I think I might have cancer

[DreamyShark]

Old-time poster here but I haven't been here in a while and would rather stay anon.

I think I probably have cancer. For the past month or so I've had pelvic pain on and off with some odd bowel symptoms (a feeling of pressure and needing to go but nothing there). Eight days ago it really got quite intense and since then it's been keeping me awake almost every night.
The pain itself isn't sharp, it's more like period pain or low-down contractions. Mostly focused in the left ovary region so inside the hip bone, but also above the hip on the same side.
Most of the time it's a dull ache but at times it becomes quite severe and that can last for an hour or two. This usually happens in the middle of the night and I don't get back to sleep. Often I will wake thinking I need the toilet and then it turns into this aching.
I've had no fever, no urinary symptoms, and bloods seem to be normal. I've become a proper hospital-botherer having been to A&E twice (they did bloods but said I was just anxious) and seen the GP, who has done more bloods, a FIT test and referred me for CT. I also had a gynaecological ultrasound last week that showed nothing significant, just a bit of free fluid around ovary.
The scan is routine and could take eight weeks. I'm falling apart. I haven't managed a shift at work in over a week and some days I don't feel safe to drive my son to school. I was awake for 31 hours straight on Monday and Tuesday. But yesterday was better, and then I was woken up at 11pm yesterday and not slept since.
I have asked if scan can be brought forward but GP says no.
I suppose I'm posting here to see if anyone has been through something like this, and if anyone has any ideas about what to do. I feel very much alone with it as I've got no idea what is wrong and am veering between colorectal cancer and possibly a kidney stone. Nothing else seems likely at this point.
So sorry if I sound like I'm mad. If I'm not yet I think it's a matter of time.
Thanks for reading x

@YourNimblePeachTraybake I don't think so as ultrasound seemed fine in that department but thank you for the suggestion. I will keep it in mind.

@Delphina17 I've been taking paracetamol and ibuprofen when it gets bad though it doesn't seem to do much tbh. Bit reluctant to take anything stronger without a diagnosis though I guess that's counterproductive to think that way. I always feel more rational when I have managed to sleep and/or eat something.

I'm keeping a detailed diary of the pain and so on, and trying to drink though anxiety makes that harder. Am absolutely reliant on heat pads, they help a lot.

could it be arthritis? or something like that? wouldn't cancer have shown something abnormal in the blood tests? Do painkillers work?

@Tel12 Thank you and please don't apologise, I'm grateful to everyone who has replied, just so I'm not so alone. I will keep trying with the relaxation angle. It can't do any harm and might help me think more clearly and stop catastrophising.

@GreenRaven From what I have read, cancer doesn't necessarily show up in bloodwork so I don't know if that is significant, though of course it is nice to know things are normal enough for that to be the case. I don't know about arthritis... I thought perhaps something like the sort of tumour you get inside the joint might account for it. Or even in the spine. I know these can be benign too and can cause this sort of mechanical pain, it doesn't feel like infection or something like that. So you may be onto something.

I had better get boy ready for school but will check back later. Thanks again for all the ideas and helpful advice x

Can you pay to have a private mri?

@cordeliachaseatemyhandbag Yes if I had to (while I still have my job!) I've been thinking about it.

I will see if GP gets back to me today about the scan as I asked receptionists if they could ask him again about making it sooner. I feel like I'm trying to jump the queue, have never gone private before. But I don't think this is really sustainable for 6-8 weeks, and until we know whats wrong then they can't really do anything to help.

Just because you're having periods doesn't mean you can't take HRT, with your age, irregular periods and symptoms you're almost certainly perimenopausal - HRT would help with sleep and anxiety. For me I was getting loads of knees and hip pain and had lots of tests - no one suggested to me it might be hormones but HRT sorted it out.

I really would recommend asking about that - there are so meant health benefits even if it doesn't sort out your pain.

Thank you @ninja I will put it on the list of things to ask about. It sounds like it might be worth looking into regardless of what's happening now.

A bone sarcoma or secondary cancer bone disease would be leeching calcium into the blood stream and cause nausea and altered blood work. I agree with others this could be something like arthritis or there could be a (benign) bone spur in the hip or something gynae related to menopause. I would pay to go private and stop worrying about jumping 'your place in line' - its that or living in pain/anxiety vs keeping your livelihood and moving forward with a productive life.

Thanks @HerbalRefreshmentt That is good to know. So maybe we can rule out one of my theories, which you have with uncanny accuracy put to rest 😬

Am still concerned about bowel cancer, but I think the mind just seeks out anything to grasp on to in the absence of information, so you are right to suggest just going for a private Dx if they don't agree to bring the scan forward. I know I can't go through this every night for another week let alone six.

Hoping kidney function tests will be back today, and have also got some dipsticks arriving to check for blood as they did find a trace of that in A&E a week ago but then it got forgotten about. Nobody has mentioned kidney stones but it would seem to fit at least some of the symptoms... intermittent waves of severe pain and dull ache in between, and apparently it can cause bowel issues too.

If no developments in the next day or two I think I will bite the bullet and go private. I hesitated as well because I don't know how it works, eg if you need a GP referral first, or whether the private hosp will advise on which scan you need etc.

@DreamyShark I don't think pelvic organ prolapse is diagnosed by ultrasound, at least mine wasn't. With some women it can only be diagnosed standing up apparently too.
Good luck, I hope you get some answers soon and your pain improves.

I have had pain in the same area you describe for over 2 and a half years, it also radiates to the thigh. It feels like a pressure pain rather than a sharp pain. I am sure the doctors thought I was making it up about the thigh pain.

I have had scans and was told I had endometrial polyps but was told they don't cause pain. I then waited 2 years for a hysteroscopy. They removed the polyps and took a tissue sample.

From the sample I have been diagnosed with Adenomyosis which is where the lining of the womb starts growing into the muscle of the womb, hence the pain. They have fitted a mirena coil and said that this should help the symptoms.
I had never heard of this before and it does explain a lot.

Good luck.

That is something I'd never heard of either before now @Rolandrat12. I'm sorry you endured what sounds like a long and painful wait.

Well there is an update. Went to A&E for the third time last night as it was getting unbearable. A stroke of luck meant I saw the same GP there as last time, who took it very seriously and said he thought it could be an inguinal hernia that was starting to strangulate and he called the surgical team.
I was quite scared by this but it got me into the A&E queue. A few hours later a second doctor said no, it wasn't that. He thinks it's actually bursitis, possibly the iliopsoas sort. Which makes perfect sense, I think, now I've got home and looked it up.
I'm on my phone but applause to those who predicted it would be a non-visceral cause. And many, many thanks to everyone else who helped by being here and holding my hand. Am now going to take some pain relief and stop freaking out.
Maybe I should ask MN to move this over to general health as I feel a bit silly and embarrassed to have been so convinced of my self-diagnosis. I'm sorry for being such an eejit.
🙌