Weird sensations

[bearx2]

Hi, have kind of a weird question (don't we all love weird questions...lol)  Anyway,  I had been in pain for a few days (have a 10cm ovarian tumor).  I called the dr and she said to take tylenol and use a heating pad as much as possible.  I have done that and the pain seems to be less.  (maybe just have some inflimation?)  The question is....i just feel weird..my body feels weird.  I have tingling and discharge from my left breast/nipple.  Almost a burning sensation.  I also am very off balance.  VERY OFF BALANCE.  other people have noticed and commented.  I feel very fatigued also.  Is this all normal or am i just reading into it?  I know what i feel is real, but has anyone had this due to a tumor?  

Please help.  :)

[CanadianRose]

Right now her doc has her on Seasonale to try to completely supress ovulation for 3 months at a time.  She is just finishing her first month on it, so we are going to see how she does.  She is home right now though with dizzyness, fatigue, pain and a burning sensation in her lower abdomen.  Her doc wants to see her during a flare up but his office is closed today.

Thank you for the prayers : )

[bearx2]

Thank you CanadianRose.  Have you taken your daughter back to the doctor?

Poor thing!!  I'll be praying for her.  :)

[CanadianRose]

My 14 yr old daughter has issues with ovulation and had a hemmoraghic cyst removed in June (they have not found one since), but she has started to have issues with dizzyiness and fatigue, to the point that she has fallen asleep in class and been worried about her legs giving out when she walks.  

Those symptoms started a couple of month ago, but no doc has ever really told be why she is feeling that way.  I hope that yours will clear up after your surgery.

[bearx2]

Thanks for the advice!!  Yes, I have stabbing pains and lots of pressure.  i've been taking tylenol.  I have hydrocodone also, but haven't wanted to take it.  

I'm so glad i'm not the only one who has had these feelings (off balance and trouble concentrating).  It's nice to not feel alone.  :)

I'm so happy your surgery is over with.  Hang in there and get some rest.

[midwest_hiker]

One other thing I wanted to mention.  For the last few weeks before my surgery I had the same issue with my balance and I had problems paying attention to people.  I am not sure why or what caused it.  I figured it was my nerves and the fact that my mind was on other things.  

Do you have the stabbing pains?  I felt like someone was stabbing me with a sharp knife.  I found that the heating pad only did so much.  You should see if the doctor will give you any pain meds.  Otherwise I found that if I took about 1500 mg of Tylenol I felt better.

[midwest_hiker]

I did the same thing.  I tried really hard to hide it from my family and did a good job for months.  My hubby didn't even know I had much pain until it affected our sex life and I would cry from the pain.  That is when he made me go to the doctor.  I still never mentioned that it could be cancer, he didn't even think that until the doctor talked to him yesterday after my surgery and told him it didn't look cancerous and that we would hear back on Monday from the lab for sure.

The 24th will be here before you know it. :-)

[bearx2]

That makes sense.  I didn't think about the blood supply is what's "feeding" it and making it grow.  

I agree, the last thing I want is for everyone else to worry.  It makes it hard because I just want things to continue as normal and if they knew how worried and upset I was, they would act differently.  They all mean well, but it's easier this way (for me).  :)

Thank you for your understanding and your kind words ireneo.  :)

[ireneo]

If the tumor didn't have a blood supply, it wouldn't exist. In some cases I've read that's a method of getting rid of fibroids - they block the blood supply to the fibroid by injecting little beads (I think it was) into the vessels near the fibroid and bingo! it shrinks and goes away. Not all are that easy to get rid of; many women have surgery instead. But the tumor should be removed and tested.

It's good that you're visiting here and expressing how you feel. We do understand since we've been through this. Husbands and family just look at you with sad faces and worry. It's great to be loved but we need a place to complain and vent our own worries. We'll be here for you before and after the surgery.

[bearx2]

you're so kind.  You made me cry....lol.  :)  It's a great feeling to let it out on here.  Very theraputic!!!  I hope that i can be here for others some time too.  It really make a big difference!!  :)

[Jaxsie]

Oh sweetie, boy do we know what you are going through.I don't have a clue about blood supply, but it is completely understandable to be so worried. I hid most of the details from my hubby, but even with the details I did tell him it was heartbreaking to see him break down and cry at the thought of something so serious. I'm sure many women out there have tried to shoulder these burdens alone. The cancer scare is so difficult for all of us and it doesn't make it any easier that we have to wait and cope in pain too.

We are all here to support you, even if we cant offer medical advice or make it go away (lord I wish I could for everyone), but we can at least share.

[bearx2]

Yes, no cooking for me this year.  (I usually have it at my house).  I have a huge family, so plenty of people to pick up my slack.  Might be a nice experience  :)
Yes, it's on the 24th.  I am excited to get it overwith.  I have anxiety about cancer only because it's a tumor and not a cyst.  That scares me a little.  I know they say not to worry and that most of the time it's not cancer, but that's easier said than done.  I have 2 small children and I need to be here and be healthy for me.  Also, my family relies on my income heavily, so I worry about that too.  I know that everything will be ok one way or the other and God will supply all of our needs, but i'm still human and have concerns.  
Do you know if the blood flow indicates cancer more than if it didn't have blood flow?  or is that fairly common?
it's so nice to talk to someone about my true feelings.  I down play them with my family and my husband.  I don't want them (and especially my husband) to worry.  ya know?
Thank you.  :)  

[ireneo]

A fibroid is a "fibromuscular tumor" in or on the uterus. I haven't seen one (although I do have one) and I picture it like stringy muscle tissue (think of cheap chuck roast). A tumor according to the dictionary is a mass of abnormal tissue that resembles normal tissue but serves no function. I imagine the blood supply is helping it to grow.

I'm glad you're having it removed. There's still a good chance that it's just a crummy bit that needs to come out and not cancer at all. So surgery is the 24th of this month? That's just before Thanksgiving. Guess you won't be cooking this year.  :-)  Sit back and relax, let everyone wait on you.

[bearx2]

Hi there.

Thank you for that, I will ask her about the endo more specificaly when i have my pre op appointment on the 19th. When they did the lap for endo, she found that i had very minor endo...I think that's why she doesn't think it's related now.  No, I didn't have any further symptoms after the adhesions were removed before.  As a matter of fact, I didn't have many sysmptoms until recently and the only way we figured out what was going on was because my dh and i were ttc and discovered I was not ovulating.  That's when they ordered the u/s.  Also, my progesterone levels were less than 1.0 which is very low.  She suspected that I had Poly Cyst Ovar Disease, which i do no have.  

Mine was 10cm a couple of weeks ago...I wonder how big it is now.  I am really noticing a lot of symptoms the past week.  It has a lot of blood flow in and around it, would that cause it to grow faster?

thanks so much!!!!

[Jaxsie]

Hello again,
I can help with the fibraoid questions.

I am quite surprised the doc doesn't think this is anything to do with endo - you say you had surgery for endo before - did you have any recurring symptoms after the surgery? My cyst was described as having solid/complex echos and was endo when they took it out- it was the same size as your by the time they removed it (6cm at scan- 10 cm three weeks later).

Either way, hang in there, it will be time soon.
best wishes

[bearx2]

Hi Ireneo, mine is sitting on top of my uterus, but it's on the ovary.  I don't know if the ovary twisted?  But she was very clear to say that it's an ovarian tumor but sitting on top of the uterus.  I know that when they did the u/s...they did the dopplar blood flow thing (don't know the medical term) and there was quite a lot of blood flow in and around it....does that make a difference?  

Some history:  My mom had a dermoid cyst many years ago on her left ovary, it was small.  they removed her left ovary and tube.  It was benign.  Also, i had laprosopic surgery a few years ago for endometriosis.  She thought i had it bad, but I just had some adhesions on the muscles of my back, which she removed.  She suspected that i also have adenomyosis, but said that is hard to confirm.  She doesn't think that this has anything do to with endometriosis especially due to the size of it.  

What is the differenece between a fibroid and a tumor?  Are they the same thing?  

Yes....waiting is VERY hard.  I wish they could do it today.  :)  I mean, i'm not looking forward to the pain of it, but I want it out of there and i'd like to hear them say that it's benign.  

:)  -Erin

[ireneo]

Cysts tend to be fluid filled; tumors tend to have a more solid composition. But there are plenty of ovarian "cysts" that are solid like dermoid for example. I'm not sure what to think since yours is on the uterus. Do they think it might be endometriosis or a fibroid? Probably won't know till they remove it. The waiting is hard, isn't it?

[bearx2]

Also, just a side note....the DR keeps calling it a tumor.  I asked if it was a cyst and she said no.  How would she know that?  Would the ultrasound say?  Also, being that it's a tumor and not a cyst, does that mean a higher risk of ovarian cancer?

fyi...
I'm not high risk for ovarian cancer (no family history, 33 years old, gave birth to 1 child, no breast cancer in family that I know of).

[bearx2]

Hi, thank you so much for your imput.  Yes, I will be having surgery on the 24th.  They will be removing the tumor and the left ovary and tube.  I'm a little nervous because I've been reading a lot about ovarian tumors/cancer.  I'm aware that most of the time it's benign, but it's still a concern.  I have a lot of the symptoms (most all) of ovarian cancer.  I assume a lot of them are the same as benign tumors, but I'll be a lot happier when it's out.  It's sitting on top of my uterus, so i'm wondering if it could also be attached to the uterus?  if so, I wonder if they will have to do a hysterectomy (sp?).  Anyone had experience with this?  Anyway, the discharge from nipple (left) has been there for quite some time.  The dr doesn't seem concerned in any way about it.  I do regular self breast exams and i've felt nothing.  I woke up last night with the sharpest pain in my abdomen....I was having cold sweat also, but not it's gone and I feel fine.  

I just feel like i'm falling apart.  :)  I never get sick or anything and now i feel like i'm always complaining.  :)  I'm sure my dh loves that.  LOL.  

:)

[ireneo]

I haven't followed your story but I assume you're going to have surgery soon to remove the ovarian tumor? With one that large, it needs to come out. Perhaps it's also causing a shift in your hormones and affecting your breasts. However, any discharge from a breast should be looked at. Have they done a mammogram yet to see if all the tissue there is normal?

Again, I hope your doctor is going to take care of that ovary - something more than "take Tylenol."

Balance is usually caused by an inner ear problem - fluid or infection. Some medications cause it too.

[Laney8463]

Hi There,
If you have discharge from your breast, then I would suggest you see a doc. Have you had this symptom before? That is not normal. Also, I never had any off balance issues.
Take Care and let us know what happens
Laney

[Jaxsie]

hey there,
sorry- I have not felt the balance thing. I have felt the tingling all over and the extreme fatigue though.
Maybe some other ladies might shed soem light. It seemed that with me, whatever I went to the docs about, they said it was probably the cyst! I'm off to the docs agian tomorrow and will post if I have anything to add to this.

best wishes, hang in there- not long till your surgery.