Without
getting into too much detail, I've been having some female issues, and since
they've lasted for a couple of months, I went to the dr yesterday to see if we
could come up with a cause and solution. In typical me fashion, I did
some research beforehand to see if I could get an idea what I was facing.
Did you know that googling can be dangerous to your mental well-being?
When I searched my symptoms, the C word we all dread was front and center. Not colon, but ovaraian cancer. And, my mind immediately went into full-on panic mode. I knew better, so I relaxed, cleared my search engine, and went about looking at symptoms of ovarian cancer, whether there is a link between the two, etc. There is, but I still tried to keep my mind and my what-ifs in check. After a few more searches, I decided that this wasn't healthy and to just wait until I got to the drs. I had written my concerns down before I did any searches, to make sure I wouldn't taint what I told her with what I had just read.
The good news is that she didn't find anything obvious that would be causing my problems. That is also the bad news. I go in on Friday for a pelvic ultrasound to see if my ovaries are in overdrive, if there is a cyst, or if there is something else causing the almost unbearable pain I was having earlier this month (which, by the way, isn't associated with my monthly visitor....see? How do I go into this without revealing too much information?).
Unfortunately, I'll be waiting until Friday (or later) to hear back on my u/s results. If there is nothing obvious causing the issues I'm having, then we start looking at ways to stop my body from ovulating, etc because according to the doctor, "Sometimes when women hit that magical age range of 35-45, their bodies start changing things up with no reason." And, with that, I cursed (again) my recent 35th birthday. We didn't talk about what happens if they find something. Isn't that a happy thought?
So, the purpose of this blathering TMI post? To highlight a couple of things:
A) being in tune with your body is beyond important - recognizing the signals your body gives to you (even if you don't know what they mean) can save your life. In this case, my body has decided that sending me into a pain-induced coma for 5 days is a good way to get my attention. I'm not impressed, but I got the message.
B) Researching unknown potential causes of something may be a good idea, if you're trying to diagnose a rash that's visible or why you're child has bugs in their hair. If you're trying to research vague symptoms and the potential results cause you to have to breathe into a paper bag just to catch your breathe - probably not a good idea.
C) As a cancer survivor, it's essential to keep your doctors in check and remind them of what you've been through. My paperwork at this OB/GYN's office is covered with stickers, paperwork and my own person declaration on the intake forms that I'm a cancer survivor. When I was talking with the doctor yesterday, we went through my litany of symptoms and potential causes before I said, "You know, as a colon cancer survivor, I'm concerned about the potential link between colon cancer and ovarian/uterine cancer." Her head snapped up, her eyes got real wide, and she became very interested in my medical history. Sometimes, saying what you think is blatantly obvious is the only way it gets noticed.
D) Keeping your body healthy and in good shape will help you out in so many ways. I know that I'm not a super athlete, and I'm well aware that I won't be competing for the Mrs. America pageant anytime soon. I'm okay with this. I'm also okay with the fact that I can confidently say that between my supplements, regular exercise, and eating right, I've given my body a pretty good arsenal to pull from. I understand I'm not perfect, but I know my body is healthier than it was when I was diagnosed in May of 2008. That makes me proud.
I'll try to remember to keep you all updated. In the meantime, here's to a pain-free week!
Did you know that googling can be dangerous to your mental well-being?
When I searched my symptoms, the C word we all dread was front and center. Not colon, but ovaraian cancer. And, my mind immediately went into full-on panic mode. I knew better, so I relaxed, cleared my search engine, and went about looking at symptoms of ovarian cancer, whether there is a link between the two, etc. There is, but I still tried to keep my mind and my what-ifs in check. After a few more searches, I decided that this wasn't healthy and to just wait until I got to the drs. I had written my concerns down before I did any searches, to make sure I wouldn't taint what I told her with what I had just read.
The good news is that she didn't find anything obvious that would be causing my problems. That is also the bad news. I go in on Friday for a pelvic ultrasound to see if my ovaries are in overdrive, if there is a cyst, or if there is something else causing the almost unbearable pain I was having earlier this month (which, by the way, isn't associated with my monthly visitor....see? How do I go into this without revealing too much information?).
Unfortunately, I'll be waiting until Friday (or later) to hear back on my u/s results. If there is nothing obvious causing the issues I'm having, then we start looking at ways to stop my body from ovulating, etc because according to the doctor, "Sometimes when women hit that magical age range of 35-45, their bodies start changing things up with no reason." And, with that, I cursed (again) my recent 35th birthday. We didn't talk about what happens if they find something. Isn't that a happy thought?
So, the purpose of this blathering TMI post? To highlight a couple of things:
A) being in tune with your body is beyond important - recognizing the signals your body gives to you (even if you don't know what they mean) can save your life. In this case, my body has decided that sending me into a pain-induced coma for 5 days is a good way to get my attention. I'm not impressed, but I got the message.
B) Researching unknown potential causes of something may be a good idea, if you're trying to diagnose a rash that's visible or why you're child has bugs in their hair. If you're trying to research vague symptoms and the potential results cause you to have to breathe into a paper bag just to catch your breathe - probably not a good idea.
C) As a cancer survivor, it's essential to keep your doctors in check and remind them of what you've been through. My paperwork at this OB/GYN's office is covered with stickers, paperwork and my own person declaration on the intake forms that I'm a cancer survivor. When I was talking with the doctor yesterday, we went through my litany of symptoms and potential causes before I said, "You know, as a colon cancer survivor, I'm concerned about the potential link between colon cancer and ovarian/uterine cancer." Her head snapped up, her eyes got real wide, and she became very interested in my medical history. Sometimes, saying what you think is blatantly obvious is the only way it gets noticed.
D) Keeping your body healthy and in good shape will help you out in so many ways. I know that I'm not a super athlete, and I'm well aware that I won't be competing for the Mrs. America pageant anytime soon. I'm okay with this. I'm also okay with the fact that I can confidently say that between my supplements, regular exercise, and eating right, I've given my body a pretty good arsenal to pull from. I understand I'm not perfect, but I know my body is healthier than it was when I was diagnosed in May of 2008. That makes me proud.
I'll try to remember to keep you all updated. In the meantime, here's to a pain-free week!
Comments:
Tina said...
It's
always a good idea to get things checked out. You know your body best. Funny
how those docs pay attention when you've had a cancer diagnosis! I've heard
doctors say a few times "with your history....", meaning
"because you've had cancer we better run a bunch of tests we wouldn't
normally do to make sure it's not more cancer". The fun never ends! :)
August
23, 2011 at 11:32 AM
jnwhiteh said...
The
first 5 minutes with every single doctor I meet with is consumed by me bringing
them up to speed on my history and my family history in order to ensure they're
in the right frame of mind going whatever we're looking at.
I'm sorry to hear that you're having more issues, but I'll be here for you regardless of what happens!
I'm sorry to hear that you're having more issues, but I'll be here for you regardless of what happens!
August
24, 2011 at 1:46 AM
I
so agree with all the comments. No one pays attention to your health like you
do. I sometimes wonder just why the heck they have us fill out those intake
forms and all those little checklists if they're not going to actually READ
them! UGG!!!!!
August
24, 2011 at 9:21 PM
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