all goes well, I'll be in the hospital for a week following the surgery and then will have seven months of recovery.
"Luckily, the cancer hasn't spread so the prognosis is good as surgery should completely remove the tumour."
Leiomyosarcoma is a rare type of cancer that grows in the smooth muscles that line organs like the stomach, bladder, and intestines.
The cancer can be cured when detected and treated early on.
Stephanie said: "When I received the diagnosis, all I heard was cancer and tumour and I had never heard of this type of cancer before as many other people hadn't.
"The lump is rock hard and that kind of weight is really noticeable.
"Once I've recovered, I'm hoping to set up my own charity specifically for this type of cancer and am currently holding fundraising events for Sarcoma UK.
"We've raised just over £3,000 so far but are hoping to continue fundraising.
"There's no known cause as to why I have this cancer but after the surgery, I'll be under review monthly to make sure it doesn't come back."
