if you knew 20 years ago???

AHelstrup
AHelstrup Member Posts: 22
in Gynecological Cancers (other than ovarian and uterine) #1

My gram was diagnosed with multiple cancers.  One being ovarian.  Which from what I understand that cancer is very dangerous and has the highest death rate due to how quickly it grows and the lack of accurate testing.  With that my mom is most likely going to have her ovaries, tubes and uterus removed now as she is already post-menopausal and does not need them.  We shared the same OBGYN for many years.   OB said that it is very different decision for me as I am in my early 30’s. I still need my ovaries for hormones otherwise I will be on HRT for a long time. Which I am sure is a whole nother problem.  But watching my gram decline and eventually die is devastating.  I could not imagine my family going through that.  And I guess Ovarian cancers can pop up at any point.  Unlike other cancers (ie breast) they say start to do testing 5-10 years before it showed up in the family.   

With all that I am trying to decided if I should do the surgery now and deal with what goes along with it knowing that my chances are greatly lower.  I have 1 child and my husband had a vasectomy so there are not any children in our future.

What would you do?

Comments

  • debrajo
    debrajo Member Posts: 1,095 Member
    #2
    Had I Known....
    I'm not from this board or the Ovarian board, but I am from the Uterine board. I knew for eight years that something was not right. Had I known what I was going to have to deal with, I would have gone to a third world country and had everything removed if I couldn't have it done here at home. I let several doctors talk me out of surgery over an eight year period and the outcome was UPSC, a grade c aggressive cancer. I know a lot of people on here will disagree with me, but my personal believe is, if you don't use it and it has caused trouble or there is a family history of trouble....get rid of it! Debra
  • NoTimeForCancer
    NoTimeForCancer Member Posts: 3,506 Member
    #3
    Uterine board chime in #2

    Same as debrajo, I have UPSC.  I never had children, and at 49 I wasn't planning on them either, and since cancer is not in my family at all this was a shock to everyone. 

    You pose a good question, and I would be surprised if a lot of us haven't thought "what ifs" after the past year of surgery, chemo and radiation. 

    I know I couldn't have walked in to my gyn and asked her to remove it all and have it covered by insurance.  Luckily she was a great doctor.  When I had a problem she said, "Let's find out what is going on" and that was the start of it all.  However, there is no guarantee that surgery to prevent below the belt cancer wouldn't have changed getting another type of cancer.

    I think if it runs in your family you monitor it.  Tell your doctor the truth and about any issues you have and if your doctor pooh-poohs it?  You find a doctor you love and you can trust - with your life in this case.  I also think you can beat cancer, even the bad ones, and may have been through hell, but hope I can help others as well.  

     

     

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