Midlife Scare

Midlife isn’t all fun and games! This lesson has been brought home to me over the past couple of years, and I received another reminder just this week.

Prior to my Ecuador volunteer trip I had a severe pain on my right side, and fearing appendicitis, I went to the emergency room in the middle of the night.  It turned out to be a kidney stone, which was no picnic, but much better than having appendicitis.  I knew I would be able to get on the plane in a few days and head to Ecuador.

The day before I left on my trip I received a registered letter, and it scared me out of my wits.  It was a letter from the Emergency Room Director telling me that the CT scan of my abdomen showed some “abnormalities”.  Among these? A 4.5 cm ovarian cyst.

I went through menopause in my early 40s, and had a hysterectomy in my 30s. We decided to leave my ovaries so my hormones wouldn’t go crazy, and until now, I’ve never thought twice about it.  The letter from the ER Director definitely frightened me.  Any baby boomer knows that Gilda Radner died of ovarian cancer, and that it is one of the scarier cancers for women (of course, all cancers are scary).  Only 46% of women with ovarian cancer survive 5 years, and after my husband Randy’s critical illness a year ago (a double lung transplant!!!!) I immediately thought of my two young adult children, and I was horrified at the thought that they might have to go through more health drama.  Both of my children are getting married in 2015, and I want the year to be one of joy, not fear.

After the initial wave of fear subsided, I made the decision to go on my two week volunteer excursion, but I did make an appointment with my gynecologist upon my return. A sonogram confirmed the presence, and size, of the cyst.  My doctor felt that it looked like a “simple cyst”, but just to be sure, she took blood in order to perform a CA-125, a Cancer Antigen blood test.  Cancer Antigen 125 is a protein which is found on ovarian cancer cells and it is performed to see if cancer cells are present.  I have been a little nervous since my appointment late last week, but this morning I received a phone call from the doctor’s office informing me that the test came back normal. I reacted with strong relief, letting me know that I had been more afraid than I knew.

So what now?  We watch.  In 3 months they will take a look again, and if it has grown, out it comes. If not, we’ll watch for another 3 months.  Sometimes I am guilty of feeling pain or feeling unwell and saying, oh, it’s nothing.  Not in this case.  I’ll be right there in the doctor’s office for another sonogram in 3 months.

So, let me ask you:  do you go to your OB/GYN regularly? Do you get an annual physical?  If you are 50 plus, have you had a colonoscopy?  I certainly hope you do!  Even if you are done with menopause, you still need to have regular checks!  Vigilance, always vigilance!

PS remember to vote for women’s health, especially in Texas!  You can register to vote until October 6!