Man told he was 'just fat' has 9 stone tumour removed

A man who was initially dismissed by doctors saying he was "just fat" has had a nine stone tumour removed from his stomach.

Roger Logan from Mississippi, USA had the non-cancerous 130lb growth removed in a California hospital in January.

The tumour started growing in Mr Logan's lower stomach over ten years ago and probably sprouted as a result of an ingrowing hair that became infected then developed its own blood supply, said surgeon Dr Vipul Dev.

The tumour grew to such a size that it reached the floor when Mr Logan sat down, making it impossible for him to walk.

The 57-year-old says he was told by doctors "it's just fat" and described the ordeal of living with the tumour like having a "strap around your neck and carry three bags of cement around with you all day long, just swinging".

Roger was forced to spend most of his time confined to a recliner in one room of his house.

By the time the tumour had been diagnosed it weighed 130-140lbs and doctors said it was too risky to have surgery, giving him only a 50 percent chance of surviving the operation.

It was Mr Logan's wife, Kitty who refused to give up on her husband and scoured the country for a specialist who would perform the operation.

"She just kept pushing", he told the Bakersfield Californian, "she wouldn't let me quit".

Kitty found the surgeon who had performed similar operations previously, she then started a fund raising page due to the "astronomical" costs involved with getting Roger to California.

Writing on the Go Fund Mepage Mrs Logan explained the size and weight of the tumour made getting into a vehicle impossible and unable to sit in a wheelchair.

He finally made the 2,000 mile journey to Bakersfield Memorial Hospital with his chair bolted to the floor of a cargo van.

On Thursday Mr Logan was able to walk practically for the first time in years.

Speaking from his hospital bed after the operation Roger said "my feet are together, they haven't been together for years".