Enlarged Ovary Scan Anxiety - Please share your stories.
Posted , 2 users are following.
I have been having pelvic pain off and on for over a year now. I am 32 and have two children 3.5 years old and one 20 months old.
My pelvic pain started about a month before I got my first postpartum period and prompted my to schedule my annual GYN appt. They insisted it we because I was getting ready to start my periods again but since it was going on for a few weeks they sent me for an ultrasound in April 2016. All came back normal.
The pain became almost cyclical and my period came roughly every 32-34 days but I was seriously at the OBGYN's office every other month. They thought that since I had a normal ultrasound I didn't need another. I sought PT for pelvic floor dysfunction and this really seemed to help for a while. I was told I have a hypertonic pelvic floor and that my muscles are in a co start state of spasm and therefore very weak. I felt like this explained so much.
Then, in December, I had absolutely horrible low back and pelvic pain in the two weeks leading up to my period. On day 2 or 3 of my period I found myself in the ER and they chalked it up to musculoskeletal pain but decided to give me an ultrasound just in case. I had the ER report and know that everything came back within the normal range, with my one ovary slightly larger than the other.
In January my periods got longer (37 days) and my back pain became more like a burning around my sacrum and I had near constant rectal pressure. Then my next period didn't come for 42 days. I thought it might be stress related but the pain and irregular periods just increased my anxiety which becomes a vicious cycle. I saw a GI doc for the rectal pain and got put on a good fiber regimine that helped a bit.
I also went to my physiatrist for the back pain and got a Kenalog injection in my right SI joint. I had a horrible flare and lots of side effects, including hot flashes, night sweats, flushing, and irregular (frequent) periods. Due to an almost immediate, extreme increase in pain following the injection, I begged my physiatrist for an MRI; he ordered a lumbar and pelvic MRI that was done on day 2 or 3 of my period that came on day 29 and the results came back clean according to the radiologist and my physiatrist's PA. The PA actually said "I can't believe they got the pelvic approved, usually they only do that if you have cancer." Thanks...? Then she said, "The good news is they found no masses or structural abnormalities so it's likely all muscular."
I got my next period 12 days into my cycle and called my GYN and had the MRI results sent to them. I was due for my annual exam and they couldn't get me in any sooner so I waited the 10 days. In that time my back, pelvic and rectal pain were actually feeling better at that point. Told my doc the symptoms of irregular periods and they were well aware of my pain last year; she said we should do blood work for PCOS. Got my routine pelvic exam and was told everything looked/felt fine. Literally the next day felt super bloated and like I had UTI symptoms/frequent urination and urge to urinate. I waited a week and then called my GYN when the symptoms hadn't subsided. She immediately ordered a urine culture and a pelvic ultrasound. Hormone bloodwork and urine culture came back "normal" so they said they would wait to see the results of the ultrasound.
It seems like any scan is a precursor for my periods to start and I just got my period on Wednesday before my ultrasound yesterday (Friday) afternoon. I thought it was funny I was getting an ultrasound when they told me there was nothing on my MRI but went with it.
They told me I could empty my bladder before the TV part of the ultrasound; when I came back into the exam room, I saw the monitor that showed the measurements of my ovaries. I never should have looked! One was roughly 2.5cm x 2.3cm X1.5cm. The other was 6.3cmx5cmx4cm or something along those lines.
OF COURSE I was freaked and looked up enlarged ovary online and have been off and oncrying ever since, just convinced I have ovarian cancer. I have extreme health anxiety with self body-checking OCD's so I'm a mess at the moment.
What were anyone else's symptoms with their cysts? Did it come on quickly? Is it possible to have a clean MRI and an abnormal ultrasound about 4 weeks apart? Maybe it's just a cyst but doesn't seem to make sense with my clean ultrasound/MRI history and timing of my cycle... Unless the kenalog has my ovary in overdrive. If it was troubling news do you think they would make me wait the full weekend to hear back or do you think they would have made it a priority to get in touch with me? Please just help me get through the weekend. I spend my days terrified to loose this life I seemed to be too scared and anxious to live. It's just awful. Any help is so greatly appreciated. Thank you.
1 like, 2 replies
louise48034 Romylu
Posted
This could be me. So, if you are asking what other people's symptoms are like - you just described them! You can read my other posts - and I cannot begin to tell you how sorry I am that you are scared and anxious. It is so horrible to feel that way. I was kicked out of the hotel lobby I was staying at because I was crying too much and it was disturbing - it was while I was on the phone with my friend telling her how scared I am that I was going to have cancer.
I have finally seen a gynecological oncologist because I have to have surgery to remove my ovary where there is a cysts.
Keep in mind how rare ovarian cancer is, especially at your age. I wish I could say something to make the worrying stop, but it wasn't until I saw the oncologist, who was so amazingly comforting, that I finally calmed down.
I am waiting to have surgery scheduled at any moment! I think you will be fine!
Romylu louise48034
Posted
Thank you so much for this. I'm so thankful to hear from real people rather than constantly having the "10 Vague Symptoms That Might Mean You Have (insert horrible disease here)" lists pop up with every Google search.
Best of luck to you with your surgery!