Worried my symptoms point to ovarian cancer

[spagettinoodlebrain]

I'm not wanting to worry my family and could do with the rational and straight talking advice from MNs

I've had symptoms of bloating and adominal pain on and off for 6 months to a year - been to the docs a few times and had a couple of UTIs which have been treated. Also over a similar time period I've had a stabbing pain in my hip when I get up, I've put this down to my age (40) and WFH so can be sat at desk on a dining chair for 3-4 hours. Thing is I still have the pain on weekends ect.

The last month my appetite has completely gone, I'm eating once a day when the hunger pains over ride but very small just enough amounts like half a jacket potato. Also my periods have nearly stopped and become very irregular.

I went to my doctors and they felt down in my pelvis and hip and said it felt hard..... this is the point where I thought i would be taken seriously but no, he's is thinking I'm stressed ( I do have work related stress) and constipated and periods are hit and Miss because of my age/ coming off the pill in September.....

I really want to leave my job and go contracting but need the security for my family if I need treatment. I have this underlying feeling now that I need to push it more that somethings not right but I don't want to be seen like a hypochondriac who needs an excuse because things are tough at the minute.

My gp has referred me for a scan (4-6 week wait) and blood tests ( in 2 weeks)

Oh and I've taken 8 laxidos and had a normal sized loose stool so I don't think it's that!

I'm thinking about getting a private scan so at least if it comes back clear I can leave my stressful job and that should help with my mental health

Any advice is welcome even a kick up the arse! Do you think I should push it more or wait for the scan which is likely to be a couple of months.

Oh and I have another wierd symptom but it sounds too batshit to tell a medical professional - the last couple of days I find I smell strange ( like old socks) but no one else can smell it!

It's very easy to convince yourself you've got something horrible, but it almost certainly it won't be. If the GP is concerned about cancer then the blood test will check for that - and if it does show something, then you'll immediately be put on the 2 week pathway for scans and other checks; I've been there and it's scary, but it's nothing like as scary as what you can conjure up in your head, the brain is a powerful thing!

You've got the appointments and I doubt they could be brought forward the way things are at the moment, even if you got a private scan the NHS would need to do their own to follow up (I've been there too), so best to plod gently on and try not to listen to the nightmare scenarios in your head; all of the different symptoms seem stress-related to me, and if you're barely eating then it's no surprise your periods have stopped, or of course it may be your body readjusting after coming off the pill.

The most likely thing is that your imagination is driving everything - not that you're imagining the symptoms but that your worry is creating them/making them worse; hopefully when you get the scans and bloods done you will be able to relax. And if there is something going on, then you've taken the important first step and it'll be sorted out.

Thank you Peach for reading and taking the time to answer, Your reassuring words have been just what I needed. Your right I've done what I can for now and I can just forget about it. I've not been this stressed before so every little thing just manifests. I'm going to write my resignation this afternoon :)

If you can afford a private scan I’d do it to put your mind at rest.

I too was convinced I had ovarian cancer. It turned out to be a mixture of gallstones and peri-menopause symptoms. Early ovarian cancer symptoms like the ones you describe are very vague and can be lots of other things, and in most women are.
You are having blood tests and a scan, this is the correct treatment. I hope it is fine and a mixture of stress and minor things (stabbing pain in your hip sounds like cartilage issues around your hip joint). But if it is not it would be early stages and you are on the right pathway.
Just to say my bloating and abdominal pain was early signs of gallstones. A very common medical issue at this age in women.
Your change in smell could be due to not eating properly, this can happen with excessive dieting.
At 40 is often when we start getting lots of minor issues, and allied with peri-menopause it can be easy to put them all together and think there is something major wrong. But you were right to go to the GP as it does need to be checked out just in case.

Also I agree a private scan will not necessarily be any or much quicker. I had a private scan for something else and it seemed to take ages to get them to send the results to my Dr and then I needed an appointment with my Dr. The private hospital seemed to want me to pay for an appointment with their private Consultant that was very expensive. The scan was clear.
You will get lots of people telling you to pay for a private scan. If money is no issue then go ahead. But it will be a gamble about whether it really is much quicker to get the results over the NHS.
Personally I would ring the scan people and tell them you can take last minute cancellations (if you can). I know someone who got seen within two days who did this.

Yay to resigning this afternoon...I guess it's possible that your symptoms are anxiety-related because of that ie it's a big step (I've done that too, and it's great!) so subconsiously you're bricking it, even if you don't feel like you are!

It'll be interesting to see what happens to your symptoms once you've written that letter :)

I think if you didn't have a scan and blood test date then I would pay for a private scan. If for some reason these dates are pushed back then go for a private scan. Don't leave it or be fobbed off by a GP.

Ovarian cancer is a relatively rare cancer but can be missed in the early stages as symptoms can be similar to other health problems. I agree with private scan to set your mind at rest.

Ovarian cancer patient here. Have the private scan. It will be worth it’s weight in gold for your health if anything untoward is going on, and your piece of mind if it’s not. Once you get your results you can go back to your GP and discuss the findings and what is to be done next, if anything is to be done.

I know it’s really scary but not everything ovarian related is cancer.

And just know that even the bravest of women wearing the biggest brave pants to be found are really frightened when this kind of concern crops up.

Hi OP, I have had similar, vague symptoms over the past few months, it turns out I have an ovarian cyst (non malignant) 🌸

Another Ovarian Cancer surviver here.
If you can afford it have a private scan
My GP just fobbed me off so I paid £450 for a private MRI scan.
4 days later I was diagnosed with stage 1 ovarian cancer.
5 weeks after this I had a complete hysterectomy and the surgeon removed an ovarian tumor that weighed 50lb.
😳

Really appreciate the advice. I'm making enquiries now to get a private scan... can't resign from job till I know for sure

50lb! That’s over 3 and half stone. 😮 How awful, I hope you’re now in recovery.

Sending good wishes to you op. Your symptoms could indicate various non sinister causes. I hope your mind can be put at rest with a private scan x

For your hip I would recommend seeing a physio. I've got the same thing that I concluded it came from a 2 week long road-trip sitting at a weird angle facing towards my toddler in the back seat, and carrying him always on the same hip. I still feel it whenever I get up after a long period sat down. Some hip loosening exercises can help e.g. lie on your back with legs bent, feet on floor, hip width apart and move your knees from side to side towards the floor.

And I hope you get a good outcome from a private scan! Fingers crossed for you.

Personally if you can afford it I would pay for a private scan. Where I live and I imagine if you live near any major city you would be able to get a private ultrasound next day if you wanted to for about £150. I had an abdominal one a few months back and they gave you the results verbally there and then. More than likely it will be all clear and you can put your mind at rest. 4 - 6 weeks is a long time to worry about something. I should add I also had some hip pain and it was my mattress so could be something as simple as that.

Thanks Twins, My gp has text this evening to say they've done the referral - I can get in private next week hopefully it will be early part so can have results by end of next week. Feel better for doing something. Not sure in price yet but expecting somewhere around £300-£500, I'll pop it on credit card and just pay off over a couple of months which is fine for peace of mind, I've not slept more than a couple of hours a night for the last few days

You’ve done the right thing getting a private scan, for you sanity and well-being. It’s highly likely to be something else altogether so try not to worry yourself. In all seriousness though Your being in tune with your body may very well save your life, my mum wasn’t so fortunate.

Mum fought Ovarian cancer for almost 5 years, it’s an utterly evil disease. She went along with whatever her GP was diagnosing her many symptoms as and never thought to have a private scan. I wish I had known then what I learned during her battle about how it can be dismissed as many other ailments and yet all the signs pre diagnosis pointed straight to OC but we just didn’t know or even have it on our radar.

She had the bloating, IBS like symptoms, bladder problems, she’d lost a lot of weight (she was on Slimming World so we put her massive weight loss down to doing really well in that 😔 and assumed the bloating was a wheat allergy) also her finger nails developed deep ridges in them when she always had lovely ones, looking at pictures of her before diagnosis she looked unhealthy and disheveled but hindsight is always twenty twenty. By the time her Dr ruled our IBS etc and did the blood test and scans it was too late.

I must be Art Garfunkel to your Paul Simon.

Im stage 1a mucinous ovarian cancer though my cyst was ‘only’ 6kgs. It’s just over two years since it all started. How are you doing? I’m currently on 6 monthly checks ups and still hate them.

For Brrrrrrr, I just wanted to acknowledge both you and your lovely mum. ❤️

I remember a thread by TwitterQueen where she said she was bloated and having trouble shifting the weight.

Lots of posters mentioned overian cancer so she went to docs and sadly was diagnosed with it and too far along for treatment to work.

For peace of mind, if you can afford it, definitely get a private scan.

@DesertRose64 thank you for that, the same to you and all the others commenting or reading this thread going through the motions of OC.

TwitterQueens threads actually brought me to MN, I was Googling OC experiences similar to what my mum was going through which came up with TQs thread. Reading her story was inspirational and desperately sad at the same time, I would have loved the chance to have met and thanked her for the anonymous hand hold her story gave me during one of the bleakest moments in my life.

Brrrrrrrr, your words were so poignant, and I've thought a lot about your dear mum today. Sharing your mums story and others have certainly made me act and realise I'm not being dramatic. One thing you said about your mums finger nails sent a cold shiver down my spine, my two big toe nails have gone discoloured and brittle with the same marking on each toe, not something you'd be worried about by itself! ...... I have an appointment for a private scan on Monday at 2:30. I also made enquiries about a new job today and got a call back, from an old work colleague who I got on with when I first started out as a social worker and is now the manager! It's as an agency worker, interview on Friday next week. Hopefully will have some answers and can ditch my current job. I text my current manger to say I'll be off rest of this week and I'll let her know about next week, she responded saying I need to let her know as soon as possible so she can get my duty on Monday covered!!

It’s good you’re going for a scan.
if it’s ultrasound they will tell
you at the appt, if mri it’s a few days wait for the report.
hope all is well.

good luck hopefully it’s nothing serious to worry about. I’ve had a pain near my left ovary area for the last 2 weeks tho this week is been much better. I’ve been referred to my private insurance and they couldn’t give me anything until April! I’m still trying to get an appointment but I’m more relaxed as the pain has eased and no other symptoms. Hopefully as others have said nothing serious for you op. Good luck!!

How are you, OP?