About 17 years ago, I was sitting on the sofa watching tv when I started having cramps. After a couple of days, I went to the doctor and was told I had a large adominal mass growing inside of me. Obviously I thought the worst, especially since my mother has just died the previous year from cancer.

As it turned out, I had a benign ovarian cyst that was 24.5 lbs. Now as remarkable as that may seem, the shocking part was I was so overweight that I did not know it was there! It had been growing for years with no symptoms.

But the good thing is that I really began to take of myself and my health, which I had not done previously. I joined a gym and lost 115lbs, quit smoking, changed the way I eat, etc. And I have keep the weight off all of these years, mostly out of fear! (except 15lbs that I gain and lose at least once every year!)

So even though it started out as the most terrifying moment of my life, it turned out not to be a totally bad thing.