PLEASE HELP ME

[dazedandconfused12]

For starters I'm young (20) and healthy with no obvious major health problems. But, For two years now I've been suffering with what I thought was a gastrointestinal issue. Nausea, vomiting, loss of apetite, bloated feeling, gas and pain in my abdomen, and cramping. With no honest attempt on my part ( I didn't intesify my exercise routine or anything, I was happy with my body) I lost about 20 or 30 pounds in about 5 months. So, I've been seeing a family doctor and a gastroenterologist trying to figure out my problem. Adventually they couldn't find anything in my blood work, etc. so they chalked it up to IBS. My only problem is that with treatment I was getting worse. I'm now to the point that EVERYTHING is exercise. Walking up a flight of stairs exhausts me to the point that I take an hour nap. Well low and behold, during a routine GYN exam she felt some growths on my ovaries and ordered an ultrasound. She asked me if I've ever had any gynecological symptoms...and I never really thought about it because my abdomen was in such pain (and now my lower back, too). So then I realized yes! I have painful intercourse with my husband, painful menstration (and very heavy as well) and irregular menses. Sometimes, I would bleed for about 15 days. When the ultra sound came back it showed two cysts one on each side, and also some fluid in my pelvic/abdomen. My family physician felt that it may be PID. I assured her that I NEVER had any symptoms of any kind of STD but also let her check me for them anyways. I came back with an abnormal pap smear, but no STDs. They treated me for PID anyways. When I went back to my gynecologist for these results she order some blood work to see if it could be PCOS. All that blood work came back negative so she diagnosed me with POSSIBLE endometriosis and POSSIBLE pcos....nothing concrete, since she only had clinical findings and no diagnostic findings. She put me on birth contorl for both and ordered me to repeat the ultrasound in a couple months. My symptoms have worsened...I've lost another 5 pounds and my close are loser everywhere except my abdomen, which seems to be growing. And now like I've mentioned I'm more exhausted then ever before, I no longer am able to work out and I cant eat because of the emense pressure on my stomach. I went in for the repeat and the cysts are still there (slightly larger) and the fluid is still there (despite treatmens for PID). I was told that 4 months of birth control should of cleared everything up. I was taking birth control so that I wouldn't have a period, but low and behold I had one (in for months) that lasted 22 days and was so heavy I bled through the extra absorbancy pad in 45 minutes.
So, with all that said...I guess my question is. Could this be ovarian cancer?
I know I'm young, but things happen and I don't want to just let it go and lose my life for being "too young."

[TrudieC]

Remember that over 95% of all cysts are benign and that some doctors can be idiots.  I had a 16 cm cluster of cysts and was waiting to get into the gyn when my pain increased and I visited the fill in GP at my family doctor's office only for him to tell me that "cysts don't cause that kind of pain - it must be something else" and he sent me for an abdominal exray.  NOT!  At the very least he should have scheduled a follow up ultrasound but due to your pain and bloating and other symptoms it doesn't sound like the cyst is going to resolve itself.  The pills he gave you will only help if you have PCOS where the cysts burst and resolve each month.  They won't get rid of the stubborn cyst you have.  Please insist that you be referred to a gyn or gyn/onc.  Do you know what type or size of cyst it is?  Have they run a CA-125?  Insist that you be referred so cancer can be ruled out and to arrange to have your cyst removed if necessary (likely).  You don't need to live with this kind of pain so do ask for something to help.  Good luck and please let us know your progress.

[Sandymac]

Hi,
    The first thing you need to do is have a heart to heart talk with your Dr. . I would think with all these symptoms, it would warrant a referral to Gyn/Onc. I'm not trying to scare you because cysts are really very common in younger women.. By the way, there is a special forum just for PCOS so you may want to check in there as well as this one. But, with those symptoms, you obviously need to find out what is going on ... Please have a frank talk with your Dr. and if you aren't happy, get a 2nd opinion..and keep us posted,

Take care,
Sandy

[Toni128]

Wow, you are having quite the ordeal!  I have a neighbour going through a lot of the same stuff, and the docs can't figure out what's wrong with her.  Can you ask to be referred to a gyncecological oncologist?  They will schedule the proper tests pronto for you.  One suggestion:  take the time before you go to write down all your symptoms/concerns, because when they're doing an oral history it's easy to forget important stuff. Even stuff that seems minor to you can be an important clue.  Keep advocating for yourself!  And don't read too much on the internet!  It's easy to get bogged down in gloom.
Take care!  
Toni