advice needed

i was rushed to hospital with severe abdominal pain about 3 weeks ago, and was told it was probably constipation. i went to see my family doc who ordered a transvaginal and abdominal US. they found 2 abnormalties higher up in the lining of my uterus and a growth on my liver. im scheduled for another trans US friday morning and a CT scan later in the day. im beside myself over this and im so scared that its cancer

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Comments

  • Kathy G.
    Kathy G. Member Posts: 244 Member
    Welcome llwright!
    You've come

    Welcome llwright!

    You've come to the right place for support although at this point I would not jump to the conclusion that it is cancer or that you will need us on an ongoing basis!

    We have all gone through the fear and anxiety that the symptoms we are experiencing could be cancer. Obviously those of us that are members on this board have found that to be true. But if you read through our posts there is a wide variety of symptoms each of us have experienced, and once diagnosed our stages and grades and types of cancer can differ greatly.

    Try to keep busy and remain as calm as possible. It sounds like your doctor has you headed in the right direction with the upcoming tests. Some of us have had to fight to even get that far so try to focus on the positive.

    I had a very early cancer in the uterine lining, but will never forget going thru those feelings while waiting for the test results.

    I wish you well. Come back and let us know how you make out.

     

    Kathy

  • ConnieSW
    ConnieSW Member Posts: 1,677 Member
    Kathy G. said:

    Welcome llwright!
    You've come

    Welcome llwright!

    You've come to the right place for support although at this point I would not jump to the conclusion that it is cancer or that you will need us on an ongoing basis!

    We have all gone through the fear and anxiety that the symptoms we are experiencing could be cancer. Obviously those of us that are members on this board have found that to be true. But if you read through our posts there is a wide variety of symptoms each of us have experienced, and once diagnosed our stages and grades and types of cancer can differ greatly.

    Try to keep busy and remain as calm as possible. It sounds like your doctor has you headed in the right direction with the upcoming tests. Some of us have had to fight to even get that far so try to focus on the positive.

    I had a very early cancer in the uterine lining, but will never forget going thru those feelings while waiting for the test results.

    I wish you well. Come back and let us know how you make out.

     

    Kathy

    Take a deep breath

    Kathy has said it all in a nut shell.  My hope for you is that this is nothing, as it has been for so many people.  If not, we're here and will help you get through it.  Finding us so early is a real bonus.  I wish I had had these folks with me from the get go.  I'll be off the board for a couple weeks but my thoughts will be with you Friday.

  • llwright
    llwright Member Posts: 31

    went for my results yesterday. doc said the CT scan couldnt tell them what it was on my liver except that it wasnt a cyst. so they want to do an MRI. as for my uterus it is very thick and they now want me to see a specialist and  have a biopsy done. all he could tell me was that all my other organs look fine and that there is no lymph node involvement that thay could see. uuuugghhh im so nervous about this. im just having a bad feeling overall. if it is cancer n is it possible that it can spread to my liver with no other organ or lymph node involvement?

     

  • jazzy1
    jazzy1 Member Posts: 1,379
    llwright said:

    went for my results yesterday. doc said the CT scan couldnt tell them what it was on my liver except that it wasnt a cyst. so they want to do an MRI. as for my uterus it is very thick and they now want me to see a specialist and  have a biopsy done. all he could tell me was that all my other organs look fine and that there is no lymph node involvement that thay could see. uuuugghhh im so nervous about this. im just having a bad feeling overall. if it is cancer n is it possible that it can spread to my liver with no other organ or lymph node involvement?

     

    I know all this cancer stuff is very confusing and worrisome...been there and still have worry prior to each follow-up doc appt....darn cancer!  Now don't get the cart before the horse as this truly may NOT be cancer...I know easier said then done, but surely don't want to dismay you!

    I started with a vagimal ultrasound which showed "thickening" of the uteran lining.  If you have very minimal periods (as I did) and/or gone thru menopause we tend to see this thickening. The monthly regular periods do keep the normal thickness in our linings and if not the blood flow, tends to thicken.  This is what I learned at the beginning of my journey via my GYN.  

    As well, after  my treatments in '09 I had a CT scan.  This showed "some unknown" on my liver...darn!  Off I went for the next scan being an MRI which showed an abnormality, and not cancer....today they simply watch it after each scan it has not changed, so no worry.  You'll find these "abnormalities" which are NOT CANCER, would never ever bother us, then we have the scan and THERE IT IS...who would have known.  So....my take, might truly be nothing but what I had and all they do is watch it.  Our bodies change as we age and on outside we get lots of spots and wrinkles, and is quite similar on the insides.

    I must say I have no idea how they can tell you no lymph node involvement??????  They never mentioned this to me until I had the total hysterectomy and that's when they sampled 24 lymph nodes and detected one with cancer.  Also, during pathology after the hysterectomy they do sample all "girlie parts" taken out and then know if have cancer in the parts.  I think any type of pathology done after surgery is more accurate.  Now that's what I think after my journey, but if I am wrong plse someone correct me so I'm not blurting out incorrect info.  

    Plse keep us all posted on your progress as we do care.  You've come to a very good place to learn and gain experience.  Stay positive and keep the faith all will go in YOUR FAVOR~

    Big cyber hugs,

    Jan

  • Sara Zipora
    Sara Zipora Member Posts: 231
    LLwright

    2013-07-19

    Just keep focusing on your name? Llright? ' You'll be alright'!

    the Warriorettes on this site are so giving of their hard earned experience and knowledge. Keep an open mind, and decide for yourself!

    My two cents, is go to a Gyno-oncologist for a second opinion after your MRI. If you have competent Gyno or GP, he/she sounds on the ball, they will support second opinions.

     

    Also get your own copies of all scans,disks and hard copy reports. I have been using my Smartphone to record doctor meetings without telling. naughty I know, but it even beats a friend or husband with stenographic skills, when home I use an app to convert speech to text, and bingo email it to myself and print it out for my file.

    at the beginning of any journey you are a novice and research the maps and guide books, but you are in charge of making educated decisions and your Docs are in charge of educating and serving you!

    one of the first things one loses as a patient, and an adult, is the idea that someone has all the answers for you, sorry you are your own travel agent, buckle up and you'll be ready for the ride!

     

    good luck.

    one step At a time, and walk or swim or ride, or all three, for 20 minutes a day, eat normally healthy foods and portions of what you like, and don't let all the advice, including mine, drown out your inner voice.

     

    sara

  • llwright
    llwright Member Posts: 31
    thanks guys

    thank you for your kindness. my name is linda. im 48 and haven't started menopause. or i may have because i attributed all these issues ive been having for the last 2 years to it. i swear i have the patience of an elephant. been through cancer with my father, mother and my daughter when she was a child, and i was a rock for them through it all. but damn, how come im acting like such a baby now. i understand that i dont really know what im dealing with yet. and when i went for results yesterday i stayed optimistic hoping that he would tell me that the lining of my uterus was thick because it was just before my period and that it was a cyst on my liver. ive been reading up as much as i can just so i dont freak out if it is the outcome and also ive read other things that it could be not as serious. sorry if im babbling....im trying to keep positive. thank you friends :)

  • Sara Zipora
    Sara Zipora Member Posts: 231
    llwright said:

    thanks guys

    thank you for your kindness. my name is linda. im 48 and haven't started menopause. or i may have because i attributed all these issues ive been having for the last 2 years to it. i swear i have the patience of an elephant. been through cancer with my father, mother and my daughter when she was a child, and i was a rock for them through it all. but damn, how come im acting like such a baby now. i understand that i dont really know what im dealing with yet. and when i went for results yesterday i stayed optimistic hoping that he would tell me that the lining of my uterus was thick because it was just before my period and that it was a cyst on my liver. ive been reading up as much as i can just so i dont freak out if it is the outcome and also ive read other things that it could be not as serious. sorry if im babbling....im trying to keep positive. thank you friends :)

    It's your turn now...

    Boy! you have had a real lot on your plate!

    it's your turn here to rant and rave, cry and babble.

    dont know geographically where you are, but I am melting on the East Coast right now, and I'm from the Middle East!

    Sara

  • llwright
    llwright Member Posts: 31
    im in ontario canada. we are

    im in ontario canada. we are melting here also. heat wave the past 4 days but suppose to cool off a little tomorrow. 

  • janh_in_ontario
    janh_in_ontario Member Posts: 151 Member
    llwright said:

    im in ontario canada. we are

    im in ontario canada. we are melting here also. heat wave the past 4 days but suppose to cool off a little tomorrow. 

    me too

    I am also in Ontario. My advice is learn everything you can and become very vocal. ypi will probably have to push for tests and scans if your experience is anything like mine. I am being treated at Sunnybrook.

    dont assume itis cancer - which is extremely easy for me to say!

    private message me if u want to compare notes

     

    janh

     

     

     

  • llwright
    llwright Member Posts: 31
    hey

    jeepers, dont know if its my nerves but for the last 3 days i ve been having sharp stabbing pains in my lower abdomen and my lower back is aching like crazy :(  not sure if i should call my doc or just wait it out till i get my next appointment.

  • Ann55
    Ann55 Member Posts: 48
    llwright said:

    hey

    jeepers, dont know if its my nerves but for the last 3 days i ve been having sharp stabbing pains in my lower abdomen and my lower back is aching like crazy :(  not sure if i should call my doc or just wait it out till i get my next appointment.

    pain

    I vote to call the doctor. I think you should listen to your body,if it turns out to be nothing that's great. 

  • ConnieSW
    ConnieSW Member Posts: 1,677 Member
    Ann55 said:

    pain

    I vote to call the doctor. I think you should listen to your body,if it turns out to be nothing that's great. 

    Symptoms

    Those could also be sx of a urinary tract infection.  Wouldn't that be nice?  Much better than what you're fearing.  Call the doc.

  • pinky104
    pinky104 Member Posts: 574 Member
    Liver problem

    I had stage IVB uterine cancer with no lymph node involvement three years ago.  My cancer spread to both ovaries, the omentum, and the small intestine without being in the lymph nodes.  My CT scan has consistently shown an abnormality on my liver, but it hasn't changed at all, so they think it's a benign liver cyst.  My cancer was UPSC, which is very aggressive, but I have not had a reoccurrence after surgery and chemo.  I don't want to scare you, but the surgery was much worse than I'd expected, and I was in the hospital 6 days (my gallbladder (full of gallstones) and appendix were also removed) and I had to have a couple of units of blood. My bowels wouldn't work after surgery, but I suspect that was because of the liquid diet and then the inedible food at the hospital I had after it.  I'd been told I was going to have day surgery because of a polyp, but it turned into much more.  My surgeon didn't look at my CT scan results until the day of the surgery!  Anyways, although the going was tough, I'm still here with no evidence of disease.  I'd heard all kinds of bad stuff about chemo, but that wasn't bad at all.  It made me short of breath and I lost my appetite for a little while, but I took meds before my chemo and didn't have any nausea or vomiting.

    I read someone else's posting on here awhile back which said that this cancer spreads laterally across the abdomen.  This seems to fit with what happened to me.

    I had a 15% chance of survival with my late stage cancer, so I'm one of the lucky ones.  I commented about my stage IV cancer to my doctor recently, and he told me he's had plenty of people with stage IV cancer who have survived it.  My doctor is in Albany, NY, which is probably not one of the places you would expect to find such a high success rate.  I'm fortunate I was referred to his practice. 

    Good luck with whatever path you have to take.  I hope it's nothing serious.  But if it is, you can see from my story that there are successes with treatment.

  • llwright
    llwright Member Posts: 31
    biopsy

    hey guys, thanks for your respnses. well i go for a colonoscopy tomorro and my biopsy and MRI next week. hopefully i will have all results around the 6th of august. and hopefully it will be good new!! its been about 6 weeks since all this started. i appreciate you guys for helping me through this. ive managed to calm myself down with your help of course. its hard to talk about it to anyone because they just want to shut me up and say everything will be fine or stop worrying cause i dont know anything yet. and i know they are right but i still worry. so im glad i found this site. i will keep you up to date how things turn. keep on the sunny side :)

  • llwright
    llwright Member Posts: 31
    colonoscopy

    well got  the colonoscopy done and over with yesterday. didnt feel a thing. they found some polyps and removed them. guess they will send them for testing. my father had colon cancer so they wanted to check my colon. next is biopsy on tuesday and MRI on wednesday. 

  • jazzy1
    jazzy1 Member Posts: 1,379
    llwright said:

    colonoscopy

    well got  the colonoscopy done and over with yesterday. didnt feel a thing. they found some polyps and removed them. guess they will send them for testing. my father had colon cancer so they wanted to check my colon. next is biopsy on tuesday and MRI on wednesday. 

    llwright

    Glad you're moving along down the path to find out more inforamtion which will give you the answers.  I know it's so frustrating dealing with the medical community as they need lots of tests until find what you're looking for, but stay with them. Very difficult to be strong, no matter if you're at the beginning of the journey or completion of everything and NED.  

    Assuming this was your fist colonoscopy?  I had my first after my treatments and the prep was worse vs. the procedure.  Now the waiting...darn it!!  Definitely follow up with us next week after the pathology comes back and MRI results.  

    Thinking good thoughts for good results!!!  We're here for you, so plse keep us posted on your journey~

    Jan

  • Kathy G.
    Kathy G. Member Posts: 244 Member
    Hi!
    Isn't all this testing

    Hi!

    Isn't all this testing just nerve-wracking?

    I have had to have frequent colonoscopies since my 1st one about 3 years ago. They found a large and small polyp then and they were pre-cancerous. I had to have a 2nd one in 2 years.

    I had that right before my uterine cancer diagnosis and had 5 small new precancerous polyps. So they want me in every 3 months for colonoscopies until I am clear. I missed the 1st 3 month one because of my hysterectomy this past January so I just had it in June. This time 2 small pre-cancerous polyps!

    I go back for another follow-up colonoscopy in September which will coincide with my 3 month uterine cancer check-ups.

    My brother was diagnosed with anal cancer this past March so I will bite the bullet and keep having these tests done.

    It just feels like you 'live' from test to test/check-up to check-up....what alot of the ladies call the 'new norma' after a diagnosis.

    I hope you tests turn out well.

    Continue to keep us posted!

    Kathy

  • ConnieSW
    ConnieSW Member Posts: 1,677 Member
    Kathy G. said:

    Hi!
    Isn't all this testing

    Hi!

    Isn't all this testing just nerve-wracking?

    I have had to have frequent colonoscopies since my 1st one about 3 years ago. They found a large and small polyp then and they were pre-cancerous. I had to have a 2nd one in 2 years.

    I had that right before my uterine cancer diagnosis and had 5 small new precancerous polyps. So they want me in every 3 months for colonoscopies until I am clear. I missed the 1st 3 month one because of my hysterectomy this past January so I just had it in June. This time 2 small pre-cancerous polyps!

    I go back for another follow-up colonoscopy in September which will coincide with my 3 month uterine cancer check-ups.

    My brother was diagnosed with anal cancer this past March so I will bite the bullet and keep having these tests done.

    It just feels like you 'live' from test to test/check-up to check-up....what alot of the ladies call the 'new norma' after a diagnosis.

    I hope you tests turn out well.

    Continue to keep us posted!

    Kathy

    Colonoscopy

    Every 3 months!  Oh, Kathy, I feel for you.

  • llwright
    llwright Member Posts: 31
    biopsy done

    well went for endometrial biopsy this morning. unpleasant but overwith. then he tells me he is leaving for holidays and wont be back till the beginning of september????? wth. so i said, but if something is wrong wont someone call me and let me know? and he said that he has to read the report first....uugghhh!!!!

  • llwright
    llwright Member Posts: 31
    his comment

    he actually said that the samples look fine and i dont believe you have endometrial cancer. can he tell by looking at the sample??