Handhold if anyone’s around? Scan yesterday at 5pm, GP called this morning

[GiveOverWillYou]

Wondering if anyone has any experience/insights?
Late 40s, on HRT. Cycle usually still rock solid, horrendously heavy, except for last few (2-3) months - spotting, random bleeds, periods when not due. Bit of pelvic discomfort.
Went to GP, but kind of hoped assumed it was the beginning of the end of periods and just the timing going haywire/and to find out how I should be taking progesterone as had previously been on that Day 15-28 and cycle being out of whack meant that that regime was going to be hard to do. GP said she could feel something on the left hand side. Recent CA125 was fine, recent smear was clear ‘but cervix is very red’. My cervix has always defied medical science (that’s another story) so wasn’t unduly worried. They upped progesterone to 200mg daily, put me on the 2 week wait for internal/external US. It’s been 5 weeks 😬but I had the US last night after 5 o’clock. Sonographer was rummaging around for ages (over 30 mins) and made a point of saying the GP will be in touch, but if they aren’t, you must contact them. I know they usually can’t/don’t say much. Told myself that it was good that the tests have been done and that I’d hear in due course, not to worry in the meantime. Then this morning I have had 3 calls from the GP before 10am, which I missed as was in a work meeting with phone off. I called them back and they asked me to come in at noon. So now of course I am absolutely shitting myself, and have self-diagnosed with every gynae cancer going.
Don’t know what I’m asking for really, other than a handhold, and if anyone has had similar happen and it turned out to be something that wasn’t nefarious. I feel lucky that at least I find out what’s going on this morning but the speed at which they’ve followed up is terrifying me 😧Speculation of course, but I can’t help but feel that if this was, I dunno, fibroids, there wouldn’t be this level of urgency this morning

Everything crossed that it ends up being one of those many cysts and lumps that us women get and once removed, that's the end of it.
Be kind to yourself over the coming weeks and try not to think the worst. Even if it does end up being crap, the treatment is so much better these days and the outcome good.
Sending hugs over, and a virtual bottle of vino ! x

Oh gosh what a whirlwind, and I'm sorry it was delivered so poorly. Very much rooting for you x

Huge hugs. I know how hard it is but try not to spiral here. There are so many women in here who have been through the wringer with the big C and will be along to tell the tale as they are alive and well.

If I can give you one piece of advice-don't be afraid to be annoying with the hospital if you don't feel things are progressing or you're being lost in the system. Be the squeaky wheel. Best of luck OP, will be thinking of you xx

Don't panic OP. Exactly the same thing happened to me. 18 months later it had disappeared. The very nice doctor I discussed it with said either it was fluid filled or my body just absorbed it. Edited to say it was an ovarian cyst.

Oh what a day OP 😞
I am so sorry to hear your news. It sounded like the GP could have been a bit more tactful and sensitive.
Sending you strength 💜

@GiveOverWillYou Just wanted to send you lots of love and best wishes. As someone who had cancer, I just wanted to say stay away from Google and ChatGP. Try to stay centred and wait for the tests, and not to mention results - until a consultant says for certain you have cancer, you do not. CA125 bloods don't always tell the whole picture, and can give false readings. I know others who have been in your situation and told they likely had a tumour - either ovarian, or possibly womb - when it was nothing but a fibroid or a polyp. So, stay calm, look after yourself and try not to catastrophise. You're in safe hands, whatever this is is being investigated and if it is cancer, more likely than not, it will be treatable and you will come through it. But, and I must stress this, until you are told you have cancer, try not to think about it. Stress and worry about something you cannot control nor know the outcome of (as yet) is just a waste of your energy. Instead, concentrate on being nice to yourself and taking care of yourself - try to eat well, sleep and like I said, be kind to yourself.

💐

Sending a huge hug and much love and strength to you @GiveOverWillYou . I am so sorry that the app was so badly managed.

I'll echo about ca125.
My mum had ovarian cancer and she had none of your symptoms. She was very poorly and her tumour wasn't the size of yours.
She was also told ca125 isn't reliable. Even if it's high it doesn't mean cancer.
Thinking of you xx

I'm another one who has been through this. I had insane bleeding and pain, I lost a third of my body weight, could barely walk. Had masses on both ovaries. All of this didn't look good. It took, in the end, five months, CTs, MRI, a PET scan, an abandoned laparoscopic surgery and another major abdominal surgery with a "boobs to pubes" incision to find out that I had a TB like infection.

Obviously, lacking in psychic powers as I am, I can't say what the situation is with you. But it's not a foregone conclusion.

Huge hugs to you, OP.

I’m waiting on results too will probably know more on Monday,( touch wood ) this after 25 years of checks, tests and controls for breast cancer ( i’ve had it twice during that time ,first as a young mum) if I could go back I would tell myself to stay in the present and try to not let myself spiral . Think that scary thought for a minute or two and then imagine putting it away in a cupboard ,lock the door on it and leave it. far too much of my younger years was spent feeling anxious about the what ifs. A liitle xanax tablet can help at times too ;) I have only recently found that out!
25 years ago it was a frightening diagnosis yet here I am having led a happy full life because they have come on leaps and bounds in all cancer treatment ,especially in recent years. This waiting in limbo bit is the worst time. It may very well turn out to be nothing, but please don’t panic if it is .

So sorry…however, I had an ovarian cyst which turned out to be harmless. I had keyhole surgery to remove it, home next day without any pain and thought no more of it. I hope it all turns out ok for you!

Sending love and unmumsnetty hugs xxx

Had this exact situation last year , same size mass discovered during a routine bowel check for Crohn’s status - I thought I had a hernia behind my stoma but it was a grapefruit sized ovarian mass , went through all the tests , spoke to McMillan nurses etc and had an extensive open surgery ( couldn’t do keyhole due to previous Crohn’s surgeries) to remove womb , ovaries and samples of omentum and nodes - it was borderline , they got it all out and no further treatment needed so while they quite rightly need to base decisions on the worst case scenario it might not work out that way at all - try to just deal with it one step at a time

Hope you will be OK, OP.

I know someone who faced exactly the same as you only they were told it was probably cancer. It actually turned out to be a huge benign fibroid. I’m sending you a hug, a handhold and whatever else you need.

Thinking of you OP, hope you manage to get some restful sleep tonight after the hellish day you have been through.

Thinking of you, 💐
Keeping my fingers crossed for you

Wishing you all the best. Look after yourself. Do what you need to do. ❤️

I had a similar experience last year, I was told it was cancer, lots of tests MRI etc then had a hysterectomy pretty sharpish, after which I was told it wasn't cancer. Extremely stressful at the time but at least I got the hysterectomy that I had been asking for for years because of horrendous periods.
Im guessing it all feels a bit surreal and scary right now. It will take some time to digest all the information and what is happening to you. Take care of yourself OP, sending you my best wishes

Thinking of you OP. Xx

Sorry OP, it’s a massive shock. I am just coming to the end of 12 months of treatment after being diagnosed with cancer last summer. In my case, not gynae but melanoma but a particularly aggressive sort. I remember very vividly the shock of the initial referral (GP thought it looked like what it is, which was a bad one) and then the hospital said oh no, we think it’s something else (easy to treat) and I felt so relieved and then a month later, nope, sorry it’s this really bad one actually. I had that same day of being whisked off to bloods and MRI and CT scan booking and feeling like I’d been hit by a fucking bus.

The good thing is that you’re on it now and things will move very quickly to investigate and figure out next steps. I’ve been on the 2 week pathway twice now and both times I had scans booked within a week or so.

I can’t remember if you mentioned how old you are, but if you’re 20s to 40s, there is a great group called Shine Cancer Support that I found really wonderful and supportive. If and when you feel you might need it.

Oh gosh. I am so sorry.

I don’t know what to say. Saw your thread this morning and hoped it was nothing… you were in my thoughts and still are. Stay strong and keep those you love close 💐❤️

What a day, OP. I'll be thinking of you and wishing it all goes very very well from here on in. Hope your DH is being supportive now. I've no idea what else to say. You must have got such a tremendous shock.

I hope this all gets sorted quickly and completely for you OP. Thinking of you & sending much luck your way.

What a scary day for you. I’m sorry the doctor handled it so poorly. All that needed to be said was we can see a mass there, we don’t know what it is, but until we know otherwise we are going to treat it seriously and quickly.

I hope and pray it is nothing serious and that it will be dealt with quickly and well. God bless x