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Vicki Perez, a bikini model, went from 130 pounds to 172 pounds in a year due to an undiagnosed brain tumor. Perez, who’s from Florida, shared that her newly discovered condition transformed her whole body from a svelte figure into a more rounded one, the Daily Mail reports.
Perez’ self-esteem tanked as her face became bloated and her feet engorged that forced her to wear men’s shoes. Although she kept on working out almost every day, she continued to gain weight. This unnatural occurrence prompted her to go to the doctor.
Perez discovered that she has Cushing’s syndrome, which is caused by high cortisol levels and symptoms include swelling of different parts of the body. Doctors eventually found out that Perez has a tumor on the pituitary gland in her brain.
Perez said, “The gym and fitness has always been my passion. I train every day. So, I was shocked when I noticed my face was getting puffy and my hands and feet were swelling like water retention.”
She continued, “They were so swollen I had to wear men's shoes and my clothes didn't fit. I felt bloated all the time and I didn't want to leave the house.”
Perez went through multiple tests with each doctor telling her that there wasn’t anything worth worrying about. When she decided to visit a specialist at the University of Alabama, she was surprised to find out that she has been carrying a brain tumor for almost a year.
Perez said, “I’m not sure how long I had the tumor. I thought I was going to die.”
She immediately went through a surgery and saw the differences on her appearance almost right after. She said, “Two days after the first surgery and my feet were normal.”
Perez continued, “I was excited, I felt great, I felt amazing but a month later I was back in hospital for the second surgery. The recovery was hard, it hurt to move. I had to learn to walk again and how to run again. I was angry and I was crying all the time. It messes with your hormones and makes you think you are crazy.”
Although she still taking the path to full recovery, Perez has lost more than 20 pounds.
Perez said, “It's a slow process. I am not 100 per cent back to normal and any emotional stress can be dangerous for me and cause me to go into shock. But I am starting to see improvements and I'm just focusing on my son and school.”
She continued, “My son really struggled with seeing me so sick but now I am able to spend time with him, he is so much better and not acting out at school. He's the most important thing, I couldn't have got through this without him.”
