Just as a side note: I've never been to a female doctor. I have my first appointment in one week. (I'm 38) (yes I know. I should have gone a long time ago)
Starting last year, things have been getting strange around my period, and now my symptoms are worse than ever. I've been through every test... gallbladder, pancreas, appendix, I had vitamin D deficiency, but medication resolved that, I had a sleep study for sleep apnea, and an echo cardiogram. Everything turned out normal (except for the sleep study which is still up in the air for the next 2 weeks until I get the results.)
The only thing I haven't done was the gynecologist. So, I'm hoping someone can enlighten me if I list my symptoms and tell me if these sound familiar if you've been through ovarian cysts/cancer.
1. bloating - last month I gained 4lbs in water weight despite working hard at dieting and exercise.
2. Nausea - it sometimes feels like a stomach bug or food poisoning because it's often accompanied by dizziness, but I can't have food poisoning or stomach bugs THIS often. (it's daily, but the severity changes) It was the worst in May right before my period... but it just never seemed to go away after that and became daily.
3. irregular periods... in April it was so heavy I needed to wear 3 over night pads, and I wore a pair of depends because I even had leakage it was so heavy. May I started with spotting that stopped for several days, then started, but it wasn't nearly as heavy and ended 3 days early, started 24 hours later, but stopped almost right away after one gush of blood.
4. Pain in my right side, kind of under my rib cage. This started last year and revolved around the start or end of my periods. I was in the hospital while they tested my gallbladder. After a whole bunch of uncomfortable tests, they said it's probably irritable bowel disease... cause they couldn't find anything else.
5. I can eat only small amounts at a time because I feel full so quick. Before, I could finish a whole pizza. Tonight I could only have two small pieces... then wait a few hours and have another piece because I feel so full after a few bites.
6. always thirsty and peeing a lot. Which is not unusual for me... but combined with everything else, I wonder if it was an early symptom of something.
7. fatigue, hard time sleeping at night, having to get up to pee frequently wakes me up when I do fall asleep.
8. Problems losing weight despite being on a strict diet. I watch what I eat (not that I can eat much without getting full right away) and I walk 3 miles every day (sometimes I ride my bike instead.)
Do any of these symptoms sound familiar to those who've had ovarian cysts or cancer? My reproductive system is the only thing I haven't had examined... and as sad as it sounds, I'm kind of hoping it is the problem, because I'm tired of dealing with these issues and not having an answer for why I'm afflicted with them.