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Recovery post ovarian cyst and ovary removal

Posted , 53 users are following.

drkensdeb
drkensdeb

Hello all, 

I'm 42, fit (a personal trainer) and have 4x5cm simple fluid filled cyst on my left ovary, been there for 10 years but only now symptomatic and has grown. I'm scheduled for surgery in the next few weeks. My surgeon says she won't know until she goes in through keyhole to make sure the cyst hasn't adhered to anything else in my abdominal cavity if she can get it all out by keyhole. I may have to have a laparotomy. I'm not scared about the surery itself, I'm just gonna be glad to have some relief. 

What I am terrified of is the recovery time off of work! I know, we're all different and have such different circumstances but I just wondered how anyone else got on post surgery. Thanks in advance for any replies. 

3 likes, 93 replies

93 Replies

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  • sandra87914
    sandra87914 drkensdeb

    Posted

    Hi I had a laparoscopy 4yrs ago. Open surgery removal of ovary and tube. Everyone is different but took me 13wks to get back to work physically and emotionally. Like I said everyone is different. Good luck.
    • drkensdeb
      drkensdeb sandra87914

      Posted

      Thanks for the info! I just have NO IDEA what to expect. Again, I'm so very thankful it's getting seen to, my bloodwork was all clear and good. The consultant seems to think it's going to be very straightforward and has hopes my recovery should be uneventful. But lordy we all know that doesn't mean anything! Again, thanks for commenting back to me. How did you feel within the 1st two weeks post surgery? x
    • sandra87914
      sandra87914 drkensdeb

      Posted

      Hi 1st two weeks felt ok actually apart from being in a little pain if I over did thing's. Your body will tell you if your over doing it.lol. wasn't aloud to do any housework though lots of rest is key. 
    • jane86958
      jane86958 sandra87914

      Posted

      Hi Sandra, I was just wondering. After the removal of one ovary. Is it still possible to have children ? Active, healthy children.

      Please do let me/us know.

  • bev14365
    bev14365 drkensdeb

    Posted

    Hi drkensdeb im 6 week post op after full abdo hysterectomy and removal of a 6 lb tumour im doing most pre op things but cant lift or hoover or pick anythink heavy up my job is physical and im no where near ready for work im 45 btw hope this helps 
  • drkensdeb
    drkensdeb

    Posted

    Hi bev14365 thanks for the reply. I am slightly crapping myself. I know it's for my health and I'm going to be so glad to be pain free. But me oh my, I wasn't prepared for the potential long recovery time. I hope you continue to improve. Thanks again 
  • tracy30113
    tracy30113 drkensdeb

    Posted

    Hiya drkensdeb, i had 2 weeks off work but i work in an office so very different to you & i wasn't allowed to drive for 3 weeks either (although i did!) but i couldn't exercise, i tried my cross trainer after 6 weeks but i had pain on the side where my ovary had been removed, i hated not being able to exercise but apparently the stitches inside take longer to heal. It took 3 months before i could exercise properly, i am reasonably fit but maybe the fitter you are the shorter recovery. Good luck with your op, losing the pain will be worth it x
    • drkensdeb
      drkensdeb tracy30113

      Posted

      Thanks for sharing with  me. Every bit of info helps doesn't it? I'm looking forward to seeing just how much better I'm gonna feel in general once it's gone. I have a suspicion that this has a lot to do with my fatigue. x 
  • Carlee.
    Carlee. drkensdeb

    Posted

    I'm 3 weeks post op, vertical laparotomy for removal of my right ovary and a 35cm cyst. So far recovery has been no where near as bad as I expected. The initial days were hard as I found it impossible to move in my bed and the ward was ridiculously hot so I was very uncomfortable and fed up. Since being home though I have made really good progress, far better than I expected! At 3 weeks I'm now able to go for short walks, do light housework etc. I wouldn't attempt exercise or heavy lifting just yet and I'm definitely not ready to return to work (office based but with tiring shifts). 

    Im very unfit and overweight. One thing I did think about in hospital was how much easier it would have been if I was fitter, even getting myself out of bed would have been easier as you have to use your arm muscles. 

    I think you'll probably get frustrated after two  weeks but there's no point in trying to rush your recovery.

    • drkensdeb
      drkensdeb Carlee.

      Posted

      Hi Carlee and thanks for sharing. I hope you continue to get better smile My surgeon has said she thinks this should be straightforward and just a night or two in the hospital. Fingers crossed! Just want it over and done with, feeling ready! 
    • Carlee.
      Carlee. drkensdeb

      Posted

      I think you'll be surprised at how well you'll recover. I know how you feel, I was desperate to get it over and done with!
  • charlotte53681
    charlotte53681 drkensdeb

    Posted

    Hi,

    I'm Charlotte, 27 and reasonably fit.

    I had been unwell with stomach pans but put it down to my crohns which I am under investigation for. Anyway ended up being apendicitis and had to have laparoscopic surgery. When they were in there they had a dig around and I had a MASSIVE ovarian cyst I didn't really know about because I had put the pain down to crohns. I'm now 3 days post surgery. Still in quite a lot of pain but I did have a few things removed. I work as a nurse so I don't think there is much chance of me going back too soon as it's very strenuous. The pain is bad but they put me on some lovely pain relief that does help as long as you keep on top of it. I'm still very unsteady on my feet and find it hard to sleep etc as I can't roll yet. Every day is getting a bit better though! I'm sure you will be fine and if you have any questions just ask smile

    All the best

    Charlotte

    • zenith09
      zenith09 charlotte53681

      Posted

      Hi Charlotte,

      I hope you are doing very well now.  I wish if you could give me an update of your health now after the operation that took place nearly a year ago. I will be very grateful. I also have a cyst which is large and haemorraegic. And planning to go for laproscopy..

      Thank you,

      Wishes,

      Zenith

    • missy28816
      missy28816 zenith09

      Posted

      Hi I just found you on the ovarian cyst forum.   I was wondering how you made out with your surgery??? If it was straight forward or if they found other things.   I’m scheduled to have laparotomy this Tuesday and am getting nervous and trying to read other people’s past experiences!
    • apryllnana
      apryllnana charlotte53681

      Posted

      Hello Charlotte we got the opposite case 😂 In mine they first diagnosed me with dermoid ovarian cyst but when they already open my abdomen they just knew that my appendix is also swollen. The cyst was too big (16cm) so they had to remove the right ovary were the cyst was and also my appendix. It was really unbelievable!

    • apryllnana
      apryllnana

      Posted

      I am 19 btw. I had my surgery just 5 days ago
    • amy15515
      amy15515 missy28816

      Posted

      hi missy28816 came across this comment you made. how did tour surgery go? why was they doing a laparotomy in the first place, was it a cyst? just wondered what the size was.

      im schedules for surgery on25th february for 15cm cyst, ovary and fallopian tube removal. i have pre op in a weeks time but i dont know what type of surgery im going ti need yet x

    • amy15515
      amy15515 apryllnana

      Posted

      hi apryllnana did they plan from the start to open you up? mine is 15cm and im unsure if they will use key hole or open me up. They are removing my ovary and fallopian tube too x

    • charlotte53681
      charlotte53681 amy15515

      Posted

      hi ladies!!! wow, looking back to when I wrote this, it feels like a lifetime ago!!! I had a lot of complications after however this was down to the wrong diagnosis. The doctors originally thought I had Crohn's as documented in my last post, however it was actually Churg Strauss syndrome which is ridiculously rare!! I did have appendicitis at the time which I am I glad they removed and the huge cyst though, so at least those problems were rectified!! I have had a very long journey of mis-diagnosing and wrong treatments which have almost killed me. 4 days before xmas in 2017 I was informed my condition had now become terminal and I had less then 6 months left to live. Boy did they get this wrong. I am on chemotherapy now which I have been on for a while and will be on forever. I'm on my 4th type as 3 of the others made me ridiculously unwell and kept giving me toxicity as I couldn't metabolize it and the other didn't work. After the surgery I had for my appendix and cyst removal (which they wasn't aware of until the surgery for my appendix), initially I was in a hell if a lot of pain. However this did ease with time. It seemed to last forever at the time, but looking back, it was probably about 4 days extreme pain, then maybe 5 days of very bad pain, followed by a week of bearable pain, then a niggle. I had my surgery on 15th march, was discharged 17th March and I was on holiday abroad in the middle of April! i was in such severe pain straight after the surgery which they couldn't get control of regardless of giving me drugs such as ketamine. They were about to put me back under and keep me on full life support for a few days until I healed a bit, just to try and get in control, but I refused. They eventually found a way.

      but what I can see from all of these posts, is that we are such strong amazing women. We all have a story, have all been through pain both physically and emotionally, have all had to fight hard. but we've done it. What strong, powerful and amazing women we are!!! all my love ladies, keep going, Charlotte xxx 😘😘

    • Nanc2318
      Nanc2318 amy15515

      Posted

      Hi Amy I go in for a full hysterectomy because I have a 22cm cyst and 6cm fibroid tumor in the uterus..I am 45 so looks like it is all coming out except one ovary ...Let's communicate during recovery and keep everyone posted on how it goes so people in the future can know what to expect... Good luck with yours!!

      Nanc

    • Nanc2318
      Nanc2318 charlotte53681

      Posted

      Prayers for you Charlotte! Keep in touch and let us know how you are doing! ❤️

    • amy15515
      amy15515 Nanc2318

      Posted

      hi nanc2318

      when do you go in? i go tomorrow feeling anxious xx as i still dont know if it will be keyhole or open. its been 6weeks since my ultrasound and i think its grown x

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