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Can anyone tell me how long from first sign of symptoms until diagnosis it takes to find out that you have ovca?? My symptoms have been going on for about 1.5 years. Is that a long time?? I am going to the gyn/oncologist next month thanks to everyone's advice here.
BTW, about to try Altrum for pain, is anyone familiar with that?? I wish they would stop putting me on pain meds and take this seriously instead. Ugghhhh...
Thanks again!!
Exercise Cancer Appendicitis Surgery Arthritis Advil Back pain Ibuprofen Pregnancy Physical therapy Breast cancer Ovarian cancer Constipation Menopause Pain Heart attack Endometriosis Chiropractic Diarrhea
My symptoms started in the summer of 2005. I had sever urinary problems that they couldn't find a cause for. A kidney specialist told me I was "too healthy" for his practice. The urologist did a cysto as they found blood and white cells as well as bacteria in the urine and he found "bruising" on the posterier wall of the bladder cause unknown. He said I was a mystery and to come back in six months. We left in our RV right after that for the west and into the mountains but the symptoms progressed. We came back as the pain was getting unbearable. Dx 8/07 surgery 9/07. So for me I'd say a good year plus.
dollycat6
The pelvic pain I probably felt for a few weeks. All the other symptoms: frequent urination, fatigue, bloating,fatigue---probably a year or longer.With those symptoms who woulda thunk it?
OMG, I have to go to the restroom all the time. Sometimes I wake up 6 times a night to go. I do not have a large tumor that they can see by ultrasound tho, so I guess that's just from having kids.
About a month for me.....pelvic pain, increased urination, some diarrhea, loss of appetite.
The only symptom that I can identify as going on earlier than that was painful intercourse.
Jeanie
I had symptoms for years...that said...do not take any symptoms lightly...if you have a combination of symtoms or symptoms that do not resolve within a couple of weeks...
Bloating, pelvic discomfort/pain, gas-nausea-indigestion,frequency of urination not explained by UTI, changes in bowel habits, weight gain/loss particulary in abdominal area, persistant unusual fatigue...
Ask for a rectovaginal exam, Transvaginal Ultrasound, possible CA125...
DO NOT be shy or afraid to find out what is wrong...it is your body and you have a right to determine the cause of your ailment...when you find the cause you can treat the cause...regardless...
Best wishes!
The length of time someone has symptoms naturally will vary, but most of us had them for a good while before diagnosis. I personally had them for 6 months before the pain and ascites got so bad, it was finally obvious to one doctor.
I was misdiagnosed, like many of us. They first thought it was a reaction to a strong med I started for arthritis. Months later my gastroenterologist was very suspicious of all the stomach problems and did an ultrasound in his office and told me the shocking news.
A gyn/onc is the right one to see and hopefully you will get some answers. I wish you the best of luck. Let us know how you make out.
I only had symptoms for a month, and my primary care physician is a rock star. She figured it out in one visit.
I will certainly let everyone know whenever I find out. Right now the doctors all just look puzzeled saying maybe it's endometriosis. Even though my symptoms are not really like those at all. We will see....and hopefully it won't be too late. According to them I am just too young.
It is impossible for me to say, as my symptoms really snuck up on me. The one and only definitive one that sent me to my doctor was post menopausal bleeding. And I am so thankful for that, because I likely would not have gone to the doctor until it was too late.
I saw my primary care physician's nurse practitioner on October 16, 2007, and on November 26 was in surgery. It would have been sooner if I had not been determined to take an already planned and anticipated Thanksgiving trip.
I consider myself fortunate in the timing of it all.
I had no real symptoms. In Nov 2004 I thought I was having a heart attack. Went to the ER and they said it was gastroentestinal. Had meds for one month and it went away. A year later I had a slight pain on the left side of my back. Had xray and told nothing was wrong. April 2006 had 30 hot flashes a day. Saw an article about CA125 and asked the doctor for one because the article said to. My CA125 was 128 and got referred to gyn. Had transvaginal ultrasound and was operated on June 2006. Stage IIIC.
I had pain in my right shoulder for 6 months that responded to chiropractic and physical therapy, but kept recurring. Developed abdominal pain and bloating right after a normal colonoscopy and thought it was due to the procedure. My cancer wasn't found for another 4 months. Kept having low back pain though. Never had the "typical" signs and symptoms until about 2 weeks before diagnosis.
I had gas,,embarassing for one year. It was so bad that my daughters teased me that I was qualified for disability. I am not kidding,,it was so extreme.
My waist got big. I wore size 12 pants for years and by the time of diagnosis I had 12 pants but only 18's would button. I thought it was old age.
I think I was sick for longer than a year,,I swear about two years. ANd it was all so vague,,kept trying to lose weight but couldn't exercise, poor tolerance for walking.
ANyway got acute abdominal pain, went to get ct scan as thought I was rupturing colon or something,,cancer, stage 3 c,,the radiologist informed me,,
GEt yourself to a gynocologic oncologist through any means you have to use as soon as possible. That's my two cents.
I had symptoms for only ONE month before being diagnosed, have surgery, and finding out that I had the worst, most aggressive form of ovarian cancer, and that it was already stage 3C. I started chemo three weeks later.
I'm not trying to make you panic, but you do need to find out ASAP!!!!!!!!!!!!
Like all the others post here wasn't diagnosed right away it was probably 5 months and when I think back further I had some signs but didn't seek a doctor about them. I think if your doctor isn't requesting the right tests for you then seek out another doctor. I wish you all the best. I have been on chem now three years and we have finally found a combination of two drugs that have my CA125 lower from 2100 to 127 Yippe
Kathy
I had a complete physical including a pelvic exam in July 2007 because my family practitioner was retiring, and then my first colonoscopy in early September. Everything was fine. Then on September 29th, I had a searing pain in my lower right pelvic area that lasted for 75 minutes, and I felt a little wobbly and nauseous. I googled appendicitis and then called my brother who is a doctor. He said it didn't sound like appendicitis and mentioned that the location was where my right ovary was, and it could be a torqued cyst. About 3 weeks later, I noticed my abdomen growing and was gassy, so I called my brother again and he told me to have a CT scan. And that was it. I had a tumor that was bigger than 7 inches, and surgery showed I was Stage 3C, and yet nothing had been felt during my pelvic exam in July. I had no other symptoms. No fatigue, NOTHING.
My symptoms were so quiet that I dismissed them for quite awhile. I felt "off" for probably 4-6 months, bloating, tired, full feeling, but that also coincided with menopause so I associated my body changes with that. I was uncomfortable for a few months and then whammo I was horribly ill. I was diagnosed with stage IIIC so it had been progressing for sometime without me knowing it. It's true that ovca whispers....you really have to listen. Sadly as in my case by the time I started experiencing problems it had already progressed.
Looking back I realize I had some symptoms on and off for about a year. Post menopausal bleeding sent me to my gyn who sent me for an immediate sonogram (bless her heart) which led to an MRI.
Diagnosed with APST, stage 1c. TAH/BSO done in January. No chemo. I consider myself blessed.
Like others have advised you, get an answer ASAP. I have a friend whose gyn gives all her patients transvaginal sonograms every year. She says it's her way of fighting back against OVC.
Hello,
I had been really sick with recurrent sinus infections beginning in November 2006 -- as soon as I was off antibiotics, it would come back. I had never experienced anything like it before and ended up having Sinus Surgery in April 2007...not fun!
In March 2007 I went in for my annual exam and the OB noted that my left Ovary felt enlarged. She asked me if I had any pain -- I did not so I told no and that was that.
What I did not realize at the time was that I had many of the classic symptoms -- gassy, constipation, tired, and I had lost 18lbs. without trying. She did not ask if I had any of the other symptoms and I did not know enough to volunteer any of this information -- I just thought it was part of being a girl and getting old.
Well...fast forward to July 2007 -- I was pregnant and had switched OB's and was having an ultrasound when the tech noted that I had a mass on my left Ovary. We monitored it for several months and then opted to do surgery in September 2007 -- she was worried it would contort or burst.
Well...I was diagnosed with Ovarian Cancer on September 10, 2007 -- roughly 6 months after my first OB noticed the Ovary was enlarged. We were not able to stage the Cancer officially because of my pregnancy but we know that based on the size (the size of a canteloup), the fact that it was grade 3 and had moved to the fallopian tube, we know it was at least Stage 2 (if not more...I am good with 2).
I honestly think the tumor had been there for some time. I had never been as sick as I was the Fall of 2006 and Spring of 2007 and I think my body was having a difficult time fighting the Cancer and all the Sinus issues.
Jill
Do not let them tell you that you are too young. I was 23 when I was diagnosed as having a Germ Cell Tumor in my left ovary. Malignant Cancer. I had severe back pain, nausea, was urinating like crazy, then after 3 months of no menstrual cycle, I knew that something was wrong. I went to the hospital and they did a pelvic exam, I then went to a gynecologist who after doing a ultrasound and ordering a CA 125 blood test confirmed that I had a tumor, my ovary was the size of a good size pineapple. So I would go to the doc as soon as possible. Its nothing to play with.
I was feeling discomfort in my lower pelvic area-left side for about 3months before I saw a doctor. The pain got worse-not better, so I made an appointment to be seen. I had a routine exam that showed nothing, so he ordered an ultrasound for the next day. That night they had me in for a CT scan. The next week I saw an ob/onc doc. and I had surgery a week and a half later- it went pretty quickly.
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