2 posts shown.
Hi there.
During my last OB-GYN appointment, the doctor found a 3x4 cyst and ordered a CA 125 tumor marker test... then told me to follow up in three months.
My marker came back at 52.5, though the normal range goes up to 35.
I'm wondering if this is considered significantly high—does it point toward something serious, or could it just be elevated because of the cyst itself?
I know I need to talk to my doctor about this, but my next appointment isn't for another 15 days... so I'm just looking for a little peace of mind while I wait.
He did mention starting hormone therapy to monitor things, but I've already turned that down—I tried hormones once before and they honestly made me feel like I was losing my mind.
Any advice would be appreciated.
Thanks for listening.
Hi everyone... I was wondering if anyone might be able to offer some advice or perspective. I’m currently going through testing because they suspect I might have Crohn's disease. Since December, I’ve been dealing with diarrhea several times a day for about a month and a half straight. During that first week, it was brutal—maybe 12 to 15 times a day—mostly just bloody mucus passing through... after that, it settled down to about 5 to 8 times daily. My doctor initially thought it was just a virus, but since it dragged on so long, I finally managed to see a gastroenterologist. My CRP was elevated, and my Calprotectin 500 was at 1599. I had to undergo a colonoscopy with biopsies at the 30 cm mark. The pathology results showed significant chronic inflammation at the beginning of the small intestine. Honestly, the colonoscopy was barely survivable... The doctor wants an MR enterography next, along with follow-up blood work and another Calprotectin 500 test. I ended up paying for the enterography privately at a clinic in Chicago, since getting it covered through the standard system here can be such a headache. Because more than a month passed between the colonoscopy and the enterography, things have calmed down somewhat—though I’m on a very strict diet right now. It’s mostly just broth, rice, plain chicken, potatoes, carrots, toast, and tea... plus I've been drinking Ensure, a vitamin shake my doctor recommended since I lost quite a bit of weight, which seems to have helped stabilize things. I’m still dealing with abdominal cramps and several urges to go every day, and my joints are aching terribly... plus, the moment I try to eat anything outside of my restricted list, the pain returns immediately, followed by watery stools and bloody mucus. Currently, my blood levels look okay, my Calprotectin 500 is down to 9, and I haven't had a bowel movement in a few days. The specialist in Chicago who read my enterography told me my intestines look great—he even mentioned my appendix looks in excellent shape—noting only that the start of the small intestine looks slightly narrowed and mildly inflamed. How much weight can I put on that interpretation, though? Considering I actually had my appendix removed a year and a half ago, so I don't even have one... Now I'm just waiting for my turn to see my regular gastroenterologist so he can review all these new results.
What I'm really wondering is... is it possible that I actually have Crohn's and I'm just in remission right now, causing my Calprotectin 500 to return to normal? Or does Calprotectin 500 stay elevated in Crohn's regardless of what phase the disease is in?
Sorry for the long post... thanks in advance for any help.