Ovarian Cancer

[peek]

I am a 42 year old woman. I have had a lot of pain especially in the last 2 weeks. But the pain is weird. I generally aches in my back on the right sometimes the top of my right leg aches inside and my underwear feel tight on that leg. I have gained over 10 lbs in the past year without changing my eating. I often feel bloated especially before my period, intercourse is usually painful and my uterus aches after orgasm. But the weirdest thing is that I have random shooting pains on the left and rightof my pelvis and a few minutes after intercourse I get excrutiating pains where I cant even talk or move for about 1 minute or so. It feels like knives in my left side. I had a tv and pelvic ultrasound which came back saying nothing was there except some fluid behind my uterus which the doctor said was normal. She actually asked me what I thought I should do? options were colonoscopy, laperoscopy, see a gyn, abdominal ultrasound. She explained why a blood test would not help if it was oc. I chose a gyn referral and an abdominal ultrasound. Should I be pushing for the laperoscopy? How do you explain pain that roams around your abdomen coming and going and shooting and dulling, I feel like an idiot trying to explain these symptoms. I am afraid if its oc that I will die cause no one knows whats going on. Also in the last 6 months all my friends and family comment on how slowly I am eating. I cant help it . I cant eat any faster or it just doesnt go down. I have more gas now than ever but is that normal anyways? I have also been feeling short of breath and nauseated the last 3 days.

[Carol_Charlie]

This is my first response on this board... Please get to a Gynicologic Oncologist.. (spelling may be off). I know I would describe many of the same symptoms, but had gall bladder problems and spinal problems.. Ask for a CA125 blood test... this is not a conclusive dianoistic, but can certainly flag more testing needed if the number is inflated. Good luck... and please know this is beatable... I'm two years from diagnosis and surgery... 18 months cancer free.

[auntsister]

I am 9 years post ovarian cancer. I am a bit radical in my thinking so I recommend a laparoscopy. Why? Sometimes blood tests miss. Mine did. Diagnostic imaging is effective but sometimes things can hide. Laparoscopic surgery is simple, most often outpatient, and can provide definate answers.

[EmmaB]

Hello,
I know quite a while has passed since you registered your post. I just wanted to try and put your mind at ease as you are displaying alot of the symptoms that I had when I had OC. You are not going insane!!The main one I could not link to my other symptoms was the nerve pain in my legs and it was explained to me by my surgeon as a result of the tumor I had was pressing onto nerve endings in my lower back that send signals to my legs. This could be whats happening to you. I also had alot of lower back pain and this was a result of this pressure and a water infection that until I was in hospital did not even know I had as my bladder was functioning normally and the strain and pain was on my kidneys alone. I recommend you exhaust all avenues to rule Ovarian Cancer out and do not give up as this disease is a sneaky little so and so as the symptoms as easily dismissable as hormones or stress related it is often left untreated for months and even years at a time. I hope it all goes well for you and your treatment is successful!
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