Doctor turned away man for his uncomfortable ‘beer belly’—another doctor's intervention saved his life from a tumor
Sometimes, we ignore the signals our bodies send us and it results in repeated hospital visits for treatment. When something doesn’t feel right, it’s important to listen to those cues, as one man’s story clearly demonstrates. For Hector Hernandez, what started as a growing belly turned out to be something far more serious, as reported by People magazine. His story is a reminder that even the most seemingly ordinary changes in our bodies can signal something life-threatening.
Hernandez, a 47-year-old from Downey, California, initially believed his expanding stomach was just a result of being "a big guy." But as his stomach continued to grow while his limbs shrank, his health began to decline. Despite dealing with issues like heartburn, constipation, and difficulty breathing, Hernandez’s initial visits to the doctor didn’t raise any alarms. "I thought I was just fat," he said. However, when his stomach began to feel “hard,” he sought a second opinion, which led to a shocking diagnosis, a rare and malignant tumor called retroperitoneal liposarcoma.
The news left Hernandez both shocked and relieved. A sense of clarity came after dismissing the idea of simply having a “beer belly.” On July 10, 2018, he underwent a 10-hour surgery to remove the 77-pound tumor, one of the largest Dr. William Tseng, his surgeon, had ever encountered. Although one kidney sustained some damage, the procedure was largely successful, and Hernandez was spared from chemotherapy or radiation.
After the surgery, Hernandez fully healed and described the experience as life-changing. His friends started a GoFundMe to help with his medical expenses. “I was really lucky,” he said, grateful for the support from his family and community. Although he will need regular check-ups to monitor for recurrence, he’s optimistic about the future. However, not many individuals are as fortunate as Hernandez, who has had a successful surgery. According to a report by the National Library of Medicine, soft tissue sarcomas (STS) are a group of rare tumors that can develop in different ways. Each year in the U.S., there are an estimated 13,460 new cases and 5,350 deaths from STS. Liposarcoma makes up about 20% of all STS, with 36% of these tumors occurring in the retroperitoneum. Retroperitoneal liposarcoma (RLPS) has an average annual incidence of 2.7 cases per million people, and this rate has remained steady over time.
In another cancer-related story, a mom’s careful observation of a picture helped save her baby’s life. Bronte Richards noticed something unusual when taking a picture of her 8-month-old daughter, Raye Vowles, in the bath. While her son’s eyes reflected the typical red pupils, Raye’s right pupil appeared white. This prompted Richards to research online, leading her to suspect a tumor in the optic nerve. Despite initial dismissals from her doctor, Richards took Raye to an eye specialist, where three tumors were discovered in her right eye. Raye was diagnosed with Retinoblastoma, a rare eye cancer, and underwent chemotherapy. Thanks to her mother’s persistence, the cancer was caught early.