Symptoms of ovarion cancer or endometriosis and gallbladder coming out

[Tami3D]

I am getting my gallbladder removed because Hida Scan showed ejection at 27%. At the same time the gallbladder started acting up in January I started spotting. I had the other OC symptoms before the spotting started. My gyn. did not do any ultra sounds, nor did he do a pelvic rectal exam (only vaginal pelvic exam) and said he felt endometriosis on the back side of the uterus. I question endometriosis because I have never had heavy bleeding and from what I've read so far, that is a big symptom.  I assume everything else including ovaries felt normal. He then put me on birth control pills, for pain he said (that's not working and I'm still spotting).  Anyway when I found out that I had to get my gallbladder removed I asked my gyno. if he could be present at the gb laprascopy and remove any endometriosis at the same time.  He said yes and that's what we're doing.  I hope this makes sense so far.  I'm trying to condense all of it!  I guess my question is ... shouldn't he have ordered a transvaginal ultra sound to check for cysts or tumors? OR will he just check it all out while he's in there?  Is it possible to have cysts on ovaries and not be able to feel them with a pelvic exam?  There's alot going on in my body right now and alot of the symptoms are overlapping with the diagnosis' Ive been given. I feel my symptoms are more of OC than of endometriosis.  Does anyone have advice or comments on this?  I hope I have given you enough info.

[MickeyVicki]

I am surprised that your doctor has not ordered an ultrasound.

[PPhelps]

I wasn't aware they could feel endo. And no some times they can not feel cysts. Thats why they send you for ultrasounds. You may want to get second opinion.

[CindiSue]

Most gals here do the laps for dx and treatment when something is seen on an US... BUT they often can't see everything or dx everything by US. So if you are doing the lap already he would be able to actually see what was going on and not really need to do an US first. I suppose it depends on the doc.

[Gatsby]

Welcome to the site.  Just to let you know 99% of ovarian cysts are benign.  Also, ovarian disturbances can also cause GI problems.  I had GI tests done prior to being dx with dermoids.  My gallbladder was slightly enlarged.  I hope this helps.
~Tascha

[AnotherKatie]

Over the past twenty+ years, I have had many ovarian cysts that were not detected by a pelvic exam, only ultrasound, and some only by the transvaginal ultrasound. Most resolved on their own, but I did have several surgeries to remove them.
Often gallbladders act up after childbirth, I was told it may have to do with hormones... so perhaps there is some hormone link going on with you.
I think you are right and he should have ordered the TVUS.
Hang in there Kiddo, we are here for you.
Love, Katie

[tammypinca]

Hi. I just wanted to share my story.  I am 45 years old. Just a few days after this past Christmas I started feeling ill. I was having pain in my lower left abdomen and was just generally bloated all over my abdomen. In January 2005 I had a pelvic ultrasound done because I had been complaining of pain.  At that time a cyst was found and it was determined to be a simple cyst.  I was given the "wait and see" approach.  I was told to come back if my pain got to the point of constant discomfort.  When I started having these symptoms in December I kept searching the Internet and all my symptoms pointed to ovarian cancer so I had myself worried sick.  My maternal grandmother had died of ovarian cancer so that was not setting easy on my mind.

The first week of January I went to my PCP and complained of pain and bloating so I was sent to have another ultrasound.  The cyst had grown to 7.6 x 6.6 cm and I was given a referral to my GYN.  Lucky me, my GYN was going to be gone for two weeks!  In the meantime my upper abdomen felt so bloated and I was having pain in my RUQ. I was also nauseous alot.  I went back to my PCP who suspected gallbladder trouble and he sent me in for an ultrasound that very same day.  It came back positive for numerous stones. Looking back I know now that when I woke up in the middle of the night really ill in September that I had suffered a classic gallbladder attack.

Next step in this ordeal I had to wait for a referral to a surgeon....but before seeing the surgeon I saw my GYN who wanted to remove the cyst.  He suggested to wait and see until I saw the general surgeon to determine if the two procedures could be done together.  The surgeon agreed and on February 20 I had my gallbladder removed and my left ovary removed with laproscopic surgery.  My GYN said that the cyst was too difficult (and too risky) to remove from the ovary so he removed the ovary as well. Thankfully the cyst was a benign mucinous cystadenoma.

Anyway, the procedures went well.  I went in for surgery at 7:30 and was home by 2:00.  The first three days were miserable.  I could not get comfortable at all and I was in pain.  I hurt on my right side because of the gallbladder and left side due to the ovary.  I had 6 "holes" total from the surgery. My hubby had to help me up from the couch and bed for about 5 days. I actually spent more time on the couch because in bed I could only sleep on my back and that got uncomfortable really fast. I still cannot sleep comfortably on my right side and sometimes when I turn from my back to my left side I can feel a pulling and twinge in the area where the gallbladder was.  I am sharing this because my surgeon (gallbladder) said that most people are "good to go" after about 3 days.  I was so looking forward to that third day and when I was not "good to go" I was upset.  Just let your body heal at its own pace and don't let anyone tell you when you should be feeling good!

I hope that you have a very positive outcome as well and like someone posted before.....most all cysts are benign.  Hang in there and soon you will be feeling better!

[Tami3D]

Thank You, Thank You, Thank You!!!!  Reading your post brought me to tears! I felt some relief as I read it.  I'm going a little crazy wondering what the GYN will find!  The beginning of your story sounds like mine and I am praying my outcome turns out like yours!  At this point I can't wait to get my gallbladder out!  I have an appt. Tuesday with the gb surgeon and they will set up a surgery date with the GYN office.  It can't happen soon enough! I'm glad your procedures went well.  Are you feeling 100% now? Again Thank You for sharing.  It means so much to me!  Tami

[healthcareguerilla]

"...surgeon (gallbladder) said that most people are "good to go" after about 3 days."

Jerk-surgeon.  "Good to go where?  To bed?"  We women are truly amazing, aren't we.  We'd better get ourselves getter mighty fast.  What bull.  And that "most people" -- that's like when you get served rotten food, or receive bad service somewhere and you're told, "No one else has complained."  What a crock.

We're not machines.  The healing takes as long as it takes.  What - does the surgeon get extra payments the sooner his/her patients are up and running?  Yeah.  Have an organ removed and go climb Everest.  Phooey.  You just take care, and the surgeon, and 'most people' can @#$@!!!

[tammypinca]

Tami, I am glad that you found some comfort in my post.  I was hoping I could relieve some anxiety for you. I know that when I was looking on the Internet for both ovarian cancer (except here) and gallbladder removal that all I found were “doom and gloom” stories, especially when it came to gallbladder surgery.  Two days after my surgery I thought for sure that I had made a mistake in choosing to have my gallbladder removed.  I was thinking, “why didn’t I just see if a holistic method would work?”.  Turns out if I had waited much longer that I would have found myself in an emergency situation and possibly traditional surgery with a huge painful surgical opening. All I can say is make sure that your surgeon has performed many of these lap procedures.  Mine had done close to 1000 since the early 90’s.  My PCP’s wife had the same surgeon remove her gallbladder so that made me feel somewhat better.

Monday will be three weeks since I had surgery.  I am feeling pretty good.  I have had some bouts of nausea after eating and I am told by a couple of people who I know that have had their gallbladder removed that this is normal.  I also have some problems with diarrhea which is normal too.  I do have normal bowel movements as well.  It is not like I have diarrhea all the time which is something that I feared after reading stories on the Internet.  I have found that if I add foods high in fiber to my diet that it helps.  

I still have some pain here and there, but nothing that is horrible.  I can bend now without pain.  If I had just had the oophorectomy then I think I would have felt okay in 3 or 4 days.  It was the gallbladder removal that caused so much pain. Try to work it out that you have someone home with you for the first 4 or 5 days.

Actually, I really liked my surgeon, except for the comments he made about recovery and I called him on it when I went to my post op appointment.  I told him how I felt after three days and how upset I was because I was not feeling back to normal by then.  He apologized and did say that recovery is different for everyone.  Hopefully he will think about our conversation before he rattles that off again to another patient!

Anyway, if you want to email me with questions please feel free to do so.  My address is ***@****

Tammy

[JGMom]

I don't know how your Dr felt endo on the back side of your uterus either.  The spotting through BC, etc sounds like it could possibly be a fibroid?  As for symptoms of endo and being scared about OC:  I had classic endo years ago (and had 2 laps for it).  I suffered w/ it for years, so I certainly would recognize the symptoms of it.  Yet, recently I had a cyst on my left ovary (and right it turned out in surgery) and the symptoms were completely different.  This time: Not the heavy pds, but either normal or light ones and then they stopped, not that pain that is associated w/ endo, but bad bloating, those bizarre fetal kick-type spasms, urinary frequency, reflux, not able to eat much b/c I always felt full or something, alternating diarrhea/constipation, etc.  So I was really scared about the cyst they found when they said it didn't seem like a simple cyst. I didn't think there was any way I could have endo, since the symptoms weren't there.  But it turned out I did have endo - and it was quite extensive - ironically a lot worse than I had it years ago when I had all the classic symptoms of it.  Endo isn't a great dx to have, but funny how it can become a welcome dx when you're scared of OC.

Also, my sister, who had no history of gyno type problems, recently started having bleeding problems that would not stop even w/ BC or stronger hormones.  She had a hyterectomy and during this procedure, they found extensive endometriosis as well.  It surprised her and her GYN.

I guess symptoms can give clues to dx, but you really never know til you get in there.

Hope you don't mind me asking you a question:
They incidently found gallstones when I had imaging.  I didn't pay attn to it b/c I had too many other health-problem balls in the air.  What makes people decide to remove the gallbladder vs just leaving it if there are gallstones?  I'm wondering if I made a mistake in hyperfocusing on the ovarian problems and not thinking of getting my gallbladder out at the same time.  Thanks.

[lizzieg80]

I'm new to all this, I recently went to the doctor for a physical, and told her about a sharp pain i've been having on my lower right side for about a year.  she gave me a pap smear which came out fine, and sent me for an ultra sound, and they found a cyst.  I've been having symptoms of OC for a long time, but can be symptoms of other issues I have.  So when the nurse called and told me about the cyst, and said to have another ultra sound in six weeks, i got nervous. She said it's not cancer, but how does she know that?  is it possible to know for sure?

[SimplyStar]

No one can say it is  or is not cancer without a pathology report on removed tissue or fluid.  Cysts do cause some of the same symptoms of OVCA,  if you have the symptoms for over 3 to 4 weeks then you need to be checked.  Bloating, frequent urination, feeling full after a small meal, painful intercourse, pain in the abdomen, sometimes runs down the thighs.  Pap smears do not show OVCA.  A cyst larger than 5 cm is usually removed.   pelvic exam, a trans vaginal ultra sound, and possibly a CA125 blood test.

[jules1567]

I have endo and had a total hysterecomy 2 yrs. ago. I am now scheduled to meet with a surgeon to have my gallbladder removed, it is not functioning properly. I had my hormones tested and found out that although I have had a hysterectomy my estrogen levels are as high as if I never had one(250) and my progesterone is low (.5) as it should be following one. After doing some research I have since found that endo and gallbladder problems can be do to the high estogen compared to low progesterone. PLEASE GET YOUR HORMONE LEVELS CHECKED. I am now on no estrogen and taking bioidenticle progesterone to even it out. My doctor never checked my hormone levels and just assumed I needed more estrogen following my hysterectomy, I believed them and was making the problem worse.