Bride Has Dream Wedding After Lifesaving Surgery to Remove 40-Lb. Tumor: 'I Feel Like a New Person'
Los Angeles' Cedars-Sinai Medical Center confirmed the news in a release obtained by PEOPLE, revealing that doctors successfully removed the mass during a 14-hour operation
'I feel really good. I feel like a new person. I see the world differently,' newlywed Pulido said of life post-surgeryA bride had the wedding of her dreams after undergoing lifesaving surgery to remove a 40-lb. tumor.
Ariana Pulido was just 22 years old when she was diagnosed with a rare condition known as growing teratoma syndrome — which occurs when tumor tissue continues to grow rapidly and uncontrollably, pressing on vital organs like the heart and lungs — per a news release obtained by PEOPLE from Los Angeles' Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.
After having a tumor roughly the size of a small basketball on her right ovary removed before the diagnosis, doctors then removed a smaller one on her left ovary three months later, the hospital said.
Medics then spotted a third tumor — the largest one yet at about 14 centimeters — located near Pulido's liver. But efforts to shrink it failed, the hospital said, explaining that "the mass kept growing at an alarming rate."
"The tumor had progressed so much in size that it was pressing up against her right lung, shifting her heart to the far-left side, essentially under Pulido's armpit," the hospital confirmed, adding that by May 2024, the it had reached 27 centimeters and weighed more than 40 lbs., resulting in Pulido being wheelchair-bound and dependent on oxygen.
Chemotherapy failed, and Pulido's original care team eventually halted the procedure altogether after "multiple surgery delays and six failed attempts to put Pulido under anesthesia" in a bid to surgically remove the tumor.
Pulido then sought help from Cristina Ferrone, MD — chair of the Jim and Eleanor Randall Department of Surgery at Cedars-Sinai — who assembled an experienced team, who managed to remove the tumor after a 14-hour, complicated operation.
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Within a week after the complex surgery, Pulido's "lungs were able to fully expand, and her heart was back in its rightful place," the hospital confirmed, revealing that she "was able to breathe on her own for the first time in six months."
During the halftime show on Super Bowl Sunday in 2024, Pulido's longtime boyfriend, Jeffrey Chavez, popped the question in a surprise proposal.
'He was always there every day with me, whether it was before work, after work, he was there and visiting me all the time at my mom's house,' Pulido said of her other half.
The pair tied the knot on June 21, a little over a year after Pulido's surgery, saying their "I dos" in front of her close family and friends. 'I feel really good. I feel like a new person. I see the world differently,' the newlywed said of life post-surgery, per the release.
'Every day is a positive day,' Pulido insisted.
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Left untreated, squamous cell carcinoma can grow larger. In rare cases, these lesions can spread to lymph nodes and other organs. Melanoma While melanoma isn't the most common type of skin cancer, it's the most serious. This type of skin cancer can be found anywhere on your body, even in your eye. In People of Color, it often occurs in areas that get little sun exposure, usually on the palms of the hands, soles of the feet, and nails. For individuals who have light or fair skin, it can be often found on the trunk or lower legs. Use the 'ABCDE' method to help determine if a mole or freckle may be melanoma. You'll want to see your doctor if any of these symptoms apply. A: asymmetrical If you drew a line down the middle of a healthy mole, both sides would look very similar. Cancerous moles are asymmetrical. This means that one half of a cancerous mole looks very different from the other. B: border The edges of a healthy freckle or mole should look smooth and fairly even. Ragged, raised, or notched borders can be a sign of cancer. C: change in color A healthy freckle or mole should be a uniform color. Color variation may be caused by cancer. Keep an eye out for different shades of: tan brown black red white blue D: diameter A mole or freckle that's larger than 6 millimeters (about the diameter of a pencil eraser) may be a sign of skin cancer. E: evolving Take note of any new moles or freckles. You should also look for changes in the color or size of your existing moles. Treating skin cancer Most types of skin cancer that are diagnosed in the early stages are treated by removing the lesion. This can be done in several ways: Cryosurgery. Liquid nitrogen is applied to your growth to freeze it. The growth then falls off or shrinks without any incisions. This method is often used to treat actinic keratosis. Curettage and electrodesiccation. Your growth is scraped off with an instrument known as a curette. 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If you're sweating a lot or swimming, reapply your sunscreen every 2 hours. Avoid the sun between peak sun hours, which are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. If you must be outside, wear sunglasses, hats, and light clothing that will cover your skin. Do a self-examination of your skin at least once a month.
