endometrioma and pregnancy

[KHSAUSBRA]

Hi everyone!

I was wondering about any cases of people who had a large endometrioma but managed to get pregnant naturally from the ovary that has it?

Here’s a bit about my life:

I always had lots of period pain, when I was 18 I started taking birth control pills and the pain decreased significantly, so I had a normal life.

When I was 24 I decided to stop taking the pills, during nearly a year I was ok but then I started to have pain again and each month it would increase more and more, to the point I decided to go to a gynaecologist cause that couldn’t be normal.

It was the very first time someone told me about endometriosis. A few months later I started to have pain on my left abdominal side and found out it was a large endometrioma. I didn’t know much about it, had sort of an urgent open surgery to have the cyst removed but the doctor ended up taking my whole left ovary out. I was instructed to start taking dienogest to stop my period.

I took dienogest for years, felt alright, no big dramas or reactions to it. In 2018 I went to a checkup with a specialist and he said it all looked good, that if kept the same I wouldn’t have problems to get pregnant.

In 2021 I stopped taking dienogest, I was feeling good, and I was doing a keto diet. Everything seemed fine. In January 2022 I had one shot of COVID vaccine, 1 week later my period came completely out of the time, and it kept coming for weeks, a very dark and thick blood, I started to have a constant back pain. I went to the doctor and he said I had a 8cm endometrioma in my right ovary. I started taking dienogest again for 3 months. After that I stopped and I keep a keto and carnivore diet, I have no pain when I do it right, my period is regular and I’m ovulating.

Now, after 1 year the endometrioma increased a bit and is 10cm.

The doctor said:

- If I have a surgery, there’s a small chance of damaging the ovary even more, and end up having an early menopause (I’m 34 years old).

- If I don’t have a surgery the endometrioma can increase further and I can loose the whole ovary.

He said my endometriosis is really bad now, that my bowels are all stuck and that my ovary is truly damaged and that I would never have a natural pregnancy the way it is now, cause the egg can’t move out of the ovary due to the endometrioma.

I wouldn’t do an IVF, due to personal reasons.

I guess I would like to see if there’s any similar cases out there, any miracles?

Thank you all and God bless 🙏🏼

[NikkiJR]

Hi, I'm sorry to hear this, what a dilemma!. I got pregnant with large ovarian cysts and stage IV endo it's not impossible but mine were 5.5 and 6cms one on each ovary. A 10cm cyst likely covers the entire ovary, and truth is, removing it could make that ovary unviable, or it might not. The problem that you have is if you leave it you will almost certainly end up having an emergency procedure where they take the ovary away due to tortion, and that's also a sepsis risk. I hope you don't think I'm being awful, I just don't want you to have go through emergency surgery if it can be avoided. X

[Hidden in reply to NikkiJR]

Hi did you get pregnant naturally of with IVF? And if so what diet or what do you think helped you get pregnant? I also have 5.3 cm cyst but I did IFV 2 transfers and I didn't get pregnant. I am thinking if I should continue IVF or do surgery to remove the cyst and the endometriosis.. I also have stage 4 endometriosis. Btw for the person whi asked the question on my first surgery the cyst ruptured by itself during operation and they only had to vacuum the blood out so they may not take out the ovary.. I am just saying.. we need to find good doctors.

[NikkiJR in reply to Hidden]

Hi, unbelievably it was natural. My Fallopian tubes are a complete mess, I don't know how. The only thing I can say is that I'm thin, I don't drink or smoke and perhaps that helped?. You might for find surgery improves your chances of conception. If it was me in your situation id do that first, especially as rounds of IVF are expensive and stressful. Have you seen a specialist to chat through options? X

[Hidden in reply to NikkiJR]

Yes indeed they are stressful but I find surgery also stressful because of possible complications. I have seen a specialist this week ( I waited 6 months) and he sent me to another specialist for surgery. I now have an appointment next month.

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

I had a surgery in 2021 but they needed a visceral surgeon and they sent me to do IVF instead. Now my fertility doctor because of embryo transfer failures is sending me to do surgery. First he sent me to remove my hydrosalpinx but the specialist I went this week sees no hydrosalpinx just massive adhesions and a big cyst near my tube, supposed sactosalpinx by my doctor. I'm also thin though since TTC(2019) because I was underweight I gained a little weight.. I used to be 50-52. Now I am 56-58 kilos and 170 cm. Are you vegetarian I started eating chicken this week. I am stressed that my vegetarian lifestyle is unhealthy ( I was a strict vegetarian since 2014 eating fish on ocassions)

[NikkiJR in reply to Hidden]

I've had similar questions about food. I know some people have success with keto, but imagine for the likes of me and you, we would become skeletons on it. I've also read that cutting sugar is a huge one as its inflammatory. I'm going to try and eat an anti inflammatory diet, but Im no expert and need to do my research. I imagine in theory anything that reduces endo flare-ups could potentially help with fertility issues as it all linked.

[NikkiJR in reply to NikkiJR]

I'm not a vegetarian btw. I don't eat anything processed, no sugar, no alcohol. It's boring but I feel better for it. X

[KHSAUSBRA in reply to NikkiJR]

Hi, thanks for the replies. Keto and carnivore changed my life in terms of pain, I know many people who also ended up pregnant while doing the carnivore. I also don’t drink or smoke, and I have a very healthy diet and lifestyle but the endo is still in there 🙁 but at least my period is not painful anymore, and in the past it used to be horrible…

[Rookery17]

Hi there so very similar situation endmetrosis on my bowel and diaphragm and have a cyst on each overy. I was advised that removing them would damage my overys and egg quality and I allready have a low reserve the only other option was to have them drained not remove over time they will refill but I decided to go ahead as we're are goin thru IVF but that could be an option to speak to Ur specialist about draining them instead good luck

[becca88]

hi, I had them cysts on both ovaries, but my biggest was around 6cm, first lap was to diagnose and treat, but after surgery they said it’s stage 4, affecting numerous places and that he didn’t want to attempt surgery again because of damaging my ovaries, I was referred to a specialist, they was able to remove without damage, but being at 10cm I wouldn’t be sure! I luckily enough had my first baby when I was young at 19, I was diagnosed at 23, and it took 14 years for me to fall pregnant again (naturally) with total surprise as I was saving for ivf, as I felt time was ticking, but he is now 18 months old. The only thing changed around 6 months prior was being treated for anaemia and being put on Tranexamic acid (it could have been any one of these things or maybe none, who knows) i wish you all the luck x

[KimberleyK19]

Firstly I am so sorry you’re going through this! As someone who took years to conceive I completely understand what you’re going through!

My cyst was 12cm lengthways and 8cm down. A complete miracle I fell pregnant naturally, during my pregnancy my cyst shrunk so much that my scan after labour showed the cyst had completely gone.

I know this is a rare case but I want my story to be able to help others to not give up ❤️

[KHSAUSBRA in reply to KimberleyK19]

wowwww that’s a real miracle ❤️🙏🏼 Thanks for sharing it ❤️❤️❤️

[Jade2006]

sorry to hear this , so similar to my story xx