For 12 years, Thomas Kraut believed he was simply overweight. His belly continued to grow, and doctors diagnosed him with obesity, prescribing Ozempic-a popular weight loss drug. Recently, however, the 59-year-old discovered that he wasn't overweight; he had a 27-kilogram malignant tumour in his abdomen.
Kraut, from Norway, first began experiencing health issues in 2011 when his stomach started to swell. By 2012, he was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and obesity, according to the New York Post. As the undiagnosed tumour grew, Kraut attended weight loss and nutrition courses, unaware of cancer developing inside him.
Recently, as doctors prepared him for a gastric sleeve operation to address his "obesity," they noticed something unusual: a tumour. "My stomach kept getting bigger," Kraut shared. "I went from doctor to doctor, and in 2019, I was finally approved for a gastric sleeve. But the focus was always on obesity and diabetes. I was given Ozempic for diabetes, and I had to complete nutrition and fitness courses for years."
Despite losing weight, Kraut's stomach remained abnormally large while his face and arms became thin. "My stomach was huge, yet the doctor said I was actually malnourished," he noted. When a CT scan revealed the tumour, he described the discovery as "a real shock."
In September, Kraut underwent a 10-hour surgery to remove the massive tumour, though he still has cancerous tissue remaining. The delayed diagnosis severely damaged his small intestine, and his right kidney had to be removed.
"I go to therapy with a psychologist every two weeks. I see an oncologist twice a year because I still have tumour tissue that can't be removed due to its connection with multiple organs," Kraut said.
