Cancer Research UK main site
  • Replies 2 replies
  • Views 539 views
  • Users 0 members are here

Urgent referral to specialist?

Cs6789
Offline

Hi, I'm a 33 year old female I've never posted on anything like this before so please be kind. I'll start from the beginning, so on nye just gone I was on a night shift and I was in horrendous stomach pain no gas no vomiting no diarrhoea just pain based on the right hand side underneath my rib. The following day I was seen by out of hours nurse who suspected gallstones and u also had leukocytes in my urine so was given a course of antibiotics. For 2 weeks I still suffered with the pain as well as severe bloating from the minute I got up in the morning. The GP phoned me a few days later and referred me for an urgent abdominal scan. I have also been suffering with horrific lower back pain and right sided ovary pain on top of this so decided to seek out getting a pelvic scan also so that was requested. Jumping to present I had my scan on Wednesday this week then had a phone call Thursday off a doctor asking me too attend the doctors surgery to go through my results as they have found something and it will need follow up scans are an urgent referral to a specialist so immediately I was petrified and upset, I went to the appointment alone and could barely take in what was said partly due to the doctor not speaking English too well although he was extremely nice with his mask also it was hard. The doctor read my full ultrasound report which said I have a cyst on my ovary and lesions in my liver. I was gobsmacked. I was told to make an appointment for bloods done for my liver which I'm unsure exactly what they were as my head was in a pickle but I asked the receptionist if a doctor could contact me the following day to go through it all with me. So, I have been told today that they're going to rescan my ovary in 8 weeks as it could be due to where I am in my monthly cycle but the urgent specialist referral is for my liver to investigate the lesions and rule out cancer and if it is it will be caught early. I'm so unbelievably worried about this. I still have the right sided pain sometimes under my rib I have been suffering with back pain headaches dizziness and fatigue. 
I just want to know if anyone's been through anything similar to shed some light? Or tell me what I can expect when I go to the specialist? 
 

thanks  

  • Offline

    I'm so sorry you are having to go through all of this. I understand all the worry. I originally went to my GP last June with gynae issues and scans did show a couple of cysts on each ovary of aboout 2 cm and a larger one of 5.5cm. I had to go back 6 months later for a rescan and the larger cyst is still there, the others are just about gone. I now need to go back in another 6 months for another scan and to discuss 'cyst management', whatever that means. They basically are not worried about it as they have done CT scan, MRI and blood tests.

    The blood tests they carried out in early July did show elevated levels of CA19.9, however, a tumour marker for pancreas/liver. Levels rose again by tests in September and December so in December I was put on the urgent 2 week pathway. I had an MRI first and that found nothing on the pancreas or liver. I had to meet with the consutant for the results and was told I had been referred to a specialist liver unit for further investigation - that whatever 'it' was , was early stage and not aggressive as nothing had shown on the CT in July or MRI late December. I was told next stage would be a gastroscopy (camera in through the mouth) and that would be done locally as soon as possible and then repeated at the specialist liver unit. The blood tests I had done were to check for tumour markers, liver function  and kidney function. I know because there was a glitch in their system and they phoned me saying I still needed the blood tests and yet I had the results showing on the app on my phone already. I had to read out the results for urea and electrolytes, serum lipids and something else. She said they needed these for the MRI because of using a constrast dye.

    It is a guess what the next steps for you will be but I suspect it will be an MRI or gastroscopy of both. I wish you all the best going forward - try to focus on the 'IF', its not cancer unless its confirmed and the fact that they've told you that if it is its caught early. Gallstones do cause absolutely horrific pain, just under the right rib, if a stone sticks in a duct. I've had the first gastroscopy now and they told me they found gallstones but no abnormalities in pancreas and liver - so I think (hope) I've been lucky.

     

  • Offline

    Yes very similar case to your but not with liver , I still waiting for biopsy but this could be done at a women unit like having a smear test for the ovaries however can't tell you anything about the biopsy for liver sorry . 
     

    this should all be done with treatment plan in place within 2 weeks of the date the go sent the urgent referral in to the hospital . 
     

    Hope helps 

Speak to a nurse

Quick links

Follow us

Registered with Fundraising Regulator (logo)
Cancer Research UK is a registered charity in England and Wales (1089464), Scotland (SC041666), the Isle of Man (1103) and Jersey (247). A company limited by guarantee. Registered company in England and Wales (4325234) and the Isle of Man (5713F). Registered address: 2 Redman Place, London, E20 1JQ.