Megan Johnson, a 28-year-old fitness trainer from Chattanooga, Tennessee, went nearly seven years without seeing a primary care doctor or gynecologist—despite experiencing unusual and growing symptoms. Her avoidance stemmed from a combination of lacking health insurance, a fear of medical bills, and negative experiences with healthcare providers in the past.
Instead, Johnson relied on online research and self-diagnosis. Based on her symptoms—including abdominal widening and changes to her belly button—she believed she had diastasis recti, a condition in which the abdominal muscles separate. Confident in her assessment, she avoided professional medical care and attempted to manage the condition herself.
That changed in April 2025, when Johnson shared her story on TikTok. Her followers responded with overwhelming concern, urging her to seek medical attention. “My stomach was getting bigger and just wider,” Johnson told PEOPLE in an exclusive interview. She had first noticed minor symptoms back in 2021, after experiencing what she believed was a ruptured cyst. Over the next two years, her symptoms worsened—severe bloating, painful periods, unexplained weight gain, and a shifting belly button.
She remained convinced diastasis recti and other manageable factors like visceral fat or hormonal imbalance were to blame. Without insurance and discouraged by previous medical encounters, Johnson chose to avoid doctors entirely. “I just felt like it was a waste of money, and so I just stopped going,” she explained.
Despite eating healthy and continuing her fitness training, she gained over 10 pounds in less than a year. Her abdomen grew drastically in size, shaking her confidence as a personal trainer. “Feeling like I’m not able to help myself makes me feel unqualified to help other people,” she admitted.
TikTok ultimately became her turning point. Her followers—particularly women—flooded her comment sections with messages of concern and stories of similar experiences. Many even speculated she might be pregnant. The overwhelming response gave her the courage to reconsider her assumptions. “This army of women came to my rescue,” she said. “They gave me the confidence to say, ‘Okay, this might be a bigger issue than I thought.’”
On May 1st, Johnson documented her trip to the emergency room. “This is not anybody’s fault but my own,” she confessed in a video. “My own pride got in the way of me getting help.”
After undergoing tests and scans, doctors confirmed that she did, in fact, have diastasis recti. But there was more: Johnson had a massive ovarian cyst—measuring up to 48 centimeters—extending from her upper abdomen to her pelvic area. In a follow-up video, she read aloud the diagnosis: “a massive cystic mass extending from the left upper quadrant to the floor of the pelvis.”
Her followers, while supportive, questioned why she waited so long. Johnson likened the situation to a toxic relationship, where gradual changes make it difficult to realize how bad things have become. “Things didn’t fall apart overnight,” she said. “It was through small changes that added up.”
One comment resonated with her deeply. “It felt like I had a bunch of big sisters getting on to me in a loving way—calling me in, not calling me out,” she recalled.
Encouraged by this support, Johnson visited a gynecologic oncologist. The specialist determined that surgical removal was the best option. Instead of feeling scared, Johnson felt a sense of relief. “I have some satisfaction,” she said. “There’s a solution, and one day I won’t have to struggle with this.”
Throughout her ordeal, Johnson kept a positive attitude online. She even named the cyst “Cysterella” and made lighthearted “sex reveal” cupcakes about the mass. Her sense of humor and resilience were rooted in her faith. “I really feel like, no matter how it turns out, it’s going to serve a bigger purpose than just me,” she said.
On May 22, she underwent surgery. Doctors removed the cyst and drained 27 pounds of fluid from her abdomen. During the procedure, they also had to remove an ovary and a fallopian tube—a known possibility discussed before surgery. Her physicians remain hopeful that her diastasis recti will heal now that the cyst has been addressed.
Johnson’s story has inspired many. Since sharing her journey, she’s received countless messages from people who have scheduled long-overdue checkups because of her. “Don’t suffer in silence,” she urged. “Don’t hide your shame or embarrassment about your body. Most people are doing the best they can.”
Now committed to her health, Johnson says she plans to stay on top of her annual checkups. “If I had to go back and go through everything that I did for the same result, I absolutely would,” she said in a TikTok video. “And now that I know better, I’m gonna do better.”
