Hi There,
you have had a good evaluation. seeing a gyn oncologist is the right next step. It must be very scary with your family history.
You should get a CA 125. If that is in the normal range, a laparoscopy for a 5 cm cyst is appropriate. If that CA 125 is elevated, your doctor may still recommend looking with a scope. But he/she may also recommend a bigger incision for the surgery.
Also this may be a good time to consider the prophylactic removal of both your ovaries and tubes given your family history. Please let us know how everything goes
take care
and of course i forgot to mention pain controlled with ibuprofen (800 mg) and heat, urinary frequency urgency and incontinence. I was active duty marine for 8 years and involved in asbestos removal project for about 9 months.
.. and of course u always think of more after u hit submit ....
all three kids PROM with the oldest preemie at 32 wks
no fibroids or endometriosis but a lil intrauterine scarring (possibly from d & c performed for incomplete miscarriage) and vocal chord polyps (benign) removed secondary to the GERD
Well part of my question just got answered ct scan is back ... 2 complex cysts possible neoplasms refer to gyn oncologist in savannah or possibly med university in charleston ... anything else i should look for i woul love to know thanks for ur time
sharon
thanx so much for answering u are my confirmed third opinion LOL
i am printing ur answer for surgical consultation on 7/07
i lift u up in prayer as well ... u are a godsend to this forum
regards
sharon
Thank u for ur responses to my early questions
to follow up:
i am scheduled on 7/23 for my pre op for TAH/BSO
if all goes well it will happen on the 24th at the Hollings Cancer Center, Charleston, SC
i am really very happy as my oldest was born there when she was a preemie :)
baseline CA-125 was 126
my potasium sodium and BUN levels were all low on my blood chem preop work up
they also are doing a chest xray and ekg (due to my being over 40)
Doc said my ovaries combined feel the size of a 20 week pregnancy at this point
and refers to one as softball sized and the other a lemon (i luv the fruit analogy)
and put me on pelvic rest until after the surgery
i also fowarded the contrast medium cat scan and ultrasound cd's to his office
im pretty sure they are being quite thorough and i feel i have an excellent gyn onc
i also get a colonoscopy in two days in case theres stuff in there they have to take
out as well .. i feel young and in relatively good health just so tired ALL the time
but no rest for the weary as i have been an insomniac for 15 years
My Question
what could have possibly thrown the blood chem out of whack ? I never to my knowledge had that happen before. I'll ask him at the pre op i was just wondering ur insights.
LOL i'll let u know how it all comes out :)
Regards
Sharon
btw i met with Dr Matthew Kohler at the consult and he and his team are totally rocking :)
I feel u all who specialize in this field are such dedicated professionals and i appreciate the hard work u do
Best Wishes and Prayers
Sharon
oh and fyi i had two ca-125's drawn two days apart
(the second one was for a second opinion from a gyn)
they both came out exactly the same (126) though they were in two different towns
and by two different labs
i hope that my results help u in ur study of the usefulness of CA-125 testing
after surgery we are moving on to BRCA testing if indicated
then screening my daughters :)
and i will let u know the results of the surgery
i am actually looking foward to it ... i dont care if its cancer or not
i just want it out and to start the recovery process
so ... in addition to my earlier question on the blood chemistry i realized i had one more ...
in your experience is this reaction prevalent among women in my condition ?
another update ... colonoscopy was squeaky clean so to speak
and ... i got mammogram results back and shows changes since baseline
return in 6 months ... i am going to bring those to my gyn/onc as well
and see if there is anyone on staff who can biopsy at same time
its what i like to call one stop shopping
Dear Sharon
thank you for all your updates. You sure do sound like you are in good hands,
BUN is a measure of a breakdown product of protein. We use it as an indirect measure of how a person's kidneys are working.
A low level usually is associated with a low protein level. that can be due to malnutrition or at least a less than optimal dietary protein intake
A high BUN can be associated with kidney problems or from dehydration.
Low potassium can occur with diarrhea, laxatives, use of diuretic medication.
A low sodium can occur if a person if drinking too much free water and not enough salts.
I hope all goes well with your surgery
best wishes
surgery rescheduled for the 31st
im getting a thoracic ct on monday for "calcified granulomas"
after they clear me i should be all systems go for surgery
doc kohler is amazigly thorough :)
next update should be post op
iamjoyful has been trying to post this question on this forum but is unable to ... she is going to keep on trying but in the meanwhile i was wondering if u could answer her question here on my thread ... she will start a new one when it becomes available
"I am 36 and am 8 weeks 4 days pregnant and have just discovered through an US after cramping in my left side that my left ovary measures 3.5 x 2.2 x 2.7 cm and attached to this left ovary is a large complex solid and cystic mass in the left adnexa, measuring (5.4 x 2.4 x 5.4 cm) with evidence of a large mural nodularity, the largest of which measures (3.4x2.7x3.0 cm) There is no hypervascularity. The right ovary is unremarkable, measuring 4.7 x 2.4 x 3.2 cm. No free fluid is identified.
I am being referred to a gyn/oncologist because malignancy is suspected.
I am seeking additional advice to support the advice I have already received or explore alternative options for treatment.
I have a follow up ultrasound scheduled in one month to observe the cysts size. If it has shrunk it is likely that it was blood clotting that was showing up on the US and the cyst will continue to shrink making this a functional, albiet unusual cyst.
If there is no size reduction or growth shown through the US I am being advised to have surgery in my second trimester of pregnancy to remove the cyst so that it can be checked for malignancy.
I would like to know what the risks are associated with waiting a few more months to see if the cyst will reduce in size. What are the chances that a cyst will reduce in size? What is the optimal time to have an invasive procedure during gestation and why? Are there any steps I can take to encourage size reduction or elimination naturally? What is indicated by the observation of no free fluid is identified? Is there anything I can do that is non-narcotic for the pain. I am currently taking tylenol every 4 hours.
Are there any contraindications during pregnancy for the use of acupuncture to reduce the size of the cyst?
I appreciate your input and thank you in advance for your time. "
thanx doc
sharon
A related discussion,
post op update was started.