Any ovarian cyst people about?

[SomethingOriginal]

After two years of random flaring pains, I took myself off to the doctors who reckoned ovarian cyst(s)

Going back tonight to get the results from two sets of ultrsounds, and have a blood test on Thursday for what I'm assuming is a procedural check for cancerous cells etc...

Just wondered if I could have a little bit of hand holding, and anyone elses experiences please?

My cyst was only looked into and found by chance as I'd been to the dr's about something else and only mentioned the strange pains in passing - suppose I'd got used to them and they'd become 'normal'.

I had a couple of scans to see if it'd go by itself which it didn't,and the CA125 test (or whatever it is...).Had it whipped out by keyhole surgery where they also found lots of scar tissue.

All done and no more strange pains,just 3 tiny little scars.

Thanks for the advice everyone. Good support thread!

Delphine I hope you get on ok next week - let us know.

SomethingOriginal, did you get the results from your ultrasound? Did I miss it?

I saw the Dr today. I told her my symptoms and she 'did a pelvic' (I think - ie poked around a lot from various directions) and because that didn't hurt she thought any cysts were unlikely to be complex. I've got to book an ultrasound next week and she did various swabs and things too in case my symptoms are being caused by infection. And she wants me to have a smear even though it's not due for another year. So I feel faintly reassured but obviously there's a lot still to find out.

Is it just me or is this whole thing quite degrading?

Yeh, it does feel degrading to me too. But it's better than silently suffering and the medical professionals have seen itall before. Leave your dignity at the door and collect it again when you leave! It's good to know I am not alone.

The cut off point (ha!) for cysts in 5cms. Over 5cms they will look at options including removal.

I know this as I had one and had an excellent private gynae who was looking after me for other things but the cyst was discovered on a routine "MOT" scan.

There are various types of cyst- you can easily find this infor on the web.

Fluid filled cysts are the most common as opposed to dermoid etc.

I had no symptoms at all with mine.

It was monitored for 2 years- scans every 4 months. It gradually shrank.

Unless they can see potentially cancerous changes, which is evident by the shape of the cyst, any hard matter in it, etc, then they tend to leave them alone.

Everyone who has a cyst will have a blood test for C125 which is a protein found in your blood if cancer is there. This test is not accurate as high levels can be caused by other things inc. endometeriosis.

Hopefully the surgical techniques for removal are improving all the time. I was meant to have keyhole surgery but ended up being cut open in a four hour operation! Mine was big though!

It's good news you are being seen promptly, Bashful Blue, now you just have to go through the process of being seen by different doctors in different departments!

What I hate about this kind of thing is all the waiting before you even find out what's wrong. Does anyone else have the mirena coil? I'm now wondering if maybe it's the coil or just my weird perimenopausal cycle that's causing the symptoms and the cysts I've had in the past were a coincidence...

Oh Bashfulblue I don't know what causes them either:( I had a mirena in for six months but that was nearly three years ago. I do suffer from endometriosis though which was discovered when I had an endometrial ablation procedure done to sort out heavy periods. That was when my first cyst was discovered as the gynae did an exploratory laparoscopy. It was a 'chocolate cyst' so called because it was surrounded by old blood.

I'm 43 and am not perimenopausal yet. It does seem that there are some of us that are just prone to getting cysts. Hopefully when I have my left ovary removed in September that will put an end to the cysts as they've all been on the left so far.

I agree the waiting to find out the diagnosis is horrible.

The pre-op should be pretty simple OF its where they take some bloods and weigh you so that they can work out how much anesthetic to give you. It also saves time on the day. The worst bit that I can remember on the operation day was having to sit there from 11am and I didn't go down until 1600.

I have also suffered the agony of a ruptured and poisoned cyst, to be honest the pain was so awful it was worse than being in labour.

I had a sub total hysterectomy (ovaries and uterus)2 yrs ago after a long history of ovarian cysts and endometriosis; the last straw was when I developed a grapefruit sized one in the space of 3 months whcih blocked my bladder and ureter and caused a very bad kidney infection. I had a temperature of 41 and was on intraveinous ab's in hosp for a week. It was very bad. When my gyneacologist told me he thought I ought to have a hyterectomy I literally wept with relief.

Sorry OP that probably hasn't helped you much, it's just that reading the thread brought it all back to me

Hi there
Sorry to hear about your cyst. It is not pleasant.

I had symptoms similar to yours for 18 months. The cyst was found after I was taken by ambulance to hospital bent over double in agony. It turned out I was also pregnant and was dosed up on morphine and told it would resolve itself during the pregnancy. Unfortunately, it just got bigger but no-one was really concerned. When my DS was about one, the niggly pain was getting worse so I was referred back to gyn who arranged for surgery to remove it as it was about 6cm.

Whilst on the waiting list, the cyst twisted the tube and I ended up as an emergency admission and had laparotomy to remove 10cm cyst, ovary and tube. It took a while to get over the surgery and it also messed up my hormones for a while and I ended up on medication for anxiety for a while whilst my hormones got back to normal.

I hope everything goes well for you.

It's weird how sometimes they seem to cause no symptoms and sometimes they cause havoc - even before they twist or rupture or whatever.

My ultrasound is in two weeks. Pain seems slightly better over all at the moment - it does help to be busy, whatever that means...

Can I just nip in and intrude to ask all of you who've had cysts if you found the pain constant? I have v.intermittent pain. Isn't there for days on end, then can be quite crippling. It's v.low down, so feels like it's in my hips. Can last for a few days, then disappears again.

I had a cyst removed about 10 yrs ago now. It's only reading this thread that's made me' realise how huge it was- I was so paranoid I was pregnant that anything else was a relief (in my mid 20s and in a very stable relationship but terrified I'd have to tell my parents ). Anyway by the time they removed it it was 40cm across. The pain was very occasional sort of a short, sharp stab but nothing that would have alerted me' to an issue if the desire to wee didn't suddenly feel different. I didn't look pregnant at all ( I didn't show until 7 months in real pregnancy) but on a feel of my tummy the nurse announced I was.

Hi Smee.
With mine, I found that the pain was intermittent and was worse mid cycle and just before my period. I was prescribed diclofenac to deal with this and it helped a lot. It was only when it twisted that the pain became constant and unbearable.

Smee - I'm the same, lots of sharp intermittant pain, like ovulation pain but worse. Hardly any today unless I twist or dd2 jumps on me but last weekend I was shaking in pain.

Bulby - how did your desire to wee change if you don't mind me asking? I am weeing loads at the moment. GP has done pelvic exam and swabs today and pg test last week

I had cysts picked up on both ovaries during last pregnancy They were both found to be borderline which is not benign but not malignant either although they have the potential to change. I never had any symptoms and my CA125 was normal. After my DS was born, they sampled them and recommended removal of ovaries plus hysterectomy etc. Was a complete shock to me but guess I was lucky and have been told that there is a less than 2% chance of them returning- they can implant on to remaining organs.

Interesting, thanks for posting. Hard to judge when pain occurs with me, as I was pushed into early menopause two years ago, due to breast cancer treatment. I have a gynae referral in two weeks, so will find out more then.

Teenage- when I needed to wee the pressure on my bladder when my tummy was pressed (not that I make a habit of pressing my tummy) felt much duller, I assume the cyst sat in front of my bladder. Also when I needed to go I needed to go fairly quickly, even if there was a small amount, which I put 'down to the cyst pressing against my bladder.
Having now had a baby I can honestly see why the nurse thought I was pregnant as my abdomen felt pretty much identical- like a small football in there!
I have had NO issues since even though I've only got 1 ovary left- I fell pregnant within 3 months of trying and I think my experiences since reflect those of most people.

Hi everyone:)

Quick update from me. I now have my pre-op on Weds this week as had to change previous appointment.

Have also had to postpone op to mid September as DH can't get time off work:( Didn't want to but it's important there's someone to look after me and the DDs!
Fortunately the pain isn't too bad at the moment.

How are you all doing?

Well I went to my pre-op appointment today. Had a really lovely nurse who got through everything really quickly and efficently. Had more blood taken and lots of health questions. I'm feeling ok at the moment but it's starting to sink in that I am going to being having surgery. It's not until the middle of next month but I do tend to get a bit wobbly as the date of surgery gets closer.

Oh well keep busy with the summer hols. The dds don't give me much time to think luckily ...

Well done for getting the pre-op over with, and at least it's a pretty small and routine op no? I was just reading back over your posts and I'm interested that they've removed all your cysts even though they haven't been bigger than 5cm. I'm sure my previous one was just monitored at that size. Do you think it varies depending on who you see?

I'm still not sure I have one now by the way, but I'm getting a bout of period-type pain every day with no bleeding so there's definitely something up. My friend thinks it's just 'hormones'.

Thanks Bashfulblue:) It is a routine op but I'm a bit more worried this time because my ovary is being removed too. I asked for the surgeon to do this as I'm fed up with recurring cysts but am worried I'll be in more pain after and take longer to recover. I'm fairly sure I'm doing the right thing but I remember the pain last time. I found it difficult to stay on top of it.

In answer to your question about size, I think it does depend who you see although last time I saw two different gynaes and they both wanted to remove the cyst then. They each had a different approach though. The first one I saw who I didn't take to mainly because she hurt me when she did the internal, and hardly spoke to me, was convinced then that she would have to do open surgery as in her opinion the cyst was likely to have destroyed my ovary. Luckily I got re-referred and the second gynae did everything via keyhole and said the ovary was absolutely fine!

Good luck with your ultrasound. I'm sure it'll help to know what's causing your pain. From what you've said I agree that something's wrong.

I've been having a few pains again low down on my right side so I went to the GP this morning. She's recommended a trans vaginal utrasound and I was lucky to get one next week. I asked her if cysts could come back and she said yes.

I really hope I haven't got one again but am determined not to leave any symptoms this time because my last one grew so big!

Hope you haven't got another cyst mrsmusic2 but it does sound like one.

Good luck next week.

Thanks orangeflutie.