Very concerned - ascites?

[kehen]

Hello all.  Let me start by saying I know no one can diagnose me, and that I know I need to wait for testing/results, but in the meantime I have a few questions that I can't seem to find answers for in all my searching, so I apologize for what are probably (to you all) redundant/hysterical questions ;)  I have an U/S scheduled for tomorrow.  I am 99.5% sure that I have ascites - when I try to research it, I get a lot about liver/heart disease, and ovarian cancer.  Are there other causes for it?  I know that I don't have liver/heart disease, so that only leaves one option as far as I can see, especially combined w/my other symptoms.  I look like I am 3-4 months pregnant (I'm a pretty slim person so it's quite obvious.)  Low back/abdominal/ovary/hip pain and tenderness - shooting pains in left ovary region and left "love handle" area, along with a sunburn sensation on the skin in that area; gassy, pressure, increased pain w/standing, all seems to get worse as each day goes on. I guess I'm what you'd call perimenopausal (early - started at 38) & get about 3-4 "periods" per year, mostly just old blood, brown, etc.  I have no digestive, bowel, or urinary symptoms (other than a bit of pressure and occasional minor urgency) that I hear others talk about. Sometimes a bit of upward pressure in the diaphragm area, particularly if I'm sitting, as I'm so puffed up.  Ascites seems like a key to me since I can find no mention of it that is not related to cancer (absent liver issues.)  I KNOW that something is wrong; I just don't know what.  Would benign ovarian cysts cause ascites?  Thanks for listening - I'm pretty stressed out.

[old_before_my_time]

I am aware of the Jill Jacobs case. She only got $125K not $125M. If she were a man whose testicles were removed, she/he would likely have gotten MUCH more...certainly in the millions. But it is considered "no big deal" and almost a "standard of care" to remove women's ovaries (castration). And hysterectomy is rarely necessary either.

I pursued a malpractice case but since this is so prevalent, it is difficult to find attorneys to take these cases. And doctors make sure to cover their behinds via medical records. It usually comes down to he said / she said and juries side with doctors hence lawyers do not want to take the risk / cases.

[kehen]

I am feeling better hearing cases of benign cysts causing fluid.  Now if I could just explain the wacky pain I have (in addition to the ovarian/cervical/general pelvic pain) in what would be my kidney area if it was up higher.  If you put your hands on your hips with thumbs toward you back, it's just about where your thumb would hit (waistline level & towards the back.  Stabbing and awful burning - really really strange.  

If it comes to that, I will be careful about what I sign off on prior to surgery, as I've heard the wording can leave you open to having a full hysterectomy if the surgeon decides to do so in the course of surgery.  Scary stuff.  I am just 41 & this all has really caught me off guard.  Hoping to hear some results very soon.  

Wishing you good health and happy holidays.

[NYCLI1976]

To the prior poster who underwent total hysterectomy for a benign cyst, have you considered a medical malpractice lawsuit? Your situation is very similar to that of Jill Jacobs, a 48 yr old woman in NYC who underwent surgery for removal of uterine fibroids and came out of surgery with a complete hysterectomy.  She sued NYU and the cancer doctor who did the surgery, and the jury awarded her $124 million in damages I believe. Check it out.

[old_before_my_time]

If you do have an ovarian cyst, most are benign. And they can cause quite a bit of pain. And even if they rupture, the pain can remain for quite awhile. The CA125 test is not accurate at diagnosing ovarian cancer. I know of women who had very elevated results (over 1000) and did not have ovarian cancer.

I had a 9.5cm complex ovarian cyst with some free fluid in my pelvis. My surgeon should have removed just the cyst or, worst case the ovary, when the frozen section came back benign but he proceeded to remove the rest of my sex organs. I have been paying the price of reduced health and quality of life ever since. I was 49 years old at the time.

I hope you get answers soon and are treated appropriately. Best of luck to you!

[kehen]

Thank you both so much for the responses. I have not had the CA 125 test (my GP's first recommendation was the ultrasound, which I had done today & am awaiting results. It was really painful, primarily in the left ovary area & the tech spent a long time concentrating on that area (perfect poker face, of course!) I was relieved simply to have the u/s done because at least I felt a step closer to some answers. I'm generally not a worrier at all, but this has me rather upset. I just feel like something is really wrong, if that makes any sense. I wish you both the best of health & thank you again for responding to me.

[NYCLI1976]

I also do not think cysts cause ascites but it could create conditions within your abdominal cavity that can result in ascites. It is possible you may have had a small cyst that ruptured and it leaked pelvic fluid. I had a cyst that ruptured when I was 29 and it was very painful (required overnight hospital stay) but then I was released and an ultrasound taken at the hospital only showed pelvic fluid. The pelvic fluid resolved itself over time - and for 9 years I was asymptomatic for cysts until this year when I had an ultrasound over the summer which showed 3 huge 15-20 scm cysts on one ovary that required surgery.

As you are already waiting for the results of an ultrasound, it seems you are taking care of that testing part already. If it comes back with a cyst, then your doctor will either recommend watch and wait, or surgery depending on the size and what type of cyst it is. Like I said, my cysts all came up as benign on ultrasounds then when they did the surgery, the ovary came back with borderline tumor/cancer which I am now monitoring every 3 months (and may need a 2nd surgery to have complete staging and possible removal of other ovary).

Until then, it doesnt make sense to worry. If you have ovarian cancer, the first thing that would show up would be adnexal masses on or inside your ovary (which unfortunately can not be seen on ultrasound, only in surgery). Have you had a CA 125 test? A CT scan would rule out any tumors in your pelvic region and would also show if any potential cancer appears in lymph nodes or other body parts (lungs, colon, etc). However, you would usually see abnormal blood tests before it got to that stage.