8.5cm complex, separated ovarian cyst - 26yo. Scared!

Hi all! I guess I am writing this more for reassurance and comfort, as sometimes it helps to get things out. I'm just under 27 years old, and here's my experience so far with a complex ovarian cyst. 

Two weeks ago I went to the ER after suffering from severe pain on my right side. Blood work was normal, but a CT scan revealed a 7cm cyst on my right ovary. The ER doctor and nurse told me to follow up with my regular gyn, who would most likely monitor it and complete ultrasounds every 6-8 weeks to check for growth. They said it was not an emergency unless I suddenly developed major, excruciating pain. They both said that ovarian cysts sometimes have to be removed, but ones like mine (the said the shading on the CT scan looked like a normal cyst) should be fine and probably go away with my cycle. (I've never had any issues previously. In fact, just two weeks prior to this happening, I had my annual appointment with my gyn, and all of my tests came back normal. I have no family history of ovarian cancer or cysts.) 

Three days later I met with my gyn, who promptly scheduled me for an ultrasound. She seemed concerned about the cyst due to its size and said she thought it'd definitely have to be removed, since it was already so large and because of the fact that I I have it while being on birth control (birth control, she said, is often prescribed to lessen the change of developing cysts. Go figure...) I became nervous after this, because the ER doctor and nurses didn't seem concerned at all, but my gyn did. 

The next day I went for both my regular and transvaginal ultrasound, which returned the following results: 

"8.5cm Complex cystic lesion with septations and what may represent a small papillary excrescence. No flow is noted to the solid component of the cystic portion. The appearance is nonspecific and both benign & malignant etiologies could give this appearance. Its size however is concerning." 

Upon receiving those results, my gyn referred me to a gynecological oncologist; my gyn said that due to the fact that they cannot tell whether its benign or malignant, a gyn onc. must be the person to handle it. 

My consultation with the gyn onc is on Tuesday, and while I'm trying to stay calm and optimistic, I've been a wreck at the thought of cancer. Of course, I Googled...and I read about so many characteristics of complex malignant cysts that seem to match up with mine, which scared me. The fact that the cyst seemed to grow so much in just three days between tests (1.5 cm) is frightening too...although, I'm wondering if there could be a discrepancy between a CT scan and an ultrasound? I am nervous to see how much it will have grown when I meet with the gyn onc. 

The hardest part has been the waiting - I just want to know what it is. It's been a long couple of weeks. At times, I had myself worked up into a frenzy of worry, which only made the pain worse. My gyn has been fantastic through this, reassuring me to just take it easy and try not to worry too much...but it's easier said than done. Meeting with a doctor who specializes in cancer treatment and practices in a cancer hospital is just a scary thought (but also comforting, since God forbid it is cancer, I know I'll be in good hands...) It doesn't help that I've also always been a hypochondriac  

I guess I just needed to get that out...the thought of cancer is just making me a nervous wreck. Thanks to anyone who took the time to read this...I'm not sure how much sense it makes. But it felt good to get that all out!

1 like, 35 replies