Ultrasound today and very anxious ...help!

[WiseMonkey]

Hi I'm new here, but not new to HA which I've had all my life, I'm 59.

Today I see my gynaecologist for a transvaginal scan and smear etc. I have this every year. I had one 10 months ago when I developed lower right sided, lower abdominal pressure pains. The scan was all clear and the symptoms abated and disappeared for 6 months.

Then 6 months on (Nov time) is started again, only this time with some intermittent cramping and occasional shooting pain. I convinced myself that it must be nothing serious as it was intermittent and there were weeks/months in between where I was clear.

Then soon I began worrying about it, goggled symptoms some of which I have and panicked, am so scared that it may be appendix cancer, which can spread and affect pelvic organs and others in abdomen! This is a rare cancer and affects only 1 in a million (there are only 4.5 million people where I live in New Zealand. I don't think there are any Drs who even treat this in NZ... here I go getting ahead of myself!!

I'm also beating myself up for not going straight to the Dr at the first reoccurrence!

My logical brain says surely I can't have this, then my huge anxiety kicks in and my good logic flies out the window.

I've also got an abdominal scan booked in for Fri to check out the other organs.

I find it near on impossible to focus on anything but my situation and the anxiety, although I did mow my quarter acre section yesterday afternoon. which helped.
I'm praying everything will go ok today, which is half the battle, then the rest on Fri. Feedback most welcome, Lesley.

[LilGsMama]

The Anxiety V Logic battle in our heads is a pain in the butt!!

I hope that everything goes well for you. I've had a few TV scans. I always pity anyone performing those things or cervical smears on me as I have an uncontrollable urge to giggle, even when I'm scared. They probably think I'm crazy!

Sending you a hug and good vibes. Keep us posted xxx

:hugs:

[countrygirl]

I am guessing you are referring to carcinoid syndrome that tends to show itself in the appendix. It is extremely rare as you know so logically your pains are more likely to be either bowel or gyny in origin.

To make you laugh, when I was first entering peri menopause and didn't know it I would have hot flushes for a few weeks then nothing for 6 months and each time this happened I would panic and then rush to the loo as nerves always goes to my bowel. Of course I had read that carcinoid syndrome can give you flushing and loose bowels so guess what I rushed off to the Dr ( the dr I had then was totally unsympathetic to health anxiety) and told her what I was worried about and she just laughed in disbelief and said " only you could worry about this".

[WiseMonkey]

Hi thanks for your replies :)

Yes my Dr says I could sit in her chair and see the rest of her patients but she also says it's good to be informed :) Even if all my scan results are good she's still going to refer me on to bowel specialist. She says that I need to get it sorted as the pain issue has been there for a while. The reassuring thing is that it's intermittent, she said that if it was cancer the pain be consistent and become worse. I do tell her my fears which is good, and she doesn't judge me.

Yes there is the carcinoid cancer of the appendix but the non-carcinoid type are much more aggressive! My Dr has seen one case of carcinoid of the appendix (in a population of 4.2 million in NZ), which was treated successfully. She said lymphoma is quite common, hence the bowel cancer specialist.
My Dr is very thorough which is good. I just hate the waiting, it does my head in and my anxiety levels soar. PS my nerves go straight to my bowels as well LOL

Update ... the transvaginal scan and blood tests were all clear, now for the abdominal and renal u/s Friday.