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That is where I am at this point ???? Or rather should I say terrified. I had been experiencing severe bloating and cramps in my lower abdomen, and severe pain in my lower back for about a month. Went to see my gyn., and when she pushed on my stomach it hurt really bad. They set up an ultrasound, and within in seconds of the procedure the doctor had this furrowed brow. I knew immediately something wasn't right. The first words out of his mouth were, this thing has got to come out. Yikes!...Not what you want to hear. I am 50 by the way, and in early menopause. He said I had an adnexal mass. It's about 6 by 9 cm. He said the size of a small grapefruit. I am freaking out. I keep imaging with any ache or pain, that I have cancer somewhere else in my body, and it has progressed to other parts. The waiting is the worst. They are sending me to have a CT scan, and then a colonoscopy, and I have a consultation with a GYN oncologist before they set up surgery. My local GYN said that he could take it out, but he would not be able to tell right away if it is cancerous, and we don't have a local GYN oncologist in my city. I have to go to UVA. Anyone who has gone through this, is it normal for them to do all these tests first? I just want this thing out of me. As soon as possible. I've always been healthy, never smoked, never drank much, except socially. I am totally baffled. The crazy thing is, I feel great. The pain in my back is gone. I have a little discomfort every now and then, but for the most part, I feel fine. Can anyone give me some insight on what to expect? I know everyone is different. I guess I am just trying to reach out to someone else who has been through this. I don't want to tell me brother and sisters yet, because we have gone through so much this year already, and I don't want to worry them needlessly. My older sister is already dealing with her husband's pancreatic cancer. He is in the 4th stage, and only has a few months to live. I can't put anymore on her then she is already dealing with. I just lost my mother-in-law 2 months ago. Who I adored. I try to stay strong on the outside, but inside I am crumbling. Thanks to anyone out there with any insight. (:
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COMMUNITY LEADER
Glad to hear surgery went well but it is a shame she removed your ovary and both tubes. Did she explain why she did not remove just the cyst since that is all that was wrong? Hopefully, you will be one of the lucky ones whose remaining ovary can continue to function normally despite parts of the system being gone.
Update: Thanks for all your valuable advice...It helped me ask the right questions. I had surgery on the 17th of September at UVA. I had a dermoid cyst on my left ovary. I had a great Doctor, who gave me a very good feeling of safety and security. She said they are always benign. It was fairly large, so she had to make about a 4 inch incision cross ways right at my bikini line. We talked about removing the right ovary as well, but once she got in there she said that it was very healthy along with the uterus, and felt comfortable leaving it. I also had both fallopian tubes removed. Seem to be healing nicely. In some discomfort, but I think most of that is from bloating because of the pain meds. Haven't been able to have a bowel movement, but I am working on that. I have been reading about dermoid cysts, and they ae pretty gross...Yuke!, The thought of something like that growing inside me, kind of makes me cringe, but raher that then cancer. very grateful...I thank God everday that is wasn't cancer.
COMMUNITY LEADER
I don't know if you thought to get a copy of your medical records but that can be helpful when seeking other opinions. The imaging (u/s, CT) reports of course would be key and are helpful in doing research before your appointment so you know what questions to ask.
I hope your colonoscopy goes well on Thursday as well as your appointment on Friday. Will be watching for your updates. Sending caring thoughts....
BTW I am sorry you have had such a tough year.
I hope your colonoscopy goes well on Thursday as well as your appointment on Friday. Will be watching for your updates. Sending caring thoughts....
BTW I am sorry you have had such a tough year.
Thanks for the valuable information. I had my CT scan today, my blood work was done the same day they did the ultrasound, and I have a colonoscopy on Thursday. My local GYN is not an oncologist so I have been scheduled for a consultation with a GYN/Oncologist at the University of VA. , on Friday. So far I am comfortable with the decisions that have been made. I guess I will know more on Friday when a meet with the doctor at UVA. I am so glad that I had someone give me some valuable information about hysterectomies. Obviously, that is something I don't want to do, if I can avoid it, and certainly if it is not necessary. I have been battling with that option in my head for awhile. At least now I have some very good feedback to go on. I am so sorry that you had to experience all that. I hope and pray you are doing better. I am certainly grateful for all your advice. I will keep you informed on what happens next....Thank You!
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I have been in your shoes with pretty much the same exact experience. One day of unrelenting pain 9 years ago sent me to my ob/gyn of 20 years. I was 49 and had absolutely no gynecologic problems my whole life.
An ultrasound done in his office showed a 9cm complex cyst. My gyn acted very concerned and scheduled me for a CT scan the next day and blood work the following day with surgery scheduled the following week. He said an oncologist would be available during surgery if needed. I ended up cancelling surgery because I was not comfortable with some things he said. But I made the mistake of going back and asking questions (for which I got wrong answers which I discovered in my medical records post-surgery) and rescheduling surgery with him. I personally never thought my cyst was cancerous as I had no family history but I allowed his scare tactics to override my inner voice telling me something was not right which I regret every single day. It has negatively affected every aspect of my life.
I was over-treated and permanently harmed because my gynecologist removed more than was necessary. He removed my ovary and waited for the frozen section pathology (while I was under anesthesia). When it came back benign, he proceeded to remove my other ovary and my uterus despite no issues whatsoever with those organs. They were perfectly healthy. He shouldn't have even removed the ovary with the cyst. He should have cut away the cyst (cystectomy) and sent it for frozen section and then sewn me back up when it came back benign.
I wish I had protected myself by insisting on a cystectomy and modifying the surgical consent form to state what could and could not be removed under what conditions. And if he said he couldn't do a cystectomy, I should have found another surgeon.
The uterus and ovaries have lifelong non-reproductive functions. The ovaries of women with all their parts produce hormones their whole lives. Numerous studies show that ovary removal is associated with many increased health risks such as heart disease (the #1 killer of women), osteoporosis, hip fracture, dementia, Parkinsonism, mood disorders, poor sleep quality, vision changes, skin changes, sexual dysfunction. You can find these studies via a web search for "pubmed bilateral oophorectomy long term health." Another good source is overy dot org. It includes a link (expressed as a phrase) to all relevant medical articles including studies (over 350 citations in all).
The uterus and its ligaments are essential to anatomical and skeletal integrity (position and function of bladder, bowel, and vagina, alignment of spine, hips, rib cage, proper nerve conduction and blood flow in the pelvis, sexual function).
Unfortunately, hysterectomy, ovary removal, and c-section are the top 3 overused surgeries in the U.S.
I hope this helps as you decide how and with what doctor to proceed.