Don't know if I can do this

[Darwin73]

I have an ultrasound scan scheduled for tomorrow morning and I am absolutely terrified that it will show up a tumour on my ovaries. I've been having left sided abdominal pain for 3 months and actually asked the GP myself if she would arrange a scan, but now the date has come round, I don't know if I can go through with it. I am very good at reading people and I'll know if the radiographer sees something untoward. I'm not scared of the procedure itself, just what it will reveal. I just don't think I'll be able to cope mentally with the results. I can't sleep and can't eat I'm so worried. I'm thinking of cancelling because I would rather live with "perhaps it is, perhaps it isn't" than be told for definate that it is cancer. Can anyone empathise?

[teez]

perfectly,,ive put off a mammo twice now,,,because im not in the right frame of mind,,to cope,,deep down i know this is stupid,,,but its just the way i feel ,,,another day id be fine,,,and go through my mammos and not think about it,,i try telling myself this is a two second bit of worry,,,and then i,ll be ok,,try what i also do,,i,ll go for this and if i cant do it when i get there i,ll come away ,,it works because once im there ,,i just want it done so i can get home,you,ll be fine. and we,ll all be waiting here for you when you get back ,,x

[nomorepanic]

I had a scan last August and it showed fibroids and ovarian cysts.

I was then rescanned in March this year and the cysts had gone! This happens apparently - they can just go on their own.

You need to know one way or the other.

Do you suffer IBS as that can cause left sided pain too?

[barbn]

OMG - you sound just like me!! I went through this in January - I had such terrible anxiety (I do now too but for another reason - I am convinced now I have colon cancer - which I don't but try telling my brain that). First I had an ultra sound which freaked me out to no end. I cried all the time, couldn't eat, slept for like two hours at a time -THANK GOD I was out of work during that time! So I went in and had the ultra sound and then they decided they needed to do a biopsy (not trying to scare you here keep reading)!! So I had to wait another week to go in for that - boy did that hurt!.....God bless my patient husband who kept my head on straight! So when it was all said and done - nothing was wrong - had a polyp - after all of that. One thing my GP said to me is that the chances of anything being wrong are extremely thin but they do have to rule it out to get to the bottom of things...

Don't cancel - I know exactly how you feel! If the GP thought it was anything serious like cancer you would have been in the hospital already!!

[ElizabethJane]

The pain that you are experiencing could mean many things depending on your age and whether you are still menstruating or not. There are a whole lot of womens conditions that could be causing that pain. It could be ovulation pain, endometriosis, adenomyosis, cysts, IBS all number of conditions but you will not find out unless you go tomorrow. I have had numerous scans both abdominally and transvaginal some including a doppler to check the blood flow through the uterus. They were not painful a little uncomfortable perhaps. I wish you well tomorrow.

[Darwin73]

Thanks Teez , Nic and Barbn
Funnily enough Teez, I was thinking that I might go to the hospital because I can always leave right up until the last minute.

Nic, do you know if ovarian cysts (benign ones) can cause painful symptoms? I had thought they were usually painless. With regard to IBS, I do have some symptoms, but would not have thought it would cause persistant pain.

Barbn, so glad your story had a happy ending, but how scary for you to be told you needed a biopsy! Just wish I could drug myself or something to stop me feeling scared.

[Darwin73]

Elizabethjane, you are brave. I could categorically not go through with a transvaginal scan. It's way too scary for me, even though I've had 3 kids. Incidentally I'm in my mid thirties, and not menstruating at the moment as I'm breastfeeding.

[nomorepanic]

Well my pain was in the groin area which is why I was sent for the scans.

The problem is I have Crohn's disease as well and that can cause similar pains so I am not sure to be honest which pain was worse.

IBS can cause chronic pain I know that. The main part of the large bowel is on the left hand side hence the pain there.

[Darwin73]

Thanks, that's interesting to know. Poor you with Crohns - that is a miserable condition.

[nomorepanic]

Yes been very ill for over 9 months with it but I am on the mend now and back at work part time.

I just don't want another flare up for a long long time lol.