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Lessons Learned - Update

Posted , 5 users are following.

laura-lee86160
laura-lee86160

Hello!

Just an update on my situation - and hopefully this will help others.

I posted 3 weeks ago after I had an internal ultrasound done. I had gone to my GP because my periods were getting worse than usual and I was getting ovulation pain which I didn't have before. My GP was pretty dismissive but sent me for the ultrasound. She called me the next day sounding very upset and worried. There was a 12cm "mass" on my right ovary and possibly malignant. She referred me to a gynecologist specialist who didn't even see me, just referred me to another specialist.

I went for another 3D ultrasound at the hospital the week later, and then to see the specialist. He said that it "wasn't cancer" and sent me for blood work and a MRI - marked as urgent.

I saw the specialist again yesterday and......there is no cyst. No "mass" either....well.....the mass is a blocked fallopian tube. Both are blocked with either fluid or blood. I also have endometriosis. I am on pills to hopefully help the endometriosis and go back in a few months to schedule laproscopic surgery to remove/unblock my tubes. Definitely a way better outcome than first thought.

So for all of those going through something like this......I would say......first off, don't trust your GP too much as they aren't the specialist. Take everything with a grain of salt until you see the specialist. Also, don't worry too much until you have the MRI results. It seems like they can't tell much until they do the MRI. In my case, "malignant" was written all over my chart until after the MRI when they actually knew what was going on.

I really think that GPs need to take more time with patients and fully explain things instead of just mentioning ovarian cancer and malignancy during the first conversation and after just 1 ultrasound.....before blood tests and a MRI! Maybe that was just my GP but I really wish I had known some of these things 3 weeks ago.

I am blessed to be living in Canada - exactly 3 weeks from first ultrasound.....during that time I had 2nd ultrasound, blood tests, MRI, xray and saw gynecological specialist twice.

Hope this helps calm someone's nerves......I was a real mess and basketcase, unneccessairly. I love how my GP said "ovarian cancer and malignancy" but then told me to go on with life, wait and see and be calm....HA HA.

Stay strong!

1 like, 6 replies

6 Replies

  • Guest
    Guest laura-lee86160

    Posted

    Thanks for sharing.. I went through a similar nightmare.... went in for surgery wondering if my complex cyst with suspicious traits would be benign. It was. I lost my lost ovary......

    I want to write more. I will try this weekend.

    Sorry that you got scared, but you should be proud of how you took matters into your own hands! Good for you..

    Will try and come back to this forum this weekend.

  • Ellie1943
    Ellie1943 laura-lee86160

    Posted

    Glad to hear you had a good outcome Laura. I agree that GP's are a bit offhand with us at times. I don't think they really understand how news like this affects us or they don't know how to empathise with us. It's all very clinical to them. You were lucky to get the tests done so promptly though, it takes much longer here in UK unless initial blood test, CA125 has a high score. Take care, Pollyanna UK smile

    • laura-lee86160
      laura-lee86160 Ellie1943

      Posted

      Yes.... It's all very clinical to them! We are just another file. It's funny, I had the CA125 done last. When I saw the specialist he asked what my CA125 results were and was quite surprised that my Dr hadn't sent me for any blood tests yet...... Nope! Ha ha. I don't think my case was typical. But I'm still blessed to have progressed through the system so quickly.

  • sanya11314
    sanya11314 laura-lee86160

    Posted

    I have added your update as a link to your previous post.

    I highly recommend any post creator to update their original post(s)/questions because internet searchers come across similar symptoms in these posts (like your previous post)

    and do not find the answer reading through all replies.

    There are so many posts in these forums, that would fit e.g. our symptoms, but other than asking the question, getting replies and suggestions, the poster never came back to update or give final answer even after years or if it was still the same.

    Thank you so much for updating and yes, I posted your link on your post for that reason for people reading the other post and not having the update.  Hope it was ok.

    (I always try to say that an ultrasound is a wonderful screening tool, with doppler utility picturing vascularisation even better to give a hint what the mass or cyst was made of, but never a 100% answer, of course, how should it. MRI would be the next step. Any findings in ultrasound hence never ever scare me and I had quite some tumors in my life. I rather have something found than overlooked.)

    • laura-lee86160
      laura-lee86160 sanya11314

      Posted

      Thanks for linking my posts Sanya! I didn't think of doing that sad

      Yes I didn't know much about ultrasounds, mris, etc 3 weeks ago but I know a lot more now! My GP seemed to put a lot of trust in the ultrasound so that's how I was originally mislead.

      Hopefully my experience will help to educate and encourage others.

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