Ovarian Cysts

[Beaverhausen]

Ok, I have one. Never had one before but was told not to worry. My doctor is going to call me later today.

I don't want medical advice but...have any of you had these? What did you do about them?

I'm going to go look in Dr. Christiane Northrup's website. I'm sure she'll have good info too.

thanks.

[DemBones DemBones]

1. Yes, I have. What did you hear from

your doctor?

[Beaverhausen]

2. I have a couple of them, one the size of a golfball

but my Dr. said not to worry. That just sounds strange to me.

[Princess Turandot]

4. hmmm..did you have an ultrasound done? Did they do a..

trans-vaginal one, using an internal wand? I'm a little surprised that he just said 'not to worry'. I've had 3 ovarian cysts removed in my lifetime, kind of spanning medical technology changes lol. I was 18 when the first one was discovered, it was the size of a 5 month pregnancy and they did an xray which uses dyes to examine the kidneys to try to get a look at it, since ultrasound had not been invented. They thought it was inter-uterine since it was so big it had pushed itself into the center of the area, squashing everything else. It turned out to be an enormous cyst caused by endometriosis. I had 2 others removed over the years, around orange-size.I put off havng the last one removed, causing great distress to my then new and fairly young gynocologist: I was convinced it was endometriosis again and he was afraid I was going to drop dead in his care. (I was an administrator at the hospital where he worked, which was part of why he was so paranoid lol.)

Unless something has changed, they cannot tell by external exam or ultrasound what an ovarian cyst is. The standard of care is still (as far as I know) to remove them or look at them with a laparascope. Laparoscopic surgery has made the procedure much easier. They make a few tiny incisions in your abdomen, inflate it with air, then use microscopic tools to examine or remove the cyst. Generally, it does not require an overnight stay. (I had 3 laparotomies, since laparoscopy wasn't around until cyst 3 and by then I had so much internal scarring that they could not do the surgery by laparoscope.Fortunately, they did bikini incisions each time.)

Did the MD do a CA-125 blood test? It's sort of a marker for ovarian cancer, altho it reacts to other things as well, such as endometriosis.

Years ago, my mother had a cyst on an ovary that was being watched. The cyst and her ovary burst, which was like having an appendix burst but 10 times worse. Once again, this was a very long time ago and the technology to evaluate the cyst was very limited.

[Beaverhausen]

6. I did have the ultrasound- that is how they found it

My doctor told me that because of my age (46) I should just wait and see what it does. She also said that she would probably do a hysterectomy instead of just removing the cyst!

Does that sound a little strange?

The reason I was checked in the first place was that I had some severe abdominal pain. I'm not altogether sure it wasn't intestinal and that is why I'm getting another colonoscopy soon. (Big family history of colon cancer.)

[NashVegas]

9. Eesh

It's a cyst and she wants to take out everything ?!?

Unless there's a damn good reason for that, I'd say 'no way.'

[flamingyouth]

3. I had one that burst - which is how I knew I had it.

After the fact, I had a series of tests and that's what they came up with, judging by how my right ovary looked on an ultrasound.

I love Dr. Christiane Northrup - and I hope you can get them taken care of soon. Have you been having pain?

Take care. :hug:

[NashVegas]

5. I Just Came From the Doc

and was told she thinks I may have a 'functional' cyst. Going back in two weeks for another look. Yum.

[flamingyouth]

7. Yikes

Good luck!:hug:

[NashVegas]

10. Good News

Her guess looks right - a functional. Still going in for an ultrasound, just in case.

*phew*

[fudge stripe cookays]

11. You too?

I didn't know that!

I started having horrible abdominal pain back this past March on a Friday morning. Got through work all day, but thought I might go home early. I stuck it out. Just thought I had REALLY bad gas. I'm healthy as a horse, and have never had any reason to worry.

Saturday morning, I was feeling a little better, but then it started hurting again. Al gave me some Pepto, and I laid back for awhile. Then, when I threw up the Pepto, we knew something was wrong.

Got to the ER at 9 something in the morning, and were there all day, running tesets and sonograms and various other types of stuff.

They finally told me they found "irregularities" with my ovaries. They admitted met hat evening, and I thought I'd be waiting for a day or so. The OBGYN on call was out.

That night around 10:30 or 11, after he had gone home to take care of our pets, since it looked like I'd sleep the rest of the night, she showed up, sounded worried, and got me in for laporoscopy that night.

I'd had a "chocolate ovary", which is what they call the endometrial monsters that burst. So I'm missing my left one.

FSC

[Tracer]

8. Don't worry??!! I don't like the sound of that.

This past June I was give a preliminary diagnosis of ovarian cysts, but my doctor wasn't going to take any chances and scheduled a laparoscopic surgery to take a look.

He went even further, by having an oncology surgeon in the operating room -- just in case. And guess what? The pathologist came back into the OR with a preliminary finding of a Granulosa Cell Tumor (a low grade, non-aggressive cancer). At that point, the doctors opted for a radical hysterectomy.

Several weeks later the final pathology report came in and it was discovered to be a more severe Grade 3 cancer -- and that to be sure that there were no microscopic cancer cells floating around in my blood stream I would need to undergo chemotherapy.

Fortunately, the cancer was a Stage 1 and hadn't spread. My oncologist said that he rarely sees Stage one ovarian cancer, since it is quite difficult to diagnose in the early stages.

Moral of the story? Don't relax on your doctor's "don't worry". Inform yourself, question your doctor, ask about further tests and if you're not satisfied -- see another doctor.

[lady raven]

12. My experience...

During my pregnancy (My son is now 5), they found a cyst on my left ovary. It grew slightly during my pregnancy, as they were watching it on ultrasound. During my c- section, my doctor identified that it was a harmless cyst and drained it.

Fast forward to almost 3 years ago. An ultrasound of my uterus, done to determine the cause of some very minor bleeding, revealed another cyst, about the same size and in the same spot as the one during my pregnancy. The doctor and radiologist felt it was harmless.

This past January, at my endocrinologist's office, I had an ultrasound. I had been diagnosed with PCOS without the typical cysts because my hormones were all out of whack. But I had this cyst. Still. The fact that it was there for so long concerned my doctor, so she referred me to a gynecologic oncologist. She did NOT feel the referral was "urgent' though, so I waited 3 months for an appointment (so that women who WERE urgent could get in before me. At that time, it had grown slightly, so they decided to operate, though the gyn oncologist felt that the odds were pretty slim that it was cancer.

I had my entire ovary out on May 4. It wasn't cancer. It was a mixed complex (serous and Mucinous) cystadenoma. Not a cancer cell was found anywhere. And since my surgery, I have had NO MORE wacky hormone problems! AND no more cysts...

The bottom line is that they CAN contain cancer cells but it is rare. Even though I am down one ovary, I am SO glad that I had the surgery for my own peace of mind.

Rebecca

P.S... My OB/GYN and the Gyn Oncologist pretty much agree that this is the same cyst that formed during my pregnancy and that after it was drained during my c section, the "skin" that was left just filled up again.

[Liberty Belle]

13. I had them for years.

First time when I was 17, nearly passed out from the pain. Doc mistook it for appendicitis and rushed me to the hospital, but when they made the right diagnosis, they gave me meds to dissolve it.

Over the years I had them often, always on the right ovary. I'd be disabled for a day or so, then it would pass.

As I got older, it got worse and worse. One day I had to cancel a trip because the pain was too bad to walk. My doctor rushed me in for exploratory surgery. Turned out I not only had ovarian cysts, but endometriosis that had grown into the ovary, and also wrapped itself around my appendix.

I had a hysterectomy, got the right ovary removed but left in the healthy one so no hormone problems. After healing up from surgery, I never felt better in my life. No more pain! Of course I'd had my children by then and didn't need that ol' ovary anymore. If you're young, grin and bear it. But if you've had your family, and the problem recurs, I wouldn't hesitate to have the problem removed.

[October]

20. Me too!

At 21, I had a cyst rupture. They removed my appendix. Unnecessarily.

Fast forward 20 years later, and I had another one. It ruptured...no mistaking it for appendix this time, obviously. The tissues absorbed it. My period returned to normal. I will say that I had that uncomfortable "full" feeling before the rupture. I had a trans-vaginal ultrasound to be sure, and a pap. Don't ignore that "full" feeling.

Two healthy pregnancies/children in between the two cyst events.

VERY PAINFUL when they rupture -- unreal, and then it stops. Odd. I had an infection with the first one, though, and so was hospitalized for a week.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

14. i had dermoid cysts and surgery for it in july

[insane_cratic_gal]

15. I lost an ovary due to a cyst

The cyst got so large it contorted around the ovary cutting off circulation to it.
Now normally most cysts burst and that's the end of it. I guess I just got unlucky and ended up in the hospital with a tremendous amount of pain.
My OBGYN was at fault as well. If you have a good one (mine was terrible, but as a military spouse my options were limited.)they will catch that stuff.

[RubyDuby in GA]

17. Same here - I lost my right ovary

due to doctor's neglect. Don't listen to any doctor who tells you that you are imagining pain.

Anyway, after the ovary was removed, everything was completely better instantly (after the recovery of the surgery) and I became pregnant shortly after a full recovery.

Me and Mr. RubyDuby are expecting this June. :)

[Dora]

18. Congratulations!

Ours is just about to have his first birthday.

Parenthood is amazing.

[LizMoonstar]

16. I had one back in october - boring story

they had to keep an eye on it because they thought they saw something in it on the ultrasound (the only way they could identify it aside from the pain that brought me in - it was about 2cm on a side) and when i went back for another ultrasound 6 weeks later, it was gone. apparently i have polycystic ovaries but not polycystic ovarian syndrome as i'm healthy(?) and fertile (this part I know). i just never had one quite so noticeable before. they said i'd probably always have scatterings of tiny cysts, but that if it hurts again like that or worse to come in so they can watch it. ya know, so i don't 'splode :)

so anyway, way late in on this.

[Ilsa]

19. I've had a few, mostly in my late thirties and if I missed

a birth control pill and my cycle got screwed up. I would feel a little sore in the abdomen until the cyst burst and man, the pain was some of the worst ever, sharp like a knife being plunged and twisted, leaving me hunched over for the next few hours in intense pain. Ibuprofen helped alot, as did rest.

They really suck, IMO. I hope you feel better soon.

[flamingyouth]

21. I'm going through another hellacious bout of this.

I've been really sick since early September and now my doctor wants to remove my right ovary. I don't have PCOS but between my bladder cancer and the pain I've been enduring with cysts on this ovary, she just feels that getting rid of it altogether might be my best option.

I went to see my primary care doc a couple of weeks ago, afraid I had appendicitis, and he sent me out for an emergency CT scan because he said I needed my gallbladder out pronto. Long story short, luckily I didn't have my gallbladder removed, as it wasn't either my appendix OR my gallbladder ... it was my ovary. Again. :eyes:

So now my gyn. wants an ultrasound, then exploratory laparoscopic surgery and probable removal of the ovary in Nov. Yippee.

[MaineDem]

22. Sorry you're going through this

I just had a total hysterectomy at the beginning of the month. I can relate to many of your concerns.

Best of luck in dealing with these issues. :hug:

[BlackVelvet04]

23. I had them and I

ended up having a complete hysterectomy because of endometriosis. The upside was I didn't have to take progesterone with my estrogen.