View Full Version : OB/GYN visit today - so scared - any ladies tell me what this could mean?
Hi -
I have been having major anxiety related to some lower abdominal/pelvic pain and bloated feeling off and on. I was terrified of ovarian cancer. I had my annual exam today, and mentioned to her how I had been feeling. When she did a pelvic exam, she said she felt an "enlargement." Said it was hard to tell where exactly it was but felt more like in my uterus since it seemed to be more towards the middle. Now, I am scheduled for an ultrasound in 2 days. She mentioned the word mass several times, and in the potential things it could be, mentioned cancer. I am so unbelievably scared right now. Has anyone had something like this that turned out to be nothing? Please help - I don't know how I am going to make it until Wednesday.
Yes, I did and my GYN said "your uterus feels enlarged"
I had
Endometrial biopsy
Pap test
Pelvic and internal ultrasound
Bloodwork
Diagnosis: fibroids
megan,
Though I can't say I've had the exact same thing I have has cysts and enlarged lymph nodes and other things in the pelvic region that were not worrisome.
Please keep us posted if you can.
It's great that you brought up how you were feeling, and that she took you seriously, and is doing her due-diligence as a doctor to alleviate your fears.
Doctors have a lot of "shop talk" and use words all the time to try and just cover off a bunch of things, "mass" doesn't equal cancer.
Try and distract yourself over the next two days with things that you enjoy. A good book, lunch with friends, a project at work. Try and pass your time productively.
I am waiting for some results myself right now and two days feels agonizing to me as well. But the time will not change so it's best for me to try and spend those two days doing something other than worry. The worry doesn't change anything except how horrible I feel.
It's so difficult, but my thoughts are with you
-Dora
Thank you both. I keep going on and on in my head about wondering if I've been ignoring symptoms and chalking minor issues up to health anxiety and now I have cancer which has spread everywhere. You hear of stories where women have very mild symptoms and are diagnosed with terminal cancer. I am really trying to keep it together. I just keep telling myself -
A: My pain would not come and go over a period of a few months (where it will be there for a few days then gone for several days or weeks) if it was cancer right?
B: The frequent urination issue I'm having has to be unrelated and due to anxiety right? If it was a physical issue causing it, wouldn't I have to get up at night to pee, it would not only be during the day right?
Also I'm only 36 and I have no risk factors other than being overweight and a former smoker. But - try telling my anxiety riddled mind that.
I know how scared you must be, but try to hold on to the fact that your doctor has already said she thinks it is probably your uterus - there, already it is not ovarian cancer! :) As Dora points out, "mass" covers a multitude of sins, and a lot of them are benign. The most common cause of an enlarged uterus are fibroids, which can be large, multiple or both and cause all sorts of problems (I know, I had them! They resolved with menopause). If that is what you have, it is certainly possible for the uterus to be pressing on your bladder, hence the frequent urination. It is in any case very common to have to get up in the night to pee - nothing to worry about. Also ovarian cancer is RARE and even more so at your age. I think you will be greatly reassured after your ultrasound - let us know! Best wishes from Annie :hugs:
GlassPinata
31-01-17, 00:25
That is frightening, but it is far more likely to be a benign ovarian cyst (if it's in an ovary) or a benign fibroid tumor (if it's in your uterus).
Those are common "masses" found in women. They can be removed, and you will be fine. they are not malignant.
The doctor cannot know if the mass is malignant or benign until it is removed and biopsied, but the odds are very much in favor of it being benign.
Fibroids are extremely common, and ovarian cysts are also very common. Cancer is not.
I know you will not really feel better until this is resolved, but please keep reminding yourself of the facts: benign masses are common, malignancies are rare.
Best wishes.
Update - had my ultrasound this morning. The tech said I should get my results by the end of the week. I said it was going to be really hard to wait, that I was very nervous. She replied saying that she can't give results, but that I could leave feeling reassured, that if it was her, based on the test, she would be reassured. So - I am hoping that means all is well and I just need to wait for confirmation. Will keep you all posted, thank you so much for the kind words these last few days!! :hugs:
Update - had my ultrasound this morning. The tech said I should get my results by the end of the week. I said it was going to be really hard to wait, that I was very nervous. She replied saying that she can't give results, but that I could leave feeling reassured, that if it was her, based on the test, she would be reassured. So - I am hoping that means all is well and I just need to wait for confirmation. Will keep you all posted, thank you so much for the kind words these last few days!! :hugs:
I would hold onto those words. By rule, they can't tell you findings as it needs to be reviewed by the doctor BUT, being that this is someone that does it for a living and sees thousands of scans, I would say that her words are VERY reassuring :)
Positive thoughts
In December 2013 I went to my OBGYN with similar symptoms. I kept having a pressure pain in my left side and bladder issues. She felt a "fullness" and sent me for an ultrasound. It came back normal, that's all she told me "normal." Then in December 2014 at my next check up (different doctor) she said my uterus felt enlarged. Like if I was 12 weeks pregnant, pregnancy test was negative so she sent me for an ultrasound. It came back totally clear except my uterus measured large. She assumed it was from me having kids. I went back for my next check up in February 2016 and she said it still felt enlarged and the same as last year so no further check was necessary. I'm going for my next check up next Wednesday but with a new doctor so I'm curious to see what she will say. I'm actually nervous about it.
GlassPinata
02-02-17, 01:59
Update - had my ultrasound this morning. The tech said I should get my results by the end of the week. I said it was going to be really hard to wait, that I was very nervous. She replied saying that she can't give results, but that I could leave feeling reassured, that if it was her, based on the test, she would be reassured. So - I am hoping that means all is well and I just need to wait for confirmation. Will keep you all posted, thank you so much for the kind words these last few days!! :hugs:
She is not supposed to tell you ANYTHING, she is not allowed to, but she is doing her best to let you know: it's okay.
Take that to heart. I'm sure she would tell you more if it wouldn't put her at risk of losing her job.
She basically HAS told you... don't worry, It's going to be fine.
Now you just have to wait for the doctor to call and break the news to you *officially*.
Great news, and God bless the kind ultrasound tech for doing her best to ensure that you don't spend the next few days in a needless panic. :)
I had a couple ultrasound techs like that before. They would drop hints or tell you not to worry. They were right. Take comfort in that.
I would take that as a hint that everything is ok too. Waiting for results is torture though.
GlassPinata
06-02-17, 01:53
Any official news yet? Tomorrow, probably.
Best wishes!
Hi all - Update!
Got the call this morning from my dr. She said nothing to be concerned about. Saw a bit of fluid around ovaries but she said that can be very normal, they see it all the time, especially around ovulation (which I was). Said ovaries looked perfect. 2 small fibroids in uterus, she said nothing to worry about, they are not large enough to worry about, will keep an eye on them over the years. So I'm good!! Thank you all so much for your support during this stressful week!
I started to feel better about things over the weekend. Funny enough, a pipe burst in our house, caused a ton of damage, and we have been in full crisis mode, trying to get everything sorted out. Realized with my mind so occupied elsewhere, the pains and everything seemed to be hugely better if not basically gone. So I think my silly anxious mind magnified things and made it feel much worse than it really is. Now, on to this real crisis!!
PASchoolSyndrome
06-02-17, 19:24
Great attitude Megan and it's so good to hear that! Ugh but I'm so sorry about the pipes. Now that's a nightmare!
It's always good to remember that pain is protective. It tells our body that something is wrong - if it's not there when we're not thinking about it then it's not really there!
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