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Is it possibly cancer?

In 2010 I I had a routine yearly exam with my OB/GYN. I had been having some abdominal pain and nausea, bad heartburn, and some other symptoms, and chalked it up to IBS and stress, but mentioned it to the nurse anyway.
During the exam the Dr felt a large mass in my abdomen below my belly button on the right side. I went in for ultrasound and they could tell something was there but not what, how big, or exactly where. So they sent me for a CT scan. I had a very large 13cm x 9cm teratoma tumor on my right ovary.
I had surgery on Feb. 19, and which consisted of a Laparotomy and a 3 day hospital stay and 3 weeks off work. When the pathology came back, fortunately this tumor was benign and I was able to keep my ovary.

FAST FORWARD TO THE PRESENT:

Friday, May 9, 2014, I had my yearly wellness exam at the OB/GYN. I had been having some abdominal pain, but no other symptoms, but had an uneasy feeling because is seemed similar to the pain and feeling that I had in 2010, and I mentioned this to my Dr. After my exam the Dr sent me in for an ultrasound of my ovaries and as it turned out, not only has the teratoma reoccured on the right ovary, but I now have a fluid filled mass on the left ovary as well.

Fortunately it was caught fairly early and has not gotten as big as the last one. Unfortunately it will once again require surgery. This time due to the smaller size they are going to attempt a Exploratory Laparoscopy as outpatient procedure, however, he said depending on what they find they may have to go in with a Laparotomy like last time.The Dr says that there is a chance that tumor is malignant, but since the last one was benign, I am hopeful. This time though there are masses on both ovaries, so I am worried that since it came back and is now on both ovaries that it might be cancer. I don't want to wait, but they will not know until it is out and sent to pathology, so I should have news on that shortly after the surgery.

I am having a hard time dealing with being scared of the surgery and recovery and the small chance it is cancer. I am overwhelmed that this is happening again, I was not told that it could reoccur. I also feel alone as my husband shows absolutely no sympathy for me or support for any of my emotional issues surrounding this. I don't want to go through this alone, but my family all live 5+ hours away and my kids are too young to really understand and help out, and my husband seems to not care, and my best friend moved 10 hours away.

Surgery is scheduled for June 6th.
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667078 tn?1316000935
Jaime and Katie
  I am not a doctor all I can say is I care. I hope the utrasound comes out okay Jaimie. Ovarian Cancer is rare it is only 2%. They did not check me until after I had Cancer but I am BRCA1 I have the bad gene so mine is all genetic. The test costs $5000 and my insurance would not pay for until I got Cancer.

My case went on for two years. I just kept saying something is not right. I bled for two year straight even after an ablation. The first CT Scan I had missed the Cancer.When I stopped bleeding all together I threw up for two years straight and had terrible diaphragm spasms. I was losing a lot of weight but looked pregnant.They even took my gallbladder out thinking that was making me sick but I was still sick.

I should have pushed for another Ultrasound or a CA125 blood test. I knew down deep I had Cancer I should have pushed harder. They blamed it on Irritable Bowel Syndrome and my MS. I was in a Clinical trial and getting extra pap smear, endometrial biopsies, and mammograms so I thought they would catch the Cancer. I needed a Ultrasound. The ultrasound showed Cancer on both ovaries and on the lining of my organ. Later a CT showed it on my bowels, liver, spleen, and diaphragm. It was blocking my rectum so I was throwing up.

I have rare genetically based, fast growing Ovarian Cancer. I do not know what is wrong with either of you. What I have learned is to advocate for yourself. With out emotion I said to the to the doctor I do not know what is wrong with me but something is very wrong.

I would just like you to know I care. Many things in medicine do not have an easy diagnosis. What has helped me the most is a good pain clinic. I have both Multiple Sclerosis and Ovarian Cancer. I am happy. There are treatments and my life is good. What we all need is validation to be told what is going on is real and to have someone care.

Sometimes it take just the right doctor.Alex
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hey Alex, im katie. Im 22 y/o and have been having alot of symptoms
-abdominal pain on both sides,  lower back pain,  pain with intimacy, it even good down into my thighs.  
-bloating, gassy, nausea/vomiting, no appitite
-reaccuring small cysts, free fluid in pelvis
-pluerisy back in feb 2014 current pain in left rib
-several swollen lymph nodes in neck for over a year
I had a laparscopy recently and they found no endometriosis but the pictures they gave me look like my ovary is discolored and large. He did not mention this but said I have scar tissue on my appendix. I was wondering if you had any advice for me.
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Avatar universal
Thank you ladies. My e-mail address is ***@****
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Avatar universal
Hi Alex, my name is Jaime. All of a sudden 8 months ago, I became bloated, uncomfortable, constipation. I had a pap from my doctor. He found uterine fibriods, and a swollen right ovary, and a cyst on rt. ovary . Also i was complaining about my stomach hurting, heart burn...he also wants to check my other organs...so he's having me get an ultrasound done by an obgyn/oncologist. Im coughing a lot for the past couple months like a dry cough, where it sounds like crap. This week Thursday im going for the pap. Then i go back to my family doctor on the 4 of june. If anyone has any advice, please e-mail me: ***@**** am sooo scared
Thank you jaime
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hi Alex, my name is Jaime. All of a sudden 8 months ago, I became bloated, uncomfortable, constipation. I had a pap from my doctor. He found uterine fibriods, and a swollen right ovary, and a cyst on rt. ovary . Also i was complaining about my stomach hurting, heart burn...he also wants to check my other organs...so he's having me get an ultrasound done by an obgyn/oncologist. Im coughing a lot for the past couple months like a dry cough, where it sounds like crap. This week Thursday im going for the pap. Then i go back to my family doctor on the 4 of june. If anyone has any advice, please e-mail me: ***@**** am sooo scared
Thank you jaime
Helpful - 0
667078 tn?1316000935
I know you are scared, They will not know for sure until they get in there and biopsy it. Three things are going for you. First rarely, it , does happen, do you have Cancer in both Ovaries. Second they don;t have you in surgery tomorrow.Three they are going in Laproscopically.

From my Ultra sound they had me in surgery in days. The Oncologist who is known for Da Vinici said not you. We are cutting you down the middle and taking everything including the omentum (lining of your organs). He said good chance you may also wake up with out a bladder or a colon. They can tell a lot from an ultrasound.

Being scared is normal. I was to blown away to be that scared,  They even bumped up my surgery the next day. I had an ultra sound on Friday. On Monday the PCP called and said I had to have surgery. Tuesday I saw the oncologist. In Monday I was in surgery.

I was the rare one who had Cancer in both Ovaries and lots of other places. I had been throwing up for two years and having diaphragm spasms  once or twice a week for two years.

The good news is I am very happy these days. I ended up with Cancer in 15 places. I did not lose my bladder or colon. I gone through a lot of treatment. I did six months of chemo took a six month break to gain weight. Now I have been in treatment for eleven months.

The first chemo was rough on me. I found out I have a lot of friends and my husband really loves me more than anything.

I am two years from diagnosis and I just adopted a puppy. I intend to be around to raise this puppy. Ovarian Cancer is considered a chronic disease. Treatment has improved in the last five years and it is improving more all the time.

There are lots of scarey things written about Ovarian and lots of bad statistics. The statistics mean nothing we are people not statistics.

My last CT Scan hardly shows any Cancer and I had it all over my belly including bowels, diaphragmn, spleen, liver, and lymph system.

I tell everyone I leave the worrying to the doctors that is what I pay them for. I had a lump in my breast recently and remained calm it was a normal lymph node. Then I had some vaginal bleeding it was nothing as well.

All we have control over is how we look at things. Doctors can see more with all the technology but a lot of it turns out to be benign or something treatable.

Alex

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