Terrified I have OC. Please help!

[Jencs1983]

Sorry if I've posted this in the wrong place. I'm new here and my head is all over the place!

I'm 40, I live in Manchester, UK and I like Dr Google too much.

A couple of months ago, I had a weird period that lasted one day. It came on all of a sudden, was quite painful and there was heavy bleeding for a few hours with large blood clots. By the next day, it had stopped. I was slightly worried at the time, because this was totally abnormal for me (suffered with many absent periods since my menstrual cycle began when I was 12). I eventually put it down to having irregular periods and forgot about it.

Fast forward 5 days, and I noticed that I had slight pain in my breasts, which I usually get before my period starts. The next day, I was on a period again. It was extremely heavy, quite painful and the blood clots were huge. I was very scared and was soaking through sanitary products like it was nobody's business. This went on for 11 days with no signs of stopping, so I contacted my GP and she immediately referred me for an ultrasound (abdominal and transvaginal) She also prescribed me a course of Norethisterone which stopped the bleeding.

So I had my scan, and was told by the sonographer that I have a "sizeable simple cyst" on my left ovary. My GP later confirmed that it was 15cm x 10cm and arranged the CA125 test and referred me to Gynaecology. I was terrified and still am. I had the blood test 12 days ago and I've heard nothing. I can't receive test results through my NHS app. How long should I expect to wait for the results? I've also noticed recently that I look 9 months pregnant and my upper abdomen feels hard. I'm very overweight though, and I have always carried most of my flab around my middle, so I'm not sure if I'm bloated or just fat. I am also constipated.

To cut a long story short, I've convinced myself that I have OC, and I am really in need of someone to talk to (my family and friends think I'm worrying over nothing).

Sorry for the long post and thanks in advance for any answers. They will mean a lot to me.

I had a clear smear two years ago and I've also had type 1 diabetes since 1998. I also have hypothyroidism, if this information helps at all.

[Lyndy]

Hello, sorry you are feeling so worried, not great that it’s bank holiday weekend and there’s no one to ask!

Your doctor is doing the sensible thing and aiming to rule out OC as a cause for your symptoms,. By all means give them a call tomorrow to find out what has happened to your results. Tell them you are very anxious.

Unfortunately no one can tell you what is going on until the medics have done their stuff.

Try if you can to stop googling, distract yourself with something you enjoy and be really kind to yourself, this is a very stressful time.

Tomorrow the Ovacome helpline will be open and also Macmillan phone lines..you don’t need a diagnosis to ask for help xx

[Goodgirl98]

I am sorry you are going through this. I know that the waiting is the most difficult part. In India ca125 results are shared within 12 hours but I have seen in this forum that UK protocol is different. Do hang in there and hope it will be something simple to treat when you hear back. And please stay away from Google because the way the (MIS) information is organised there, every symptom you have can be linked to every deadly disease there is. Hugs.

[RoseMS]

I would chase up the CA125 results. At my surgery they (the CA125) are released to the GP long before the patient portal. I presume its because its a cancer marker and therefore if raised it needs to be disseminated and GP needs to inform patient and discuss way forward.

[delia2]

Hi. I’m sorry you are so worried. It’s good that they are doing the right tests to be sure it’s not cancer. If the cyst is simple that’s a good sign. As you may have seen on Google there are different kinds of OC and sometimes the really big tumors in younger women are a more curable type. I hope you get answers soon!

[Jencs1983]

Hi all,

Thanks for your replies. You'll not realise how grateful I am for them.

I called my GP yesterday and the receptionist told me that my blood test came back "normal - no action required", so I'm feeling much better.

I guess I have a long wait to see a Gynaecologist now, but I'm in the system and I know that there are women out there that need their help with much more urgency than myself.

Thanks again all.

[Jennifer1959]

Hello! What a horrible worrying time you must have had! I am glad that you are feeling much better now that you've had some reassurance about your blood test results. I am also glad you're in the system to see a Gynaecologist - make sure that appointment is scheduled and that you go. Its best to check things out and be on the safe side. Hugs x