My awful experience. Started at 15 years old
Posted , 4 users are following.
Hello! I'm 18 now and I got my first bartholin cyst when I was 15. It was really small and painless, I felt some discomfort to sit or walk but nothing else. Lately, the swelling doesn't go away. It was always painless, just a cyst and the size always changed but nothing to worry about.
Three weeks ago (October) I went to a park (with the small cyst) and it really hurt everytime I was on those roller coasters and park attractions. At the end of the day (Friday) I couldn't sit or walk. On Saturday morning I went to work, I was feeling better but not perfect. At 3pm on my way home the pain got intolerable and I started to feel this awful burning sensation. When I checked it was bigger than ever (golf ball size) and I really couldn't stop crying. I spend all Saturday and Sunday with this pain, taking painkillers but nothing worked. On Sunday night we went to the hospital, I spent all Monday dawning at the ER and was released at 7am.
I waited hours for the doctor and the pain was just getting worse. First, the nurse came to check on it and when she saw it her eyes couldn't get bigger of amazement (tennis ball size); she just said it was better to wait for the doctor because she has never seen something that big, it was already an abscess.
At 6am the doctor came and she drained the abscess, she used local anesthetic so I was awake (and crying) during the whole process. The drainage pain was horrible but I guess nothing worst than abscess pain itself. The doctor drained it all and inserted some absorbable gauze into the hole they made.
I got home at 8am, we brought the painkillers and the antibiotic and I started my treatment. Painless and just resting. On Tusday I went to the gynecologist office and they removed the gauze and just checked that everything was good.
Three weeks now since the drainage was made, I thought I was doing just fine and I went back to work three days ago, plus I got my period at the same time.
Guess what, THE CYST IS BACK. I'm really tired of all this situation and I don't know what to do now. The pain came back, I don't feel good and I took warm baths but it remains the same. I'm just 18 years old! I hope you can understand me because no else does. Any tips to help? Thank you.
0 likes, 3 replies
sophy82113 leca1405
Posted
Completely understand. Had same issues. The story never ends until u get the permanent solution. I went for the gland removal a year ago. Cyst will absolutely not be back again thank God.
cyrah leca1405
Posted
I'm so sorry you have to go through this. I feel your pain, as I'm sure many of us on this forum do. I had my first one at 16. Mine had always become abcessed within hours or days and I went through a total of about 8, often having the same draining procedure as you had, or having them burst on their own. It got so bad I wouod have panic attacks just thinking about it. I was about 23 when I finally found a permanent solution (albeit it was only several months ago but I am finally confident it will never return). I would recommend having the bartholins gland cyst excision procedure (from what I understand, and I what my doctor said, it is different from regular gland removal). I know some people that have these surgeries have some serious pain for a while afterwards while other so not. I was lucky not to, but it even with all the pain I think it would have still been worth it. Find yourself a really good gynecological surgeon. Do not let anyone else drain it, because it will only return again, except with more scar tissue, making further surgeries more difficult.
Best of luck and I hope you can be free of these awful things soon!
Also in the meantime (you probably already know this but just in case) things like sex and shaving irritate the problem and make it worse. For me, cutting down on those things made the situation a little better and less frequent
lfox2013 leca1405
Posted
I would definitely recommend having the gland and cyst surgically removed. I had mine done about six weeks ago and I feel like it was the best decision ever.
I'm not going to lie, the first two weeks were rough, probably because I ignored my cyst for a year and it grew to the size of a softball. It's a relief just knowing I probably will never get another cyst again.