Carla Peoples says she'd been “totally healthy” all her life when she noticed subtle changes in her body.

There was some bloating that progressed to the point where it caused her belly stick out. “I literally could put my hand on my stomach like you do when you're pregnant,” Peoples, 67, tells TODAY.com.

“I [felt] like I'm 10 months pregnant. And I looked it, too, because I'm a small person. And oh, my goodness, my stomach was just out there.”

At the same time, she was unexpectedly losing weight.

As society columnist for The Galveston County Daily News in Galveston, Texas, Peoples often wears ball gowns as she covers galas and parties in the area, which is sometimes called the Hamptons of Texas.

She was surprised that the normally tight-fitting tops of her dresses were becoming very l

See Full Page