39 yr old - my experience of massive cyst and surgery

I've read with interest others stories and experiences over the past couple of months and thought once the scary part of my journey was over (the surgery) I'd contribute to this thread.

It kind of all started around mid-March- my female partner insisted on me making an appointment with my GP after seeing me try on a bikini for our upcoming holiday. I had to admit I did look like I was pregnant, there was no mistaking that I was not just getting fat, as there was no wibble wobble in this case, just a hard mass. I opened up to my partner, admitting it had been giving me bother- not acutely, but I had had feelings of bloatedness, tenderness and what felt like a stitch which would last all day sometimes. In addition, I'd noticed I'd been going to wee a lot over the past few months (15 times a day was normal). I'd been working long hours, feeling stressed and drinking lots of coffee and I guess rather naively thought things would just go away on their own. 

So, I made my first ever Dr appointment as the last one would have been by my mum when I was a kid, and wasn't sure what to expect. After taking my history, feeling my stomach and then providing a urine sample, I was told it could be an ovarian cyst, but could also be bladder cancer (blood was found in my urine during the dipstick test). I was told I had to get an ultrasound but with the holiday a few days away, I put this off until I returned a couple of weeks later. Before going on holiday though I went back to the GP surgery to provide a blood and a urine sample.

The holiday gave me plenty time to 'Google' what the GP had suggested and while I have to admit I didn't feel like I had cancer, I was worried. I had an ultrasound (pelvic and abdominal) lined up for when I came back, and a large 'suspicious' cyst was found. I was surprised by the size of it-a rugby ball size apparently, but did feel relieved that it was a cyst on my ovary and not bladder cancer. That same day though, the results of the ultrasound were faxed to my GP who later called me at work. She told me I was getting referred urgently on the 2wk referral scheme so I was to take the appointment when I heard from the consultant. She sounded concerned but didn't say what the 2 wk referral rule was for. I soon found out myself with my old friend Google, and a new panic wave set in-suspected ovarian cancer! I met the consultant about 8 days later, where she examined me, gave me a cervical smear test, more blood and urine tests... She told me I'd have to have an MRI scan, as if it was cancer, they needed to know if it had spread anywhere. At this point they had the results of my earlier blood tests - Ca 125 was normal at 14 (over 30 would be a concern). I had the MRI about a week later, and just to worry me even more, a few days after that I was posted a packet in which I had to provide a blood sample for 'urgent' tumor marker profiling. I started to wonder if the MRI had shown something, hence this next set of tests? The good news came a week after the MRI- all looked good and the tumor markers were fine. I was told the only way cancer could be ruled out, however was by a biopsy, but at this stage I was just happy to have the news that I had. 

Fortunately I have private medical insurance with my work, so was given a 3 wk waiting time for surgery. I was to have a laparotomy due to the size of the mass, and removal of the right ovary to which it was attached. In that 3 weeks the nerves did build up, and one day at work, I'd stupidly lifted some heavy boxes which had me in agony later that day- I must have caused the cyst to twist, but ibuprofen did help take the edge off things. It made me realise I'd need to look after myself prior to surgery, so I tried to build myself up nutrition wise to get my body ready for what was to come. 

The big day was Thursday 28 May. The surgeon later told me 2.7 litres of fluid were drained from the cyst; there was some solid sections and they've been sent off for tests. Recovery has gone really quite smoothly, I got out of hospital after 3 days. I'd been given a catheter and a drain following surgery, but they were fine. A bit painful to pee after the catheter came out, and I've been constipated as a result of all the painkillers. I'm walking like an old lady, but I feel a lot stronger than I though I would. I'll be off work for a few weeks but this whole experience has been an eye opener to say the least. I now know to listen and pay attention to my body, not put things off. My partner has been fantastic through all of this, as it really has been a series of highs and lows these past few months. Finally, I hope this helps others in that others stories helped me come to terms with all that was going on.

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