Update on my symptoms

I posted a few days ago about some symptoms I've been having.  Just to recap, they are as follows:

* weight loss of 15 lbs. in one month (without dieting) I've lost 5 lbs. just this past week.
* lack of appetite
* swollen abdomen (even with a weight loss of 23 lbs. since July, the last 15 of which weren't intentional, my tummy is so large that my pants I wore before the weight loss are tight!)
* burning on urination
* extreme debilitating fatigue
* nausea
* severe constipation alternating with diarrhea
* vague abdominal pain and sharper pain in my lower left abdomen (where one of the cysts are located.)

My husband took me to the ER Friday night because I was feeling so horrible.  The doctor did blood tests (not a CA-125 though), urine tests, and a CT scan and didn't find anything at all.  So I guess I'm out of the woods for cancer.  However, the radiologist who read the report never even mentioned either of the two cysts on my ovaries.  One is a 4-cm functional cyst and the other is a 4-cm complex, solid cyst.  Is it possible that he just didn't see them?  It kind of makes me wonder how much attention he paid to the scan.  (It was around 3 a.m. when he read it.)  I'm still baffled as to my symptoms though, and still don't know what's going on.  My husband thinks it's all in my head since the medical tests all came back normal.  

Anyway, thanks so much for all of your help with everything.  I guess I don't need to be hanging around here anymore.  Good luck to all and my prayers are with you.

Hugs,

Lisa

[YvonneS]

It might be a good idea if you saw a GYN.  Too much is going on to be guessing.

[Casey06]

First of all, I am sorry to hear you are having all these symptoms and feeling so bad.
It's not in your head (tell your husband he is supposed to be on your side!).

I'm not sure why the ER CT missed the cysts, possibly because they did only abdominal and not pelvic (and therefore did not scan low enough). You need to get a copy of ER report and CT to see if it included pelvis.

When were the cysts first found and was it by ultrasound? There is a possibility that they have gone away. You probably need a repeat US by tranvaginal US.

Also and very important: no doctor or radiologist can say if that a cyst is cancerous or not by either a CT or US. A biopsy after surgery is the only way to know for sure!
My doctor thought mine was only endometrioma (benign), but it turned out to be  borderline cancerous.

Like rmarie said, don't fool around with this. We are not trying to scare you, but with all your symptoms, you do need to pursue this further.

If you don't agree with your current OB/GYN or don't trust him,find another, preferably a gynocologic oncologist (Look in the yellow pages and ask at local hospitals).

Good Luck and keep us posted.

[rmarie]

Things may not show up on CT that show up on the transvaginal ultrasound.  I had a CT show cysts years ago, while there were non on the ultrasound.  You know your symptoms are not normal, so get yourself to a Gyn/Onc and get it taken care off.  Your health is too important.  Trust me - Chemo and recurrances are not pleasant, but it sure beats the alternative.  As Yvonne and Casey both said the earlier it is treated, if it even is cancer the better, mine was a stage 3 C.  I  have had 2 surgeries for removal and completing in 2 weeks my second round of chemo.  Good luck, let us know how your appointment goes.

[Shashi11962]

Thanks, ladies.  I'm currently seeing a gyn/oncologist.  I was diagnosed with cervical carcinoma in situ (cancer which hasn't spread yet) in February of this year and had laser surgery for it in May.  The cysts were discovered during a trans-vaginal US at my last appointment in August, though I've had problems with cysts on my left ovary for a couple of years now.  (Not sure if it's the same cyst or it's been different cysts.)

I'll ask my doctor to check the cysts again before I schedule surgery to remove my ovaries.  No sense in taking them out if there is no need to.  

(By the way, the oncologist doesn't think that there is any cancer, but feels that all of my symptoms are caused by the cysts.  From what I've researched, I guess everything could be related to the cysts, but I'm worried about the weight loss because from what I've read, that's not a normal symptom.  I'm 44, and it's usually really difficult for me to lose weight, so dropping so much so fast without dieting is rather alarming!)