Pain so bad I ended up in ER

Keleigh · 06-30-2007, 02:13 PM

Has anyone else had pain from a cyst that was so bad they ended up in the ER? I did on Thursday. The pain was so extreme I couldn't walk upright and it brought me to tears. Scared me enough to go to the ER because I didn't know if I had some kind of blockage or something. Turned out I had a 2.6 cm cyst AND an enormous follicle on my right ovary. They gave me pain meds and said to just wait it out.

But then the really scary thing happened. As I was hopped up on Demoral and Phenergen and about to be released, they told me to follow up with my doctor, especially because of the 8mm nodule they found in my lower left lung. The ER doctor didn't even tell me! I went to my regular GP on Friday and now I have to go back in in three months for another CAT scan on my lung to see if it grows or not. Has anyone ever had a lung nodule and had it be nothing? No one seems to be telling me anything, and I'm really freaked out. My GP said it could be scar tissue or a fungus or something, but it also could be lung cancer. And yes, I used to smoke. I'm 39 and this is terrifying.

sarahgmac · 06-30-2007, 05:35 PM

I have had cysts so big they have sent me to the ER. When I was 19 I had one so big it was 3x the size of my ovary. I was put on BCP and it went away. I probably should have had surgery, but I chose against it being 19. It was very painful.

As far as a nodule on your lung, I am not sure about that. Are you going for a biopsy? Do you have a pulmonary dr? I would definitely go to a lung specialist for a second opinion.

Not to scare you, but my Mom had lung cancer (she was 49) and she had a tumor on her lung that was 3 cm in diameter. She was diagnosed with stage iv lung cancer. (her tumor was much bigger than what you have)

But her SIL had a nodule removed from her lung and that was 15 years ago and she is still fine.

I would not mess with it. Please get a second opinion from a lung specialist.

Please let me know how you are doing with it.

~Sarah

Keleigh · 06-30-2007, 06:06 PM

Thanks for the info, Sarah. I don't have a pulmonary doctor - I never knew I needed one. My GP said they biopsy nodules 1cm or larger, and mine is 8mm. Since it's in the lower quadrant, she said they can't do a needle biopsy - I would have to be opened. She wants me to wait for three months and have another CT scan to see if it grows or not. I'm just thinking that that seems like an awfully long time to just wait and see.

I can't figure out why both doctors are being so nonchalant, although my GP did say it was nothing to mess around with. Makes me wonder if I'm being overly dramatic. It just seems to me that if it is lung cancer, we caught it awfully early and I want to try and quickly take care of it. I guess maybe I'll call my GP on Monday and ask if I should go ahead and see a lung specialist. I'd really rather err on the side of caution.

And as far as your cysts go, do you just wait and they go away? That's pretty much what I was told. (WHY am I doing all this waiting?!?) LOL

sarahgmac · 06-30-2007, 06:35 PM

The BCP's worked pretty much the first month for me. I could have had surgery and since was told for how big it was that I should have. I just lived with the pain (with some help of heavy duty anaprox and percocet)

8mm is only 2mm off of 1cm. I would definitely see a specialist. They might be able to give you a better explanation of something it could be besides cancer. Even a needle biopsy is a serious procedure, my Mom's lung collapsed during hers. But I think it was because the cancer was so far spread by the time they caught it.

Have you had any difficulty breathing or shortness of breath? They will ask you if you coughed up any blood, but my mother didn't until a week before she died.

I would NOT wait 3 months, but that is me. Lung cancer has killed my mother, my grandmother and my great grandmother.

It may just be an infection or something else, but I think a pulmonary dr (lung specialist) would be better at determining that than a gp. You know?

I will pray that it is only a nodule and nothing more serious.

I hope I didn't scare the heck out of you.

Keleigh · 06-30-2007, 09:15 PM

Thanks, Sarah. I was scared anyway. I haven't had any shortness of breath or coughing up blood or anything like that. But I will definitely ask about a recommendation for a pulmonary doctor. You're right - I'd much rather have a specialist telling me not to worry or to wait than a GP. I'm really sorry about your family's history with lung cancer. That's got to be incredibly frustrating. Thank you for the input... I would much rather be an alarmist than dead.

sarahgmac · 06-30-2007, 09:37 PM

Yeah my family history kind of sucks Lung cancer is not the only thing in it. On mom's side there is asthma, heart disease, stroke, heart attack, diabetes, thyroid, breast cancer,uterine cancer and lung cancer. My father's side lives longer but they have skin cancer, high blood pressure, bowel cancer, parkinson's disease and alzheimers. Oh and don't forget PCOS :-) So basically I am screwed either way.

I do not smoke which is the smartest thing I ever did. But the type of lung cancer my Mom had was adenocarcinoma which is the kind you can get without smoking (the kind Dana Reeve's died of) and my great grandmother had it and didn't smoke. So I am going to ask for pet scans starting at 40. Even if I have to pay for them, it is well worth my life. The lung cancer in my family each time killed them within 2 months of discovering the cancer. Not a very good prognosis. That is enough wallowing in self pity.

I am glad you are going to a specialist. Please let me know what they say. I will pray for you and keep my fingers crossed.

I try to stay eat healthy and I do not smoke or drink. What

Keleigh · 07-01-2007, 01:35 AM

Wow - two months? TWO MONTHS? I'm DEFINITELY calling on Monday.

sarahgmac · 07-01-2007, 01:44 AM

That is not normal. Usually with stage iv most people have a year. Stage iv is pretty well spread. I didn't tell you to get you that worried. Your nodule is 1/5 the size my mothers was and i know for a fact both my Mom and her mom had it in their bones (spine) before they found it.

Don't freak out. The pulmonologist will probably have a good explanation for it. I just woudn't wait 3 months like your gp said.

Sorry I didn't mean to get you so worried. That was not my intention. I am going to stop typing now.

Good luck. Let me know what the pulmonary doctor says.

~Sarah

FrostedGoodness · 07-01-2007, 05:07 AM

I know you two have this under control, but I wanted to butt in and say please don't wait the 3 months to see a specialist. Cancer can change so much in such a short time. I know I couldn't wait that long for an answer.

Shejayd · 07-01-2007, 08:40 AM

Adding my 2 cents
I had something similar happen to me a couple of years ago. I had had a sore throat for a few days, and remember sitting in my living room, I grabbed my throat and rubbed back and forth to see if it would ease the pain, and I had a huge lump there. I freaked out imediatly because my dad had just had his thyroid removed due to hypothroidism and a maligmant cyst. I called my DR and he got me in to see a specialist, but i had to wait 3 months. My gp ended up doing a u/s, which showed that I had 6 "cysts" in my throat. I had a biopsy done, and had my blood tested, and everything turned out to be fine. Apparently it is quite common for PCOS women to get nodulars in weird places. I also have cystic breasts, and get the occasional cyst else where. I would'nt worry yourself to death over it. Hopefully you can get answers soon. And I pray that it turns out to be nothing.

Keleigh · 07-01-2007, 01:13 PM

Thanks, ladies. I really appreciate your input. The docs all seemed nonchalant about it, and I couldn't understand why something isn't happening NOW. I've actually looked up a Pulminologist and will call both him and my GP on Monday. If the Pulminologist says just wait, then maybe I'll feel a little bit better. I just want someone who's an expert in these kinds of things to check it out before I feel like it might be ok.

Sheena - I have cystic breasts as well, so maybe you're right. That would be great! I bet that throat thing was terrifying. Glad it all turned out to be fine.

Keleigh · 07-03-2007, 02:45 AM

I contacted my GP today and she said she understood wanting a second opinion but that they'd say the same thing she did. She also said that the protocol was to check back in 3-6 months, and she was going for the more conservative 3 month followup. Interestingly, I found online that they suggest 1-3 months. Sometimes a lot of information is just confusing, eh? Anyway, I called the pulminologist and gave the basic info and they're supposed to have someone call me back to schedule an appointment.

Keleigh · 07-09-2007, 10:41 AM

Today's my appointment with the pulminologist and I'm a bit nervous. I'm getting a lung x-ray beforehand since the CT scan was of my abdomen. Here's hoping it's nothing bad. I doubt I'll get a definitive diagnosis today, but hopefully I can get more information.

Eva37 · 07-09-2007, 11:24 AM

all the best for your appointment

eva

sarahgmac · 07-09-2007, 01:18 PM

Keleigh,

Good luck with your appt. Please let us know how it turns out.

~Sarah