Nothing Made Sense
When Matilda sat before the doctor, she felt as if she would faint. When he shared the horrifying news, she broke down in tears. It didn't make any sense at all. The doctor was also shocked.
You wouldn't think something like this could happen to a 91-year-old woman, would you? Despite her certainty that the doctor was wrong, her life was about to change dramatically.
A Few Pounds
Matilda didn't pay much attention to the first few symptoms. During the winter, she gained a few pounds around the waist.
Her family and friends didn't know about it. Honestly, she thought it wasn't a big deal. Although she had been eating clean for several weeks, the number on the scale was still going up.
Odd Illness
At Matilda's age, she had experienced odd illnesses and the occasional stomachache, but this was different. Her weight had never been an issue before. At the age of 91, how could this suddenly change?
Matilda decided it was time to see the doctor at that point. It was her hope and prayer that it would be a minor issue, but sadly, it wasn't to be.
Worst News
Matilda arrived at the doctor's office and waited for her name to be called. The waiting room's harsh light made her feel uneasy. She had grown accustomed to doctors giving her the worst news over the years.
She waited for the receptionist to call her name, but she felt sick to her stomach. When the tumor was discovered in her abdomen, she thought back to the day it was found. Her life was turned upside down on that day. She just knew something wasn't right as she sat there.
Turned Upside Down
The doctor wanted X-rays taken after she explained the situation to him. Also, I want to check that tumor you mentioned, just in case anything is wrong," said the doctor.
After undergoing X-rays, the old woman's entire world was turned upside down. Who could have predicted this? The scene seemed like something from a movie.
Failing To Understand
While the old woman sat before him, the doctor carefully examined the X-rays. As he gazed at the scene, he was confused. It was unlike anything he had ever seen before.
“Mrs. Did they tell you what this tumor was when they discovered it?” A sense of concern was evident in the doctor's voice as he asked. Not understanding why he was so concerned, she shook her head.
What Was He Thinking?
Her life had been impacted by it for decades. Assuming it was dangerous, she assumed she would have died long ago. The story was much more complicated than that. The doctor glanced over the results, but she couldn't tell what he was thinking.
“Mrs. Wilson, I'm sorry to say the results are worse than expected," he started. She felt her stomach twisting. The truth wasn't what she expected.
Madly In Love
Matilda Wilson, 91, lived all her life in a small town in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. For more than seven decades, she and her husband, Herman, lived in the same small house. There was no doubt that they were thrilled.
There was no separating Matilda and Herman. The couple remained madly in love for 76 years. The only thing that could separate them was one thing.
June 2016
Matilda prayed for a miracle when Herman was diagnosed with stage 3 lung cancer. Sadly, in June of 2016, the love of her life passed away in his sleep. Matilda couldn't go on without him.
Matilda had difficulty taking care of herself after his death. Her strength barely allowed her to prepare a meal. While she thought things couldn't get worse, she was mistaken.
Positive Attitude
In the last 76 years, Herman had been by her side every step of the way, but now he had passed away. An empty bed was the most painful thing to wake up to. Is there a way she could continue?
She tried her best to have a positive attitude most days, but it was difficult. She would see his face every time she closed her eyes. There were so many beautiful memories they shared that she couldn't stop thinking about them. She had one regret, however, that she would never share with anyone else.
Starting A Family
Just a year after Matilda and Herman tied the knot, they discovered that she was unable to get pregnant. They had always wanted a family together, but it seemed like it just wasn’t in the cards for them.
When Matilda first heard the heartbreaking news, she was devastated. She wanted answers, but no one knew why she couldn’t conceive. The day she finally learned the truth, everything changed.
She Failed
In her younger years, Matilda would often see families with young children, and every time she did, she thought about the fact that she had failed as a wife. “What kind of woman can’t make her husband a father?” She would ask herself.
But years later, she would learn the truth. She had a tumor in her body. It was benign, but it was still terrifying. But she had no idea what this tumor truly was.
Growing Old
As time passed, Matilda felt the effects of her husband’s death in more ways than just being lonely. She was struggling to pay the bills, and she knew that soon, she would face health concerns that came with growing so old.
In recent months, she had gained a lot of weight, which she couldn’t explain. But things were about to get a lot weirder.
A New Struggle
As time passed, Matilda tried to pay extra attention to what she was eating. She had never struggled with her weight before. She couldn’t understand what was happening to her body.
But the more she tried to lose the weight, the more she gained. It didn’t make any sense. She had never been a fan of doctor’s offices, but she knew that it was time to have the problem checked out.
Just In Case
After explaining the situation to her doctor, he wanted to have X-rays taken. “Also, I want to take a look at that tumor you mentioned, just in case something is wrong,” The doctor told Matilda.
Matilda went for X-rays, but the results would turn her entire world upside down. Who could’ve seen this coming? It seemed like something out of a movie.
Examining The Results
The doctor examined the X-rays carefully as the old woman sat before him. He was confused by what he saw. It was unlike anything he had ever seen in his life.
“Mrs. Wilson, back when they told you that you had this tumor, did they tell you what it was?” The doctor asked, concern evident in his voice. She shook her head, not really understanding why he seemed so concerned.
Still Kicking
“They didn’t do many tests on it. They just told me that it wasn’t dangerous,” She explained, shrugging her shoulders. “I guess they were right because it’s decades later, and I am still kicking,” Matilda joked.
But the doctor didn’t laugh. Instead, his face filled with dread. “You must excuse me for a second,” He said before leaving the room.
Concern
Matilda was confused as the younger man left his officer. Why on earth did he seem so concerned about this tumor? She’d had it for as long as she could remember. Surely, it couldn’t be that big of a deal, right?
She remained in his office for what felt like ages. Where had he gone with her X-ray results? She had no idea what truth awaited her.
A Puzzled Look
After carefully analyzing the results, the doctor returned to his office and sat opposite Matilda. He had a puzzled look on his face, and Matilda was desperate for some answers.
The anticipation was killing her. He looked like he had just seen a ghost. “Mrs. Wilson, I am afraid that the results are worse than expected,” He started. Her stomach twisted into a knot. She was not ready for the truth.
Not A Tumor
He cleared his throat and looked down at the results once again, “Mrs. Wilson, you never had a tumor in the first place,” He said.
Matilda was beyond confused as she stared at the doctor with a frown on her face. What did he mean? Of course, she had a tumor! She had seen it on the scans and everything? She demanded an explanation.
What Is It?
“But if it isn’t a tumor, what is it then?” She questioned, swallowing loudly. She didn’t know if the doctor was playing her for a fool. Something wasn’t adding up.
A thin layer of sweat had appeared across his forehead as he glanced at the results. What Matilda had inside of her was something much more alarming than a tumor. The doctor had never seen anything like this before.
Overwhelmed
Matilda was becoming overwhelmed and angry. The doctor was too shocked to speak, but who could blame him? He had never seen anything like this before.
Finally, the doctor gathered the courage to tell her the truth. Words spilled from his mouth, and everything around Matilda went silent. She had a thousand questions running through her mind as he told her the truth.
Stunned
Matilda felt like she was going to be sick as she sat in her seat, stunned by the results. She wished that it was all just a nightmare, but it wasn’t. This was her reality.
She placed a hand on her stomach and looked up at the doctor. Surely, he had lost his mind, right? But what had he told the old woman that left her so stunned?
The Truth
The truth was that 91-year-old Matilda was pregnant. She was overwhelmed with emotion the second the words left the doctor’s mouth. How could this be? What on earth was going on?
“The baby is actually the remains of a fetus,” He said in a regretful tone. Matilda was at a loss for words, but then the doctor told her how long she had been carrying the baby.
60 Years
Upon further examination, the doctor was able to conclude that Matilda had been carrying the baby for around 60 years.
The news broke Matilda’s heart. All her life, she had wanted to raise a family with her husband, but she couldn’t. All along, an unborn child was inside of her belly for more than half a century. But how was this possible?
Her Condition
“It’s a condition called ‘lithopedion’, and it only affects an extremely small percentage of women around the world,” The doctor informed her.
Doctors usually call the fetuses lithopedions or stone babies. They are the result of a fetus that starts to develop outside a pregnant woman’s womb. Sadly, this had happened to Matilda in a time when there was little to no research done about the condition.
No Idea
Matilda couldn’t believe her ears. She had no idea that something like this could happen. All her life, she had learned to accept that she couldn’t give her husband any children. It broke her heart, but she learned to deal with it.
As Matilda sat in the car ride home, she couldn’t believe what she had been told. She wished Herman was around. She needed someone to talk to.
A Box Of Letters
Once the old woman got home, she decided to do something she rarely ever did. She ventured into her bedroom cupboard and removed a box of letters from behind her rack of coats.
These were letters Herman had written her throughout their time together. She lay down on his side of the bed with the letters in her hands, reading through them one by one.
The Letters
Her heart felt like it had been torn to shreds. All she yearned for was to be close to her husband. She wanted to tell him about the baby and the strange condition, but she couldn’t.
Tears streamed down her cheeks as she read letter after letter. Herman had always had a way with words, and she missed him terribly. She read until her eyes drifted shut.
Her Dreams
That night, she dreamed of the man she had spent her entire life loving. She dreamed of what it would’ve been like if they had had children together. She always knew that he would’ve been a fantastic father.
It was going to take some time to adjust to the news she received that day, but Matilda had learned that time heals everything. She knew that she would be okay eventually.