Hi there, i posted a few months ago regarding problems i was having with repeated smears with abnormal cells resulting in two colposcopy's. A few of you mentioned then the possibility of ovarian cancer. However i put all of this out of my mind as i felt i was doing to much worrying & dwelling on all of this, so, over the past few weeks i have been experiencing symptoms of which when typed into google (self-diagnosis isn't best i know) keeps bringing up possibilities of ovarian cancer.
My symptoms are:
abdominal discomfort, often painful,
bowel habits went from non-regular to regular (rushing to toilet & soft) to now irregular again without changing my diet,
lower back pain, which can become extreme on times but not through extra physical exhersion,
feeling full quickly after eating (though i have'nt lost appetite),
fatigue (although this is normal for me due to hypothyroidism)
a bloated, flabby belly that i cannot shift (although i have had two children!)
Also just before xmas, without even trying i lost 5lb which is very abnormal as with my underactive thyroid i have been unable to lose even a lb in 2 years!!
I guess a few of these symptoms could be linked with hypothyroidism, i know i should go to the doctor with these symptoms but my GP isn't very reliable & have dismissed a few of these symptoms in the past.
I guess i just want some advice,( without stating the obvious about seeing GP(which i will do soon )
& would like to hear how those of you with ovarian cancer got diagnosed, what were your symptoms etc any information would be great
Thanks for reading
x x
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underactive_stevie
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22 Replies
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Hi,
My symptoms were that I needed to spend a penny (pass urine) more often than usual, tummy was bloated, I noticed I needed to sit down more often than usual ie at bus stops etc (couldn't stand for long) but I didn't experience any pain though.
When you go to your GP ask for a blood test CA125 to be taken and although not always an accurate test it might indicate that something is wrong. Best wishes love x G x
I'm glad to hear you are did your doctor listen to you straight away? & if you don't mind me asking how old were you upon diagnosis? I am 29 & although i know it can affect anyone of any age, i know for a fact my doctor thinks im 'too young' as he has said it before when i wanted to get checked for a lump i found on my breast
However there is a lady doctor at my clinic who is apparently very good but appointments can take weeks, i think trying her is my best bet
Hi Gwyn, sorry i could'nt reply directly to your comment, kept saying error! That's one i forgot to mention, i am frequently passing urine, more so at night (i'm up at least four times through the night) but this is also linked to hypothyroidism & one i was putting down to my medication long before other symptoms came along! I guess i'm putting off the GP as i know this is what he will put it all down to, being underactive, which the case may be! But i guess i just want someone to listen to me & be prepared to check me out, which in turn makes me feel i am over-dramatising the whole thing! What a predicament! I'm overthinking the whole thing!! x
I think you should request a CA125 blood test it is not an expensive test...so if it shows something untoward your doctor could investigate further to see exactly what is wrong... if it isn't OC (and I hope it isn't) then there is obviously something wrong you don't get symptoms for nothing and surely it would be a good thing to get it cleared up.
The trouble with OC symptoms it is the same symptoms for other conditions too.
Love and best wishes x G x
Ps the error thing keeps coming up with me as well !!!
Ok, so i will pluck up the courage & take the plunge! Now i also know what blood test to request it makes me feel more confident! But i also cannot help thinking my GP will look at me as a paranoid person who has 'self-diagnosed' online!! But stuff it, it will put my mind at rest at least
Hi...when I went to my GP I looked the picture of health, it does take a lot to convince them that there is something wrong.... in my case however, I left it too late, I had a lump the size of a very large melon so it was obvious, (I wish I had gone sooner)... it is better to be wrong and waste their time than the alternative...no one will look out for you unless you look out for yourself ...I know you are young and it seems unlikely (and maybe it is) the youngest person on this site (as far as I know) was nineteen when she was diagnosed and there are other people the same age as you...I don't mean to worry you but at the very least try and get the cheap blood test done...love x G x
I would strongly recommend you find the home page for Ovacome and click on Symptoms Tracker. This enables you to log your symptoms on a day-by-day basis, print out and take to your doctor. You do list some of the classical symptoms of Ovarian Cancer but it equally could be other things as well.
If you're not entirely satisfied with your GP could you find another - either in the same practice or in another practice altogether. It's important to build up a relationship with a GP with any long term or chronic condition and your underactive thyroid will surely need regular checks with the GP surgery.
Your GP could ask for a CA125 test - which as Angie says isn't a reliable indicator in all cases - but also a scan would help to identify if there's anything you need to be doing about this.
My only symptoms were to start with feeling tired and I told my GP I felt unwell and wanted some tests as I felt something was wrong. He chatted for some while and put me on a month's sick leave for work-related stress as I'd worked impossibly long hours trying to get my work done, and my father was also critically ill at the time.
In the month he asked me to agree to do some form of exercise three times a week for half an hour. We agreed on swimming and he told me to return to him in 2 weeks to let him know if I was feeling better. In that time I notice a little pain in my abdomen when I swam and I wasn't hungry which was very unusual. The GP referred me for a scan the very next day. We agreed I'd pay privately for this, and within a week I had an emergency appointment with a gynaecologist. By the time I saw the gynaecologist I was in terrible pain - rolling round the floor type of pain. The lumps in my uterus were thought to be fibroids with one unidentifiable mass. The whole lot was pressing against the bowel causing the pain once every 24 hours as food matter passed by.
I had an appointment with a gynae-oncologist surgeon within a week of this who gave me the diagnosis and booked surgery about two weeks later.
I can't remember exact dates and timescales but I do remember some important dates around the diagnosis and treatment. I recall seeing my GP on 5th March and my Dad died on 9th March 2011. I was recovering from surgery by May and had received two infusions of chemotherapy by 30 July when I got married. The last chemotherapy session was the first week in November 2011 and I've been in remission since that date. If you have a diagnosis of Ovarian Cancer the NHS will move very fast and you would receive treatment within weeks.
I hope you get these problems sorted out very soon and have an action plan for treatment/recovery. I hope more than anything that it's not Ovarian Cancer.
I have to admit when i was diagnosed with Hypothyroidism, my GP was efficient & although i went with what i thought was depression, was quickly diagnosed & put onto medication, however, i was never given any info on the illness, all i had to do was make appointments for bloods every 6 weeks & was told to take the meds!
Now as i am 'adequately medicated' on the blood results all i have to do is go every year for bloods i found out more through the thyroiduk website & now rely on that heavily rather than going to my GP. I have been on numerous occassions about my lower back pain & have also mentioned abdominal pain & discomfort in the past to no avail, i have also been treated with IBS before, which to be honest is what i thought the symptoms must be at first, now i'm not too sure.
Thanks for your reply & i will definately keep you updated
I was 57 when first diagnosed the week of 9/11 2001. Initially I was treated for Iritable Bowel for three weeks. As we were due to fly to Canada on the Friday I went to Dr again as I did not think I could sit on a plane for so long. Following an examination in which he said he thought he could feel a mass I saw a surgeon on the Thursday and admitted immediately. Removal of womb, ovaries and omentum followed and by end of October started on Carbo/taxol chemo.
I lived a normal life resumed skiing, walking cycling etc then 2009/10 found it had recurred.
I had a debulking operation followed by chemo but taxol was affecting fingers and feet too much so only had three sessions but six of carbo. 13months passed then had carbo/caelyx
12months later I am about to embark on Rotterdam Regimen end of January. I look and feel
well so it is hard to imagine what is happening internally.
My CA125 has always been relatively low so not 100% reliable indicator at least not for me.
Persevere with your doctor you know your own body and no you are not being paranoid. If it is ovarian cancer the sooner you find out the better your chances.
I had been having symptoms for a few months but for some stupid reason I ignored them. I was on a bit of health kick at the time so put the change in bowels habits (loose stools) down to my change of diet, The pain in my lower abdomen down to Zumba classes. The wanting to wee more often and heavy and painful feeling in my abdomen down to a prolapse. Eventually I decided to go to the DR when I started getting a watery discharge and was shocked when she said she said I had a swelling. My CA125 blood test came back at 229. Luckily my tumour was borderline but it had leaked and I had to have extensive surgery. Persevere wtih your DR and get yourself checked out as you are obviously concerned. Hopefully it won't be OC but you won't know until you have further tests done. Just rememembered one other thing. When I went on my diet I lost weight everywhere, apart from my tummy which I had put down to having children. Since my surgery I have lost my belly (much to the annoyance of my mother in law, as she can't tease me about it any more lol), Take care and good luck, Best wishes Kerry x
I had a lot of pain intermittently, maybe once every few weeks, on one side, but no other symptoms. I did have to get up in the night to use the toilet sometimes, but not always, although since my hysterectomy my bladder is quite weak
You know your own body, but you could also be worrying needlessly. Thyroid problems seem to still be coming up a lot .....
I'd been having very similar symptoms for a couple of years, so I was lucky to be diagnosed via an ultrasound scan for fibroids, I was referred by my GP after lots of visits (all the details are on my profile)
You shouldn't get fobbed off now, with those symptoms. If you feel you need some medically recognised evidence, there is a BEATonline symptom tracker which you can fill in, print out and take in to see your GP. It's via the Ovacome website (not this site) on ovacome.org.uk On the home page, you'll see 'BEAT ovarian cancer with Ovacome' click on that and scroll down till you find the link to the symptom tracker. You can then fill it in and print it out. Your GP should listen to this.
Do go to get your symptoms checked out. Mine was ten years ago, so it's sometimes a much better outcome than you fear at first.
Tried replying to your comment LA, but kept getting the 'aw snap' message! Just to say there is a blog about a kegel trainer for pelvic floor exercises, available as an app for your phone! I've been using it for a few weeks and its making a difference. It's ever so good at reminding me to do what I always meant to but always forgot! Hope you ca find it. It's by Olson Apps. Keeeeeeep clenching! .............
I must admit, if I were you I would go for the lady doctor. Mine got my ca 125 done just on me mentioning occasional discomfort on making love! I always try to see her now, and the receptionist know it. You are never to young for OC, there was a 21 year old at the hospital last week. Get yourself checked out ASAP.
Thanks everyone for your comments! It's been great to hear your stories & i appreciate it lots you will be pleased to know that i picked up the phone today & rang the surgery, unfortunately the date i wanted to go in Feb (due to work & my hubby being able to have the kids) can't be booked so early in advance, but the receptionist said if i ring next week it should be fine, this is a big step for me! However, i shall be brave & take with me a list of my symptoms & the thought in my mind of all you lovely ladies!
Thanks again & hugs to you all
Steph
x x
Steph, not to seem alarmist but I would find a way to get in earlier. It might not be an emergency - but it may be. If, though lets hope not, it turns out to be OC you don't want any delays - there are enough in the system as it is. My opinion is that you say stuff work, get a sitter and push for an immediate appointment, get that CA125 test, get answers. Sorry but I delayed and kicked myself for not going earlier. I might well have delayed longer if I hadn't been pushed to see GP for first time in years - and was diagnosed stage 3c. Could easily have got to stage 4.
Hi Sue, taking your advice i rang today but the soonest available appointment anyway is 18th Feb, not too long tho i suppose, at least now i have booked one & won't be able to talk myself out of it again!
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