The Basketball-sized Cyst that Caused a Trick Pregnancy in a Texas Woman

38 year old Sherilyn Hurdle walked into a physician's office thinking that she was pregnant. To her surprise, she found out that her pregnancy was "fake". Instead of a baby, she was to undergo a surgery for the removal of a basketball-sized ovarian cyst.

“It has made me look like I am nine months pregnant, but I am not,” she said.

The cyst had grown since October, from the size of a golf ball. This was why doctors recommended a surgical process for the removal of the giant cyst.

Giant cysts pose numerous dangers to affected women. They may permanently render a woman virile or unable to carry pregnancy to full term. Also, the pain experienced by the victim is excruciating. 

For Hurdle, money is what stood in her way. To save her life, she required immediate surgery. However, reports emerged that Hurdle did not qualify for medical insurance, and for Medicad – as she could not work because of the pain.

Although she earned about $11,000 last year, this was not enough to qualify her for the needed medical cover.

According to Texas Health and Human Services Commission, the limit for an adult with neither disabilities nor children is $163 in a month for a family of two. The $163 allowed by the authorities was not sufficient to fund a surgical removal of the cyst.

Hurdle was not the only one to experience this type of cyst. In 2010, it was reported that Susie Stringer had the exact same size of cyst. She appealed for help, and her surgery was paid for.

On Facebook, Mindy Rowland said she had a 25 pound cystic growth close to a year ago. This is a remarkably similar situation to Hurdle.

The video below explains the surgical process of removing cysts, and a live example is given for the case of sebaceous cyst removal. The processes involved is similar to all types of cystic growths.