At first, the young woman thought she only had a urinary tract infection, but what she thought was a common diagnosis turned out to be a rare cancer. Katie Arding (29) had experienced urinary problems for months, which she attributed to an infection. However, doctors discovered a 10 cm mass in the pelvic area, he writes.
Katie left to travel in South East Asia with her boyfriend Rhys, 31, in September 2022 when she suddenly found herself unable to urinate. “I had to really focus and relax to pee. If I sat down too quickly, I felt pressure – like something inside was swollen.” she explained.
The couple were on a trip in Noosa, Australia in February 2023 when Katie had to be rushed to hospital in pain, where more than 2 liters of urine was drained from her bladder. “My bladder was so enlarged I looked pregnant,” zoomed in, with doctors informing her that if she waited any longer, her kidneys would fail.
After undergoing a series of tests, including an MRI, X-ray and ultrasound, doctors discovered the mass in her pelvis. A biopsy confirmed an aggressive case of high-grade pleomorphic spindle cell sarcoma (a rare tissue cancer). “I kind of collapsed. I was completely turned off. It was such a shock“ she described.
After the devastating news of Katie she underwent six rounds of chemotherapy which allowed her to undergo a 12-hour operation to remove the tumor, rectum, uterus, cervix, fallopian tubes and one ovary. During the difficult procedure, the surgeons had to reconstruct her vaginal wall with part of the skin of her butt. “It’s just a scar on the bum. As long as I’m alive, that’s all that matters. The operation was a blessing – I wouldn’t be here without it,” she said.
Two months later, Katie’s bowels became blocked and she underwent another emergency operation, after which she was fitted with an ostomy bag and could not sit down for six weeks. Despite her troubles, however, she tries to maintain a positive perspective and is proud of how she coped with everything.
“There is a high probability that it will come back. I took it all in stride. I feel happy that I managed it. I am proud of my story,” she admitted. Katie now has check-ups every three months and has to be catheterized daily because her bladder is disconnected from her kidney.
