The scan itself was brief.
Waiting for the results was not.
The gynecological specialist, Dr. Patel, reviewed the images with a radiologist. They identified a large, predominantly cystic mass, approximately nineteen centimeters across, occupying much of my pelvis and lower abdomen.
It was pressing against my bladder and displacing nearby bowel loops.
There were features that were reassuring, but the mass was too large and complex to declare benign from the images alone.
Dr. Patel ordered additional blood tests, including a CA-125 level. She explained that this marker could sometimes be elevated in ovarian cancer but could also be elevated in noncancerous conditions, and that a normal result would not completely exclude malignancy.
The result was not dramatically abnormal, but that did not settle the question.
The doctor also arranged a chest assessment, an electrocardiogram, and a more detailed review of my heart and lung function before any operation.
Because I was seventy-nine and had a history of high blood pressure, the anesthetic team wanted to make sure that the potential benefits of surgery outweighed the risks.
