Hi just of course had a few more questions. What was your pain like before diagnosis? Every symptom you may have had? What do you think I may have? Here are my symptoms...A lot of hair growth, major major abdominal pains lower left and right, strange pressure on area right below sternum like diaphram area, random nausea, DON'T get my period but maybe 3 times a year not on birth control, abdominal bloeating/swelling, history of cysts, diahrea, again pain, fatigue, very very tired, gaining weight out of nowhere, frequent urination wake up 3 to four times a night don't knoe if normal or not...Family history of graves disease, MS, diabetes, colon cancer(both grandparents and father now have), breast cancer, lymphoma, melanoma, heart disease, uterine cancer, lung cancer, livert cancer, some type of blood cancer. I've had my gallbladder, tonsils, adenoids, and appendix removed(inverted appendix don't know why?) Haven't been to the doctor in over a year. I realize you ladies have been through a lot. Respect u all.
Already a member? Sign in
Welcome to Inspire!
What - Inspire is a place where you can connect with people who share your health concerns and find information and advice in groups sponsored by organizations you know and trust.
Why - As a member you can use Inspire to let friends and family know how you're doing, contact others who share your health concerns, receive personalized updates and information about participating in surveys and clinical trials, and more.
How - Joining Inspire is completely free and usually takes less than a minute. Join now!
SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS
Explore topics in this discussion:
Heart disease Cancer Surgery Uterine cancer Melanoma Bruises Diabetes Breast cancer Anemia Acne Pain Lung cancer Graves' disease Metformin Diarrhea
10 replies
- Oldest first
- Newest first
- By lilndot
- Posted September 15, 2009 at 6:59 am
- Report post
Please.... Don't male yourself crazy trying to diagnose yourself if you think there is ANY chance you have OVCA. Get yourself to a Gyn/Onc as soon as you can.
It is really important not to wait. With all the cancer in your family it sounds like you could use some genetic testing also.
Get in there and find out what's going on with yourself. You must be your own best advocate.
Good luck and Blessings, Lil
- By AJ70
- Posted September 15, 2009 at 7:54 am
- Report post
My symptoms were few and slight - but I did have some bloating, frequent urination, a feeling of being full quickly, and also - I had a lot of fatigue.
A friend of mine had some of what you are describing - hair growth, no period, pain in pelvis, cysts, diarrhea, weight gain - and she has PCOS - polycystic ovarian sydrome, which is not cancer but is not easy to deal with either. She has been on Metformin to help ease the symptoms, on and off for a few years. So what you are describing could be that.......
However - you need to get a doctor to check it out......tell them your concerns about ovca - and that you want to rule it out due to a history of colon, breast, and uterine cancer in your family. Ask for a CA-125 test and also a pelvic and internal ultrasound.
It is true - we do need to be our own advocates......too many times our symptoms are overlooked as being other things......so make sure to demand an answer...........
Good luck!
Take care,
Amy
- By Mom82
- Posted September 15, 2009 at 7:55 am
- Report post
I believe it is time for you to see a doctor and have a check-up at the very least, blood work with full thyroid panel, test for diabetes, and of course a visit to a Gyn/Onc. You need to find out what is going, the sooner the better. Good luck!
- By tsalagiagaliha
- Posted September 15, 2009 at 8:22 am
- Report post
My first thoughts were of PCOS-not a big deal unless you are trying to conceive. Either way get checked out just to ease your mind. PCOS can be diagnosed thru lab work and ultrasound-mine was about 11 years ago.
- By kimsmom
- Posted September 15, 2009 at 8:27 am
- Report post
other than hair growth, you have enough of the classic symptoms to get to the gyn/onc today and have complete workup, including an abdominal and pelvic CT scan. Hope this is not cancer..but, enough symptoms that you need to move fast.
keep us posted.
hugs and prayers
- By zircons
- Posted September 15, 2009 at 9:36 am
- Report post
Agree with everyone. Make an appointment with a doctor right away. Ask for a CA125 and transvaginal ultrasound. I did not have any of the symptoms for OVCA. My MD let me have a aCA125 which showed something suspicious by being over 35.
- By kennebec
- Posted September 15, 2009 at 10:15 am
- Report post
I wish I had been a reader of this site a year ago. If I had been aware of the symptoms, I would have been diagnosed much sooner than I was. (Diagnosed in Jan 2009 during gall bladder surgery.)
Symptoms:
Slight pressure under right rib when lying down. Went on for months.
Frequent urination. Preventive trips to the bath before going anywhere daytime. Trips at night 3-5 times. I thought it was just a sign of "getting old". Not!!!
Bloating. Thought I was getting fat. I wear a size 12 but found it increasingly difficult to keep my jeans fitting no matter what I ate.
An episode a year ago of iron-deficiency anemia which cleared up with 1-a-day vitamins with iron. Yep, that, too, can be a symptom. There was no other explanation for the anemia and it never returned.
A vague feeling of fatigue. I attributed it to getting old - I'm in my 60s. Having completed my chemo in July 09, I feel better now than I did a year ago.
My blood tests during a physical in December were "normal" except for a higher-than-normal reading of alkaline phosphatase. Google suggested problems such as liver/bones/cancer/gall bladder. I pressed for ultrasound of my gall bladder which led to surgery which led to OvCa diagnosis.
I sensed something wrong. But I didn't know what. This forum is a good "heads-up" to you and the other ladies have advised you exactly as I would...make an appt with a doc, preferably a gyn/onc.
Read the following link in regards to what many of us have experienced as symptoms.
http://www.inspire.com/groups/ovarian-cancer-national-alliance/discussion/h ow-was-your-ovca-discovered/
Bless you. Don't be afraid. We're all taking this walk one day at a time.
- By dollycat6
- Posted September 15, 2009 at 5:15 pm
- Report post
mine seemed to stem around urinary symptom...frequency, unable to finish without puching my abdomen which hurt like the devil and up at night 4-5 times. Wish I knew about
this site anyway I saw a kidney spec. who said I was too healthy for him. The urologist did a cysto found bruises on the posterior wall of the bladder, unaccounted for blood and unable to empty my bladder. He said I was a puzzle after the cat scan was normal. I didn't know anout CA125. 9 monhs later when I could hardlt walk due to abdominal pain (we were out west RVing) came right back home and they felt the tumor rectal and vaginally. The rest is history. 2nd opinion ovca stage 3. dollycat6
- By God_Is_Faithful
- Posted September 16, 2009 at 12:44 pm
- Report post
I had most of your symptoms. Just as tsalagiagaliha said it could be PCOS. I am not a doctor- so you need to get yourself checked by a doctor an Ultrasound and CT should tell you what's wrong.
For me I was misdiagonsed with PCOS for 7yrs before I found out I had an ovarian tumor. I had excess hair like you did, very irregular periods. But when my physician thought I had PCOS she put me on the pill and I had a period every month. I decided I wanted to get off the pill, and because I had moved to a new state for grad school i saw a different doctor and thats when I knew I had a cancerous tumor that was secreting testosterone hence the irregular periods, excess hair, acne, even my voice got deep. I back pains every now and then but it wasn't serious so I brushed it off I am not trying to scare you. If your testosterone is over 200 then it might be a tumor. if below 200 then it could be PCOS. But again I am not a doctor...I am only telling you from my experience and thats what made the doctor order an ultrasound and a ct because the testosterone was over 200.
Don't go crazy. See a doctor ASAP. It might not be anything serious. But please get yourself checked.
- By melf
- Posted September 16, 2009 at 1:38 pm
- Report post
Some tumors produce hormones- its a classic sign of GCT, a rare form of ovca. Could explain the hair growth. I had all of your symptoms as well.
Please make the call and get in to a gyne onc ASAP.
Take care of you
Melissa
Add to the discussion