I thought my bloating was IBS...but it was actually a giant tumour the size of a newborn baby

I thought my bloating was IBS...

but it was actually a giant tumour the size of a newborn baby READ MORE: NHS doctor, 29, tells of 'double life' as top DJ and hospital medic By Rebecca Whittaker For Mailonline Published: 10:32 BST, 9 August 2024 | Updated: 10:32 BST, 9 August 2024 e-mail View comments A woman who collapsed moments after finishing a triathlon, initially thought the bulge in her belly was simply down to her age — but it was a tumour larger than a newborn. Samantha Boswell, from Bromsgrove near Birmingham , was near the peak of her athletic career, having already become an award-winning triathlete, before her world turned upside down. During a gruelling Ironman UK challenge, the 53-year-old sports masseuse felt a sharp and sudden pain in her abdomen, with this quickly becoming 'excruciating' — and she collapsed after passing the finish line.

Following the event, she noticed a bulge in her belly, which after various scans, was confirmed to be retroperitoneal sarcoma — a cancerous tumour weighing a whopping 11 lbs — larger than the average newborn. After her diagnosis in August 2022, emergency surgery was carried out to remove the tumour entirely. Samantha Boswell, 53, from Bromsgrove near Birmingham , was near the peak of her athletic career, having already become an award-winning triathlete, before her world turned upside down 'Initially, I was numb and in disbelief,' she said.

'I feared for my life and I honestly thought my sporting days were over if I d.