Potential ovarian cancer, feeling overwhelmed

Hello, 

I had emergency surgery on Friday to remove a giant ovarian cyst the size of a football. I've had bloating, pain and feelings of fullness for 4 weeks but kept getting told it was stress. The pain became excruciating and the doctor finally agreed to see me and could feel several masses in my abdomen. Due to the level of pain I was in, I was admitted to hospital as an emergency and had a laparotomy on Friday. They informed me that the cyst looks irregular and complicated. They had to remove my ovary, fallopian tube and my appendix. They also took bowel and abdomen samples. They also did the cancer antigen blood test and my levels were raised (194). They warned me that there is a possibility it might be cancer. The results from the lab won't arrive back for at least 10 days. In a way, I wish they hadn't told me their concerns as it feels like torture. 

I am absolutely worried sick. My mum was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer only 6 weeks ago, I returned home to care for her which has been really tough as she has deteriorated quickly. Now I can't do anything for her at all due to this huge surgery. I'm so scared that I have cancer too. I feel like I'm stuck in a bad dream, I can't believe all this is happening to me at the same time. The whole time I was in hospital, the doctors just came round and said the same thing every day, causing me more and more distress. All I know about ovarian cancer is that it's not got a good prognosis as it is hard to catch early. And all I can think about is just how devastating and hopeless my mum's prognosis is and I feel like history is repeating itself. I'm only 27.

I am feeling completely overwhelmed right now and just don't know what to do with myself or how I'm going to cope. :(

  • Hi

    I'm sorry to read your post but as a nurse whose worked in gynae I have seen lots of cases where it has turned out to be NOT cancer.

    The ca125 will increase with cysts as yours was complicated and irregular there is a chance it could be the worst but by no means is that certain.

    Ovarian cancer treatments have come a long away in recent years.

    Do your best to concentrate on getting as well as you can use good diet, positive thinking, join groups so you know you are not alone.

    Do let us know how you get on xx

  • Thanks for getting back to me.

    That's reassuring to hear. I really hope it isn't cancerous. It didn't help that every day in hospital they were coming round to tell me their concerns over and over again. It's just put me in a state of panic and makes me feel that they are pretty sure it is cancer. I'm trying hard not to think about it but it's so hard. My mum knows I had surgery to get a cyst out obviously but I've not told her that there is a chance it could be cancer. I don't want to worry her. She seems really depressed. :( 

  • I've had a crazy few months. I initially received the diagnosis of borderline ovarian tumour and received a letter stating that I did not have cancer and needed no further treatment. However, it turns out that I actually have primary bowel cancer and the ovarian tumour was a metastasis. They missed my bowel tumour on the CT scan and following on from my ovarian surgery I was in immense levels of increasing pain, vomiting, unable to eat etc. It took several hospital admissions before the doctors took me seriously and finally did a new CT scan. They then initially misdiagnosed me with fecal impaction... However, they sought a second opinion and found it was actually a tumour. I had an emergency bowel resection on the 15th of June to removed 3/4s of my colon and the tumour. Following this I had an anastomotic leak which caused sepsis and required a 3rd emergency laparotomy on the 21st of June to have an ileostomy formed. I lost almost 2 stone and required TPN. I ended up being in hospital for 3 weeks, my discharge was expedited in order for me to be with my mum when she died in the 3rd of July (she was diagnosed with glioblastoma in March and I'd moved back in with my parents to care for her). They then re-examined the ovarian tumour and realised it was a metastasis from the bowel cancer. I'm currently on my 3rd round of chemo - I've got to do 12 in total. It's been the year from hell.