Ovarian Dermoid Cyst - Very Painful!!

Hi Bernie,

They gave me NO antibiotics and when I went in this past Tuesday they said no. And I asked what the big deal was and they pretty much they don't think I need them. The truth is the swelling is NOT going down at all.... it stays the same day after day and is really, truly quite painful. If it is the same way after this weekend passes I am going to the doctors first thing Monday. I hate how some doctors wait till it is awful before they do anything!! Thanks for the advice dear xx

Hey ladies! GOOD NEWS:

IT WAS A NON-CANCEROUS DERMOID!!!!!I just got the call today and had to share with you guys!!!!! I guess these bad boys really are benign most of the time. Mine just looked "weird" they said so I feel soooooo much better now, minus this awful swelling.

Have a great weekend!!!!

Fabulous news Elizabeth, so pleased for you! Isn't it a relief when you hear those words? When I did some research before my surgery I read that the technical term for a dermoid is a mature teratoma, derived from the Greek word for 'monster' - they certainly got that bit right! I know that these cysts are mostly benign but nevertheless we ladies have had something alien growing inside us that we most definitely wanted rid of!

Hope you are feeling more comfortable this morning. Doctors views on antibiotics vary so much, mine didn't hesitate to give me a course of co-amoxiclav, which is what Bernie was given on discharge from hospital. She was pretty certain it was a kidney infection but she said that this is a broad spectrum antibiotic that would hopefully get rid of anything else that happened to be lurking. The first urine test came back as abnormal but unspecific and the second test a week later was normal so clearly the tablets had worked their magic.

Let us know how you go on over the weekend and if you are no better by Monday morning I woud be hammering on that doctor's door! Have a good weekend and take lots of care of yourself xxx

HI Shaunagh1,

Thanks so much for your thoughtful words and insightful research/feedback. Didn't know the term came from the word "monster" but it makes total sense to me!! Yes, I did the same research and saw they were mainly benign, as well. I think the thing was with me that I had this doctor who really scared me... I keep trying to think of her intentions (which I'm sure were good), but throughout this entire process she kept reminding me that I might be a gull hysterectomy if this wasn't a dermoid and even the night of the operation, as I was in the hospital, she came in to see me. I had asked her what she thought when they took it out and got a better look at it and right away she starts talking about a full on hysterectomy if the thing came back weird. And I remember asking her if she at least thought the odds were favorable. She then sternly looked at me and said, "I don't gamble." lol So, she literally scared the sh*t out of me this entire time!! I talked to a few girlfriends about this and they said she really didn't have the greatest bedside manner...

At any rate, the swelling is the same- not better, not any worse I am going in on Monday to get another opinion from a different doctor I think... this is crazy!!!!!

Ahhhh.... so thankful for all of us on the forum though

Blessings to all of us.

Shaunagh1- I am SO GLAD the pills worked for you and the infection is cleared. SometimesI am so thankful for modern medicine.

xx

Elizabeth, I can so relate to everything you have said in your last post. When I had the follow up scan after my dermoid was found they also found a 4cm fibroid growing on the outside of my uterus, when I saw my consultant's registrar at the gynae clinic she said it would be probably be easiest (who for?) if I just had a full hysterectomy! Apparently my surgeon is usually able to do these as a keyhole procedure so it would be nothing to worry about!!

I didn't actually get to meet my consultant (who, if I am honest, terrifies me) until five minutes before I went to theatre. I dared to question whether it was actually necessary to remove both of my ovaries, having read about osteo porosis and heart disease and how even after menopause your ovaries offer you some protection from this, she practically shot me down in flames and accused me of wanting to expose my body to the future risk of developing cancer! Not want you want while you are sitting there, petrified, in your theatre gown and paper knickers!!

When I saw her at my two week check-up I said I was concerned about swelling and she basically accused me of suggesting that she had left something inside me after the surgery! Why is it that a lot of these consultants have no bedside manner when you would think being able to communicate with and reassure patients is pretty fundamental to their job? Because I had to have a lot of adhesions removed during surgery I questioned whether having more surgery would cause them to return; her reply was "let's hope not"!

Anyway, we have been promised a dreadful storm tonight so I had better start battening down the hatches! I have assumed that my 'friends' on this site are from the UK but maybe not?

Enjoy your Sunday, take care of yourselves xx

Hello friends,

I have done USG of my abdomen and in that report i found my problem i.e. "Impression-Left Ovary- A well defined echogenic round to oval lesion of size 61X54mm with surrounding anechoic area S/O? Dermoid" was diagnosed. My peroids are not cosistent from last 4 to 5 months. Please advice for cure.

Afternoon Ladies

Back home after a 2 day stay in hospital where I had a laparotomy. Nothing prepares you for the frustration you feel at not being able to do ANYTHING!! I've had 2 children & fortunately they were natural so I had no concept of what this type of surgery would involve. Having said that I am very glad that my 'monster'(great meaning!) has gone, my consultant saw me last night and said that it was 16 cms across and filled my pelvic cavity hence my large incision and that it had started to bleed which meant it could have ruptured anytime.......thankfully I cancelled my holiday! Oh and it weighed 542gms, was hoping for more, lol.

Interesting read about everybody's stitches, I've got internal ones and the external incision is held together with medical glue which will wear off in 2/3 weeks. Not been given any antibiotics just lots of painkillers & fybrogel(urgh!). Finding the wind more painful at the moment, lol.

Thank you to you all for your invaluable advice that is not normally given by the professionals but certainly makes all the difference.

Still can't believe that I had a cyst as big as it was and had no pain...very, very lucky compared to some other ladies on here.

xx

Hi Shaunagh1,

Sorry for brief lapse in correspondence- on top of recovery I am juggling looking for new work and moving to another state... alone Yes, I live in the US lol and see terms like "theatre" and have to think about the "American" meaning of the word I guess I joined because I couldn't find another forum like this.

I ended up going to the doctor yesterday (a new doctor) who said my body has changed since surgery and we just don't know how it will heal. I have a little bubble of blood on right ovary from surgery (they did ultrasound to rule out infection) and said "time" will be the number one factor in all of this. And he kept reminding me it was "major surgery".

Yes, doctors these days are so quick, informal and often times calloused I find. It is unfortunate. Most of the times, including yesterday, I leave their office without really feeling "heard". At any rate, I hope this is the end of most of it for all of us...

Oh, and he did say laparoscopy is the way to go and it is a bummer mine was too big

Hope you're healing well and fast!!

xx

Hi Freddie,

Congrats on being FINISHED with the surgery! You and I had the SAME type of surgery, as mine was too big for laparoscopy as well. And having no children (though we have definitely gotten a "glimpse" on what a c section is like) it has been so difficult realizing how major are surgery really was. I went to the doctor's office yesterday complaining of swelling/pain at my 2 week mark and he kept reminding me of this... we had "major surgery". Yours was big like mine, but mine caused crazy amounts of pain! But I've heard similar stories where someone felt nothing or where people had even smaller cysts than ours and it caused excruciating pain. They didn't give me antibiotics either.

I also have internal stitches and had glue too. I think it all peeled off yesterday as it turned out. I have found that heating compresses work way better than ice packs for swelling and ensuring minimal scar tissues. Also, I am going to get a "belly band" to put around area to diffuse swelling and pain and permanent changes like puffiness and scarring. These are the things I am finding really help the "c section" moms!! OMG I can't believe I am sort of that category now, although we birthed "dermoid cysts" instead.

And I agree- you're very lucky you had no pain

Message me any time with questions!

xx

Hi Hinag654,

I am sorry to hear about this but I am also glad they found this when it was small. Dermoids typically won't go away on their own but they may grow very slow or not. Mine grew super fast though I'v heard of stories where some don't grow fast at all. Surgery it usually an option I think when it gets bigger... I think 5cm but some of the ladies here can correct me if that number is off.

Good luck and message us any time with questions.

xx

ha ha Elizabeth, you do make me chuckle!

We do forget it's major surgery & I must say 'hats off' to c section mums, at least I haven't got a newborn to care for! Luckily my husband & kids are very supportive. One good thing out of this......they've learnt how to use the dishwasher & washing machine

Look after yourself, we'll be back to our normal selves in no time x

Hello Ladies!! My name is Rene', I am 44 years old and I am thanking God for this board and all of you. I have a small cyst on my right ovary, a larger one on my left and a fibroid growing on the left side as well. I never had any of theseissues, until I started into the "change" and suddenly had stuff growing all over the place. I am in wait and see moderight now but they are talking about eventually wanting to do surgery and I was terrified. I have had four c sections, but was awake with those and the only time I had to be put to sleep, was when I was six, for my tonsils. The surgery it self doesn't scare me, the being put to sleep part does. Yet after reading all your stories, I feel so much better. Also, Iwas at my gp today and they said I have acid reflux, as I get horrible gas pains after eating etc, but after reading someof your posts, I am wondering if all these buggers aren't causing it. My gynecologist already told me, that if he does remove these, he will go in on an old C section scar, as the fibroid is too large for keyhole. Oh and Elizabet, I believe it was you who asked about the swelling over the incision and I had that happen after all four of my C's. It will go down. Thank you all for sharing your stories and for helping me feel more at ease. Gods Blessings!! Rene'

Hello Rene and welcome to the forum! I can relate to everything you have said about our weird and wonderful symptoms and most of the ladies on here will tell you that most of the problems disappeared following surgery. I understand that having a general anaesthetic can be stressful but you will find that things have changed considerably since you had your tonsils out! For me, and I am sure the other ladies here will agree, being put to sleep for surgery these days is a very gentle and stress-free procedure and they moniter you so carefully you will be perfectly safe. When I was woken up after mine I felt completely relaxed and very well rested; the best sleep I have had in a while! Like you, I also have a fibroid but mine is growing on the outside of the womb so a hysterectomy would be the only option to get rid of it but as I am post-menopausal it shouldn't cause me any problems. Three years ago I had an ultrasound and there was no evidence of the dermoid cyst or the fibroid then so I do think these things are related to the menopause. I also developed acid reflux and had difficulty swallowing but following an endoscopy I was assured there was nothing sinister causing the problem. Since having my dermoid cyst and ovaries removed the problem has improved considerably so I am convinced the two things were connected. Try not to stress too much during your 'watchful waiting' period, if they decide that surgery is the way forward you will be absolutely fine and having had c-sections in the past the recovery will be pretty much the same but without the screaming baby! Take care and please feel free to share your questions and worries xx

Thank you so much Shaunagh!! It is very interesting all it can all just change, isn't it? I will have to wait until at least. January, because my husbands job just dropped our health care and Jan is when the new starts. (I live in the U.S.) but am beginning to think, more and more, after that, if they want to do the surgery, I will say "go for it." All of yourexperiences eased my mind quite a bit. It's funny too because you are the second person who has told me it will be the best nap ever lol. Anything will be better than all this bloating and discomfort. I will let you know what we decide after my next scan and dr's appt. Thank you again~ Rene'