I will try to be through but yet brief as possible
I am located in BC, Canada - I am 39 yrs old
In July I went to see my GP (actually she's a nurse practitioner and I adore her) due to being unable to get pregnant for quite some time, along with a few other things that lead me (and her) to suspect PCOS. She also referred me to a fertility specialist given my age & length of time we've been trying. She also ordered blood work, urinalysis & an ultrasound since she knew the FS would want the U/S.
She could not do a pap because she could not visualize my cervix - said she'd let the FS do one.
U/A came back showing blood, not a big deal - my period started the day after I peed in the cup.
All other tests normal, ordered a repeat U/A mid-cycle.
Repeat U/A showed microhematuria, since this is a common problem, protocol is to run 3 U/A's & if they all come back positive - then refer to a urologist.
Went for the U/S on Sept 21, they did abdominal & then trans-vaginal. Told me nothing of course, other than the results would be sent to my GP & the FS - standard, no problem - didn't think anymore about it.
On Sept 27, the local clinic called - hubby took the call & was told that my regular GP was on vacation (which I knew) but that one of the other doc's wanted to discuss my test results, an appt was set for the following day.
Still I'm thinking that they are going to tell me it's PCOS. The doc tells me that they found 3 cysts/masses as follows
On right ovary - 1cm...not too bad
Left ovary - 14cm...really? Damn
"In the middle" - 14cm....what the heck?
I didn't ask many questions because I was not expecting this & I try to be an informed person. I was able to get out of him that it was not fibroids, there would be surgery & he was referring me to a gynecologist since my appt w/the FS was not until December (too far away he said).
We only live 5 minutes away from the clinic & when I got home there was already a msg on the machine from the clinic that the FS knew about the test results & wanted to see me sooner, within 2 weeks and he'd also ordered some blood work, including a CA-125 & CEA.
Fast forward - saw the FS last week - CA-125 was 94 & the CEA was elevated also - everything else was 'normal'.
He did his own U/S (abdominal & trans-vaginal) and told us afterward in his office that he would not be doing the surgery but would be referring me to a gynecological oncologist surgeon.
His findings from the U/S are...
right ovary - didn't see anything
left ovary - 14cm
"in the middle" - 16cm
I asked what "in the middle" means and he said that he couldn't see where it originates so that's the best answer he could give us at the moment. He also said he did not see any solid areas in them, which is a good sign.
He did say that these things fall into 3 categories - definitely malignant, definitely benign and borderline - he said these were borderline. He did say that surgery would be open belly, not laproscopic and that they would do a frozen section during surgery & depending on the results of that - I could come out of surgery with no ovaries, no tubes & no uterus. Great - there goes the idea of having a baby (I'm not sure yet which is more upsetting, the possibility of having cancer or not being able to have a baby)
This is my first dealings with the BC health care system (I'm originally from the States) so I'm playing it by ear here. The FS said he was going to expedite the referral to the gyn/onc surgeon and would like to see the surgery done soon, preferably before xmas.
A quick search tells me that gynecological surgeries in the province have a median wait time of 5 weeks so...don't know.
I guess I'm looking for thoughts on my findings - sound like something, sound like nothing - am I being a drama queen, hypochondriac, etc
Hubby's take on it is - let's wait & see what we're dealing with first before we panic too much. He's also admitted that it's easy for him to say, although I know he's very concerned.
Keeping hoping to hear from the oncologist's office soon (there's a thought I didn't ever think I'd have at the age of 39...or ever!) and I don't know how long to expect to wait.
We'd like to meet with the surgeon before surgery to discuss everything rather than just meeting her after it's all said & done.
Is there anyone else from BC who has been through something similar who might be able to give me an idea of what to expect? I've thought about emailing or calling the local cancer society to ask, and I probably will still do that, along with making an appt w/my nurse practitioner.
I still can't believe this all came about from one appt in July.
Thanks in advance!
I gave permission before the operation for a full TAH/BSO, but I was already in my 50s and beyond childbearing years.
5 weeks is not a long time to wait. Not much will happen during that time. I also waited about a month and I do live in the States. Ask lots of questions, do lots of research, and read some of the experiences on this board. They will help.