Scared my mother has ovarian cancer

Hello everybody.


I've been doing a lot better recently, in that I am functional. Haven't had to take any time off work for mental health related reasons or otherwise. I'm pretty depressed, but I find the symptoms of depression much more manageable than the symptoms of anxiety and what I call 'trauma emotion' (for want of any other term). Those things are still there, but they are mostly suppressed.


But what I am worried about at the moment is my mother's health.


She is 69 and for the last eighteen months or so she has been experiencing bloating. She is naturally thin like me but her abdomnen is markedly swollen these days. It isn't fat. It's something beneath the fat and the muscle. She says she feels bloated.


I remember a few years back she had some similar bloating, but that seemed to subside a little. About two years ago she was getting a strange 'icy' pain in her uterus and went to the doctor. The doctor was actually quite concerned and sent her for a fast track pelvic ultrasound, but the ultrasound was clear. I assume they would have scanned her ovaries, but I don't know?!



The clear ultrasound eased my mind for a while but now I'm worried again. The bloating seems really strange to me and she is generally a bit under the weather and does not have much appetite. She is normally very healthy and energetic. She isn't going to the doctor for a couple of weeks.


Her sister was diagnosed with stage 3 ovarian cancer in her early 70s and died a year later. Apart from that, cancer does not seem to run in the family.


I'm just very concerned, particularly given the family link for ovarian cancer. I have no siblings, no parter, no children. She is my family. I can't have anything happen to her, particularly now that I am no longer a very stable person.

I would imagine they would have scanned her ovaries when they did the ultrasound, so that's hopefully something to calm you down. Perhaps you should ask her if they did?
Bloating and loss of appetite can be caused by many things, and although naturally we always assume the worst, do know that many different and less serious conditions can cause these symptoms.
Best of luck x

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Originally Posted by EmmyDay

I would imagine they would have scanned her ovaries when they did the ultrasound, so that's hopefully something to calm you down. Perhaps you should ask her if they did?
Bloating and loss of appetite can be caused by many things, and although naturally we always assume the worst, do know that many different and less serious conditions can cause these symptoms.
Best of luck x

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

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She can't even remember what they scanned. She's like the opposite of me! She's spoken to the doctor anyway and she's going to have some blood tests. She doesn't have a clue what they're for :')

I'm trying to stay chill.

Thank you for responding.

I had a pelvic ultrasound and they scanned womb, tubes and ovaries. I think it's standard to scan all the organs. Mine was to look at the womb as I had a fibroid which made my stomach look really big but they also found a cyst on an ovary. I had a hysterectomy and both cyst and fibroid were benign. I'm sure they would have seen anything unusual and investigated further. Has your mum any food intolerance? These can make you hugely bloated

Any news on your mum, Jenny?

Yes they would definitely have looked at the ovaries.

Be careful you don't transfer your HA onto her, Jen. Sounds like you've been doing really well!

Hi all, her blood test results were normal. But she doesn't even know what they were for! She's no chance of getting health obsessed like me :')

So, I don't know if they checked for the ovarian cancer marker but I guess I have to assume she's ok. She's still bloated and not able to eat much.

Does her bloating go down in the morning? If so, then it’s very likely nothing serious. Normal blood work is a positive sign as well. Also, does she eat white rice or white bread? My grandmother eats a lot of white carbs and permanently stays bloated because of it. She refuses to switch to whole grain though. As we age our digestion starts to slow too, so maybe it’s that. Do keep us updated :) Best wishes

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Originally Posted by O_O

Hi all, her blood test results were normal. But she doesn't even know what they were for! She's no chance of getting health obsessed like me :')

So, I don't know if they checked for the ovarian cancer marker but I guess I have to assume she's ok. She's still bloated and not able to eat much.

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:) I meant, don't start transferring your fears onto HER health.

IBS is also a possiblity. Coeliac. Or - she's just bloated...