'I looked seven months pregnant but it wasn't a baby growing inside me'

dailyrecord.co.uk:

A woman who developed a 30cm ovarian cyst which made her look "seven months pregnant" says strangers even offered her their seats on the bus.

Neelim Sharif, 33, began to suffer from bladder pain and noticed she was making frequent trips to the toilet so headed to the doctors to get checked out.Scans confirmed she had a small cyst on her right ovary - but she was reassured it would likely dissolve on its own.

But as months passed, her pain grew more severe and the special educational needs tutor noticed her stomach began to grow.Because of her size eight frame people quickly took note and began congratulating her on her pregnancy, believing she was expecting.

After a MRI scan in June, Neelim finally went under the knife last month as the cyst - which contained five litres of fluid - hit 30cm in diameter.The ovary and fallopian tube had also become twisted and both organs ended up needing to be removed alongside the giant cyst.