So confused after Gynaecologist appointment

Hi Ali that sounds a ridiculous waiting time for a laparoscopy and the cynic in me wonders if this gynaecologist is just after the private fees!

I would ring your GP and ask him what the waiting time is at your hospital and if indeed it is so long I’d ask him/her to refer you to another nhs facility with a shorter waiting time, you are well within your rights to do this!

And as this gynae has stated because your Ca125 isn’t raised it’s not OC I’d also doubt his knowledge base, not wanting to worry you but some forms of OC do not raise Ca125, I’m sure he’s based his opinion on other things too like your ultrasound etc and hopefully he’s right but I would want the laparoscopy doing much sooner than that as you need to know what’s causing your symptoms and resolve them as soon as you can!

Let us know how you get on

Bev x

Hello

After a visit to A&E with kidney stones a CT scan showed a mass on my right ovary , pressing on my right ureter.

I am very thankful that I have private health care and immediately followed up with a gynaecological oncologist , after a TV ultrasound with a specialist radiologist they found a complex septated cyst, ,I had similar symptoms to you but no mid cycle bleeding they adopted a watch and wait policy, the cyst had probably been there 4-5 months before it was found incidentally and after a further 6 weeks a repeat TVUS scan a CA125 test which was normal, also MRI scan which confirmed the cyst had reduced to 1.5 cm Symptoms reduced no further leg and lower back pain and no right sided flank pain

Found adenomyosis, a fibroid and some endometriosis.

Really surprised at the CA125 comment!

did he tell you if it’s a complex or simple functional cyst? Have you had an MRI scan?

Honestly I think you are absolutely right To be concerned and ask more questions, my consultant saw surgery as an option only when the non invasive options were exhausted

I have an excellent paper on cysts a lovely lady on the site gave me and happy to share if you ping your email across

All the best x

So glad your cyst was ok and hopefully you’re only here as it’s a lovely community and you are knowledgable about reproductive organs!?

Thanks for your time xx

Don't trust them- ask for another NHS appointment- some cysts can be malignant and if hormone fueled do not register with the CA125 test. Really don't want to worry you but the mid cycle bleeds aren't really normal.

Hope your private chap was right.

Anne

Thank you, I appreciate that. I’m still worried. I’m pretty sure if my Mum is happy to pay I’m going to book myself in for the end of October privately.

Who do you think I should see at NHS - another Gynaecologist? This guy does both x

Whereabouts are you based? I'm sure the NHS would see you if you are still experiencing the same symptoms.

How strange- I visited Poole a fortnight ago! Don't know anything about the Health service in that area, although my son in law's sister was a GP in Poole until about six weeks ago. I'm in East Sussex so ended up seeing a brilliant consultant in Brighton.

At an Ovacome AGM some years ago it was brought up that GPs need more training on signs of OC.

Love and prayers

Anne

That is funny! It’s a lovely place

Usually I am very happy with the NHS and services here but the errors made, the apathy in the people I have dealt with recently and the delay in even getting an appointment is worrying!

I would hope if they find something to treat things would change as at the moment they’ve made me feel like a hypochondriac and neurotic pain in the backside and so not taking it all seriously!

So scary when realistically our lives our on their hands.

A friend has a family member who is a GP called me today and said he is being very cautious with 30-40 week wait and she’d guess at 20 weeks but he’s the gynae surgeon so not sure what to believe. He may be exaggerating to get me to go with him private!? When discussed the appointment she was shocked that he didn’t even feel my tummy! She says I definitely need the surgery but thinks I should wait as obviously nothing sinister!!

Thank you for the love and prayers and sending them back to you x

Hi Ali, I had a fluid cyst that was left in too long it became cancerous and it became so large that it attached to other organs as a result I now have low grade serous ovarian cancer. However I am in a minority and had it been recognised before the outcome would have been different. My guess is that they are monitoring your cyst to make sure it doesn’t grow because many do go away on their own. As the NHS is so over stressed they don’t see it as urgent. It’s a difficult decision to make for you. Gather all the info you can and ask for a ct scan. Good luck and lots of good wishes, Lesley

Sorry if i’ve missed it, but is this doctor a gynaeoncologist, or just an ob-gynae? I wouldn’t pay to have a basic gynae look around for cancer. He’s not qualified.

If it’s a simple cyst, most people have them at some point or another. It’s not particularly big at 53 mm. As you say, you don’t know if it’s causing your symptoms, and neither does he. You could spend £5000 and be none the wiser.

I’d stick with the NHS, at this stage. Have you told your GP about the bleeding? There’s no rush with simple cyst. Have you been investigated for gastro problems? It’s good to keep ovarian in mind, because the symptoms are similar, but it seems unlikely that a simple cyst would be causing so much pain in so many places.

Talk to your GP, stress the bleeding and see if you can get a referral. If you’re close to menopause, it might be hormonal. But I don’t like the sound of this doctor.

Speaking as someone who was told my 22cm ‘cyst’, complex, was probably cancer by an ob-gynae, referred to gynae-onc who looked at the same scans and immediately said, ‘ Benign’.

Honestly think it is worth your while to be referred to gynae oncologist just to be sure, you want someone with this experience to have a look inside not just a standard gynae. Good luck 🌹

If it is going to give you peace of mind then let gynae have a look but with such a small chance it being something sinister, maybe worth paying for one more gynae opinion before you go ahead? So worrying for you but try to keep as positive as possible and hopefully it will be something easy fixed. X