curious

Hi there, I"m 35 and scheduled for surgery on 11-9-04 and a bit nervous. I have had two different doctors recommend a total historectomy. My age is the only concern they have due to having to have hormones for about 10 years. I have a polyp and cyst on one ovary and had pre cancerous cells just over a year ago. My Grandmother died of ovarian cancer at 50 and my mother had breast cancer 4 years ago and hysterectomy at age 26. So the doctors don't want to wait and let anything else get worse with my ovaries, and my uterus is thickening. I'm worried when they go in that they might find something else though because I can't hold my stomach in without it hurting and sex is painful. I have always been underweight and I have gained 15 pounds in 4 months, not that I didn't need it but strange for me to do so and it is all in my abdomen. It feels like there is something in there. It's hard to explain but after being so thin I can tell something is not right. Please don't take offense about me mentioning about being so thin, if you saw me you would know it wasn't healthy, try 5'10 at 134lbs, size6. I am now 151 but it is like my abdomen suddenly inherited a small soccer ball. I have been through a lot of trauma in my past and know my body very well, it is scary when you feel something is not right.....

neneshope, you are 4 yrs younger than I am and sounds like your family history is very similar to mine. Lost 2 grandmothers to female cancer, my mom had hister before she was 30, my cousin had hers before she was 30.
I also gained allot of weight do to trouble with cyst, fibroids and a large mass in uterus. I was able to feel a not as I was previuosly very thin, doctor said I could feel my uterus rise as it was swollen.
I had my hyster 8 wks ago and can honestly say it was the best thing I ever did. Path report came back no cancer. What a relief that was for me.
No more pain, no more abnormal periods(3 a month).I have lost 15 lbs since hyster and 5 prior to it.
Am on climara 0.1 Mg and it is working great.
Good luck and Best wishes

Sorry about all your problems, but I think you're very wise to be "listening" to your body. There's been a few times in my medical life that I knew something wasn't quite right, or "knew" the doctors were about to treat problems incorrectly. Make sure you can express this to your doctor(s), and that he takes you seriously. Sounds like you have seen two doctors that agree with your body. Just take one day at a time. Concentrate on just getting ready for the surgery, and deal with any results as you receive them. I'm ing for your peace of mind and healing.

s, Miki

Your symptoms sound alot like mine except for the "thin" part. I also was experiencing painful sex with slight spotting afterwards. When I laid on my stomach it felt like I was laying on something, and I gained 15 lbs. It ended up being a cyst on my ovary that had grown to cantalope size. It was fast growing and by the time surgery came it was the size of a nerf football. If your dr. has not done an ultra-sound he prob will with the sounds of your symptoms. Either way, once everything is out, you should be well on the way to Wellsville. I wish you luck

Thank you all for replying, I can't figure out how to reply individually yet. I have to say it is amazing how easily mistakes can be made, I was originally sent for an obdominal ultrasound and nothing was seen on my ovaries yet the gyn and without even seeing the results said he could feel something on my right ovary just from pushing on my abdomin which is right where I have the most pain. Strange. HE is doing detailed exams at pre-op he said so hopefuly more will be known being the surgery is actually done.

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was originally sent for an obdominal ultrasound and nothing was seen on my ovaries yet the gyn and without even seeing the results said he could feel something on my right ovary just from pushing on my abdomin which is right where I have the most pain. Strange.

Not strange at all. They can't always get a good view of everything with that ultrasound.

neneshope,
You and I are scheduled for the same day. As someone else mentioned, listen to your body. I knew something was not right since the beginning of the year. I never dreamed the road would eventually lead me here. I was never thin but I did notice that my abdominal area seemed enlarged. Since I am a 'Rubenesque' woman, I just thought that I was gaining weight. I could never lose the 'holiday' weight so I thought it was gathering in one area. Other circumstances intervened and here we are, but at least I can look back and see so much can be explained from the exhaustion, back pain, headaches, etc. Hang in there, we are almost to the day of feeling better.

Maria

First my thoughts and prayers are with you. I'm so sorry to hear that you are in pain and so worried.

From your family history and your diagnosis, I think you are wise to be getting the surgery.

I know how scary the unknown is. I have a large complex ovarian cyst that needs to be removed and the doc has told me that they won't know what it contains until they biopsy it!

I figured for sure that they would be able to tell me if it was cancerous or not, but I was very dismayed to hear that the only way to know for sure is when the biopsy report comes back. The doc doesn't think it's cancer, but that fear is still in the back of my head. I thought medical tests (blood, CT or ultrasound) would diagnosis it!

I will keep you in my prayers and wish you the best.

Stay Well

Mittens13, it doesn't show an email for you so I'm replying to you this way, I'm glad to know you're out there on the same day as me, I will be praying for you, we are not alone. Thank you for your response, are you having everything taken out?

Fllady, have they done any other test on you? Are you having surgery some time, I will be praying for you as well as I don't blame you for being scared in the back of your mind about the cancer, I would be too.

Neneshope,

Hello. I'm sure that you will read many posts on this board that say that more was found during surgery than was seen on the ultrasound.

Each one of my surgeries has been that way. My doctor usually recommends surgery for something that can be seen on ultrasound (usually a big cyst) and then other things are found during surgery...like "extra" cysts, endometriosis, blocked tubes or adhesions from previous surgeries that make some of your female parts. From what I've read on the boards, doctors finding more during surgery than on scans is more common than I thought.

I weigh more than I should but I can say right now that my belly is usually not this distended. I do have a pretty big cyst right now but I'm thinking that there's more to what's going on in there than the scans are telling. Only surgery will tell.

I'm in the same boat as you as far as age. I'm 30 and yes, I'm very nervous about the hormone thing. God bless.