Megan Johnson had not visited a primary care doctor or gynecologist in about seven years, except for an optometrist appointment.

The personal trainer resisted seeking professional treatment because he did not have health insurance, was afraid of medical expenditures, and had a history of poor encounters with doctors.

The 28-year-old from Chattanooga, Tenn., believed she had discovered the root cause of her symptoms: diastasis recti, based on her intuition and internet study.

Everything changed once she published her tale on TikTok, where fans expressed concern and encouraged her to seek true solutions. What she learned after eventually taking herself to the emergency hospital left her surprised yet relieved.

“My stomach was just getting bigger and wider,” Johnson tells PEOPLE exclusively. She initially noticed modest alterations in 2021 after developing a cyst, which eventually ruptured.

Two years later, she began to experience extreme bloating, painful periods, and weight gain around her stomach. She became aware that something was amiss when her belly button transitioned from an innie to an outie, and the center of her abdomen appeared to separate.

Curious to learn more about her symptoms, she explored the internet and discovered diastasis recti, a disorder in which the rectus abdominis muscles split, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

@megan_the_trainer_ Replying to @🧠 ♬ original sound – Megan The Trainer

After learning how to test at home with a two-finger approach, Johnson was confident that diastasis recti was to blame for her problems. She became resolved to deal with the disease as best she could on her own.

She avoided visiting both gynecologists and general practitioners due to previous encounters in which she felt disregarded. After losing health insurance via her parents and then at her employment, she decided not to renew her coverage. “I just felt like it was a waste of money, and so I just stopped going,” Johnson tells me.

Over time, she began to suspect that diastasis recti, along with visceral fat accumulation and hormone imbalance, were producing alterations in her body. Johnson had gained over ten pounds in less than a year and couldn’t fit into her previous clothing anymore.

However, during a five- to six-month period, she saw significant development around her belly, making her unrecognizable and burdened with self-doubt, particularly in her work as a physical trainer.

Johnson ate well and worked out, but despite doing everything “right,” nothing appeared to work. The gap made her feel like a “fraud.”

“Feeling like I’m not being able to help myself makes me feel unqualified to help other people,” Johnson tells me. “It was definitely something that knocked my confidence a lot.”

In April 2025, she turned to TikTok to share her troubles in the hopes of gaining some outside feedback.

Almost immediately, internet strangers swamped Johnson’s video with comments, some even doubting her pregnancy. The remarks served as a much-needed wake-up call, and she recognized that diastasis recti may not be the only cause of her health issues.

“That was crazy. This army of ladies came to my rescue, saying, “This is exactly what I experienced.” “You look like me when I had that,” she recalls.

“So, after I had confirmation from others, it gave me the courage to say, Yeah, you know what? This could be a bigger problem than I imagined. I’m going to get it looked at.

As her fans got more engrossed in her health quest, Johnson continued to share it on TikTok. She began by taking them to the emergency department on May 1st.

“This is not anybody’s fault but my own,” Johnson stated in a TikTok video as he prepared to depart for the ER. “My own pride got in the way of me getting help because I would justify my symptoms—’like’ nothing’s wrong with me, and I know best.'”

After several tests and scans, it was determined that she had diastasis recti. However, she was also diagnosed with an ovarian cyst about the size of a newborn baby.

Johnson read the results aloud on a video, saying she had a “massive cystic mass extending from the left upper quadrant to the floor of the pelvis measuring up to 48 centimeters.”

Following the announcement, several followers questioned why she hadn’t consulted a doctor sooner. She compared her health path to a “toxic relationship,” noting how easy it is to believe everything is normal when change occurs gradually.

The disintegration did not occur abruptly, but rather as a result of gradual changes that accumulated over time. When she became aware of the situation, it was clear that a change was necessary.

“You all are really giving me a reality check,” she remarked in a video response to the remarks. “I feel like I have a bunch of big sisters that are getting on to me but in a loving way—calling me in, not calling me out—and I hear you.”

Johnson gained the confidence to consult a gynecologic oncologist, who determined that surgical removal of the cyst was the best option. Rather than being overwhelmed, the trainer felt relieved.

“I feel some satisfaction because I know that the issue I’ve been dealing with for the past four years, which I thought I would struggle with for the rest of my life, has a solution, and one day I won’t have to deal with it anymore,” she tells the publication.

Johnson has consistently maintained a good internet presence throughout her career. She tried to lighten the mood by preparing sex revelation cupcakes and calling her huge bulk “Cysterella.”

“I really feel like, no matter how it turns out, it’s going to serve a bigger purpose than just me, and that gives me a lot of hope,” she told me. Her profound faith contributes much to her energy and cheerfulness. Johnson thinks that every event, good or bad, has the potential to yield valuable insights.

On May 22, Johnson had a successful operation in which 27 pounds of fluid were evacuated from her body.

Unfortunately, to remove the cyst, the physicians had to take both an ovary and a fallopian tube, which Johnson was aware of. Johnson’s physicians are optimistic that her diastasis recti will mend over time, especially now that the underlying source of all of her problems has been identified.

By sharing her experience, she hopes that others may benefit from it and use it to reflect on their health journeys.

“Don’t suffer in silence,” Johnson insists. “Don’t just sit back and hide your shame or embarrassment about what’s going on with your body because most people are doing the best that they can, and we can’t help it.”

Johnson has chosen to keep up with her yearly checks and pay more attention to her health.

@megan_the_trainer_ Replying to @Anna Price ♬ original sound – Megan The Trainer

“I’ve seen so many other comments of people saying that they are now scheduling appointments with their gynecologists or the doctor or the specialist or whoever because of me, and because of that, it makes all of this worth it,” she said in a clip from TikTok.

“If I had to go back and go through everything that I did for the same result, I absolutely would,” she told me. “And now that I know better, I’m going to do better.”