Hi all, I'm new here, and I'm looking for some advice and support. First, a bit of background... and why I'm worried it might be ovarian cancer.
- About 2 years ago, I started feeling unwell. When it turned into me almost peeing my pants out of nowhere, I got tested for diabetes. Negative. Written off as stress/anxiety-related by my doc.
- About 1.5 years ago, an injury required leaving work and going on medication, physio, etc. (related - see below)
- About 1 year ago, began having other noticeable symptoms. Was having ongoing nausea and acid reflux, loosing appetite, having serious sleep issues, etc.
- By end of 2017 I had lost 20 lb over a month, I wasn't eating or sleeping, and was always exhausted and feeling heavy and bloated, and my mood was very unstable. My doctor attributed all my symptoms to the medication and wanted to change dosage. She dismissed my concerns that it maybe something more serious. I got a second opinion, stopped taking all meds, and worked on getting a new doc who would help me investigate the cause of my symptoms. ER wouldn't address my abdominal issues in because "non-urgent". Walk-in clinic wouldn't request scan because I still had GP on paper, which I felt I couldn't afford to drop until I had a replacement.... FML.
Fast forward to present: I still have a slew of symptoms even after detoxing from the medication (which I've now been clear of for over 6 mo). These include:
Nausea, heart burn, consistent dull abdominal pain, pain during sex that is getting worse over time, constipation mixed with diarrhea, indigestion, serious bloating (I look 3-4 months pregnant most days), loss of appetite, brutal recurring headaches, shortness of breath, fatigue, dizziness, insomnia, thigh pain. My period has been weird over the last few cycles despite me being on the pill. My boobs have gotten bigger (and no - not pregnant... they keep checking for that - OVER AND OVER). Diabetes was negative, Thyroid has shown one low reading but overall was deemed healthy, blood test for liver function came back fine.
And now after meeting with the new doctor I feel she isn't listening either. She diagnosed me as IBS and recommended the FODMAP diet. She sent out a request for a scope of my stomach (no word yet). I INSISTED that I wanted to be checked for ovarian cancer. She told me if I really needed it for my own peace of mind, she'd request a pelvic ultrasound. She ran a bunch of blood work as part of the visit (but unsure if CA125 was done), and I came back as anemic and H. Pylori positive - immediate focal shift to that being the issue. I did the urea breath test that cost me $100 out of pocket and it came back negative... apparently H. Pylori is not the cause... so back to the IBS diagnosis.
Finally got an appointment for my pelvic ultrasound... been waiting 3 weeks already and I still have 3 to go. I feel miserable, both mentally and physically. The waiting is killing me. I feel like I'm being placated for being a hypochondriac by my new doctor by how she took my request for screening, and it's a shitty way to feel at the start of that relationship after I had to leave my last GP. I know I'm only 32, and am statistically considered young for ovarian cancer, but I'm already a cervical cancer survivor (diagnosed at 27, 2 LEEP procedures) and my mom died a few years ago so suddenly that they didn't manage to find the illness that took her. The only reason my cervical cancer was caught early was because I felt something was wrong. Now I've been going through this for over a year. My ongoing follow up from my cervical cancer keeps coming back fine, and my Gyno office told me I have to discuss this with my GP because it's a new issue (and get her to send another referral if she deems necessary). The stress and waiting and not knowing is killing me. I hope to GOD it comes back negative. I hope that my worries are unfounded. But I just don't understand why I am having to fight so hard to be taken seriously. WHY IS IT SO HARD TO GET YOUR DOCTOR TO CHECK YOU FOR OVARIAN CANCER???
Sorry for the long rant. I just don't know if I'm doing something wrong or if the whole medical establishment is just so dysfunctional. I feel like I'm over-reacting because it's not like I have a diagnosis. But with my past cancer history and my mother's unexplained death, I am having a really hard time believing that all my symptoms are caused by my food, especially without further investigation. I've tried adjusting my diet with no luck, and would really like some answers. I've been pushing hard to have ovarian cancer ruled out for over half a year after it repeatedly came up in relation to my symptoms. I feel like I shouldn't have to fight SO HARD to rule out a serious differential diagnosis. I feel like health practitioners like mine who don't take these concerns seriously are part of the reason ovarian cancer outcomes are statistically so poor. Maybe more ovarian cancer would be found early if we didn't have to fight so hard to get screened for it.