For one year I went to my doctor with various complaints and I was told that it was menopause starting. Breakthrough bleeding, no periods, gaining weight when I knew I was not eating enough to do that. Constipation appeared and I could not pass anything without suppositories, or milk of magnesia to help. But because I was 47, I was told menopause. I started my doctor visits in January 06.
I missed my gyn appt in August 05, as work was hectic, and I could not seem to get an appt that was workable. So I planned on going in January 06. Not very many months in between. I went to my regular MD in January - he told me to see my gyn asap.
I went to the gyn - went in the exam room, explained my complaints, she did not touch me. She sent me down the hall to get a transvaginal sono. She told me that I had a huge mass (the size of a canteloupe) and referred me to a gyn oncologist. I saw him in the next two weeks. The reason my gyn did not examine me, her sister had the same complaints a year earlier and she sent her to the same gyn. Dr. Alan Munoz in Dallas. Hers was not cancer. She got there just in time.
Dr. Munoz scheduled me for surgery in two weeks. It was cancer - stage 3c. I've been on chemo now for two years straight with surgeries for cutting the cancer out called debulking. I'm going into my third year.
My advice to you is don't self diagnose at this point. Make an appt with a gyn oncologist for a second opinion. You will hear that ovarian cancer usually shows up after menopause. But there are two 15 year old girls seeing my doctor for cancer. There are many women who have this and they are not 45 yet. What do you want to do?
I just turned 50 and I have 4 children. One is out on her own, and my fear is that I will never see her get married or have children. One is pregnant right now. I have a 13 year old son in the 8th grade and a 12 year old son in the 6th grade. I may not see them grow up. But there are many 10yr and 20 yr survivors with OVCA, but our life is chemo and surgeries until we are able to reach remission. Some never reach remission. I also married a man who is truly wonderful and I may not be able to grow old with him.
While doing chemo, I cannot work because of the side effects for me. Can you afford not to work?
What do you want to do? Take a chance? I'm sorry to be so passionate about it, but it changes your life in many ways. It is not worth taking a chance.
Vicki In Wylie