**A Pregnant Woman’s 37-Week Wait for a Life-Saving Cancer Surgery**
**By: NEELAM VYAS**
**May 5, 2023**
At 34 weeks pregnant, Weekes was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive cancer. She was forced to wait 37 weeks for life-saving surgery so as not to harm her unborn baby.
Weekes, now 32, was enjoying her pregnancy with her husband when she started experiencing severe pain in her abdomen. She went to the emergency room, thinking it was related to her pregnancy, but a CT scan revealed a large mass on her left ovary. A biopsy confirmed it was a rare and aggressive form of cancer called leiomyosarcoma.
Weekes was devastated by the diagnosis. She was only 34 weeks pregnant, and surgery to remove the tumor could put her baby at risk. Doctors told her the best course of action would be to wait until she was 37 weeks pregnant, when her baby would be more developed and able to survive outside the womb.
The 37-week wait was excruciating for Weekes. She was in constant pain and worried about her unborn baby. She also had to deal with the emotional toll of knowing she had cancer.
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