WOMENS-HEALTH Messages for October, 2000: Pelvic pain, enlarged ovary and abdominal fluid <LONG>

Pelvic pain, enlarged ovary and abdominal fluid <LONG>

From: Angie (anonymous@obgyn.net)
Sun, 8 Oct 2000 20:00:01 -0500 (CDT)

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My Symptoms: For over a year, I've had a vague achy pain in my lower right quadrant, where I believe my ovary to be (two inches to the right of my belly button, and 4 inches down, approx 1 inch up from my pubic bone). At the start, it would come every couple of weeks and would last approx 3 days and disappear again. It did not coincide with any particular time in my menstrual cycle. For the past 2 or 3 months, the pain has been there daily, sometimes more painful than others, but not a debilitating pain. It's also more persistent when wearing tight jeans or when my bladder needs emptying.

Other symptoms: I also have some pain in my lower right back which comes and goes. The first 2 days of my periods are heavy and painful, and I get PMS symptoms (tender breasts, bloated achy feeling) a week before my period begins, along with loosening bowels.

I went to an OBGYN with these symptoms last week, and he sent me for a transvaginal ultrasound, and I'm waiting for him to get back to me early next week with the results. Meanwhile, here's what the ultrasound technician noted to me. There was excess fluid in my abdomen, my left ovary was long and thin with multiple small cysts on it, and its volume was approx 8.8cc 9pretty normal). My right overy was alot bigger (longer and thicker) than the left, at approx twice the volume, approx 16.6cc. It also has multiple cysts on it. There was also what looked like a small fibroid on my uterus.

I had the ultrasound on day 9 of my cycle. I'm quite slim(145Lb and 5ft 8.5" tall), except for my abdomen which protrudes a bit and feels bloated; my cycles are between 28 and 35 days, and I believe I do ovulate, since I get the egg-white discharge 14 days before I menstruate.

Questions: >From my internet research, these signs and symptoms could in theory be
due to polycystic ovaries, endometriosis, or ovarian cancer. What questions should I ask my OBGYN next week? I don't like unnecessary surgery or drugs, but at the same time don't want to take risks with my health by not doing anything or not asking the right questions. Should I request a battery of blood tests, including CA125 before trying to get pregnant, or is the cancer risk so small that I should forego further testing for now and try really hard to get pregnant, which I know would alleviate both polycystic and endometriosis symptoms, if either of these are diagnosed? Are there any other tests I should have or procedures I should look into before trying seriously hard to conceive?

My family history: I'm 33 years old, have never taken birth control pills, and don't have children yet(my husband and I intend trying much harder in the next 6 months), and have never been to a gynecologist before last week. My mother was diagnosed with endometriosis in her mid 40's, after having had 7 children. My younger sister was hospitalised for an ovarian cyst in her late teens, and has been on the pill ever since, with no subsequent known issues. My aunts on my dad's side have had hysterectomies, but I don't know the reasons (one was for for an ovarian problem, but I don't know what it was)

--
Thanks for your advice,
Angie

Next message: Concrned: "unusual pain and (external) bleeding after intercourse"
Previous message: William F. von Almen, II, MD, FACOG: "Re: pain in lower stomach"
Next in thread: William F. von Almen, II, MD, FACOG: "Re: Pelvic pain, enlarged ovary and abdominal fluid <LONG>"
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