Re: Convinced I have ovarian cancer
Originally Posted by
rachlexis13
Someone in our family passed away of this cancer. Her symptoms presented as harmless IBS symptoms, including bloating.
My mother had ovarian cancer. I got a bit freaky over it for a while, then I got rational. My mum had cancer, yes, but it was caught early thanks to yours truly being on the ball with things not being as they should with a 65 year old woman with a tummy like a beach ball and brown discharge in her knickers. Because my mother had it, and her sister, I am screened for it. This is sort of happening now actually. This week I had an ultrasound (abdominal, but it includes the ovaries) and today I'm going for the CA125 blood test. This isn't my usual two yearly routine screening, it's happening because I have symptoms like you. Next step is the good old transvaginal ultrasound (cam up the vag) depending on what the ultrasound shows, or doesn't.
So it's time for you to be rational...
Your mum's aunt was a similar age to my mum - in her 60s. This is the age group where it is common to get this cancer. In that respect, I should be worrying more than you because I'm 50 with an early menopause.
Your mum's aunt, I take it, didn't have any kind of scan?
Ovarian cancer is a 1 in 95 risk and in a much higher age group than you.
I had ovarian cancer fears long before my mother got the cancer because I was always having lots of pain, bloating and cramping around my monthlies. All the tests I had showed nothing more than 'a' fibroid, that's now disappeared as they generally do after the menopause.
Even when I had post-meno bleeding and a thicker than normal womb lining in 2011 - there was nothing sinister. I got the all clear on Christmas Eve - the best present that year for sure!
I have experienced all your symptoms before, and it's been nothing but IBS.
The reason I'm not freaking out is because I worked hard on my health anxiety issues. Plus, I have lost count at the amount of times that I have almost lost my mind fearing the worst, and in the end - I did lose my mind - albeit temporarily.
You don't need reassurance lovely. You need to work on your health anxiety, otherwise this is a cycle which will keep going..
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