Ovarian cyst worries

[Gida]

Hello, I have stumbled across the site and am finding lots of comfort reading the different experiences from a great deal of very brave ladies.

I have just been diagnosed with a 20cm ovarian cyst (still in shock that I had no idea this was there ..... Just thought I was putting weight on ..... Story of my life!!). I'm 51 and presumed it was all menopausal symptoms.

My surgery (full hysterectomy) is scheduled for next Friday 29/5. I am feeling so anxious and worried about the outcome. Just wanted people's advise on what to expect.

Best wishes xx

[Gida]

Hi, thank you so much for your words of encouragement. Yes you're right, at this stage I don't know what type of cyst this is. The consultant has advised that my results will be 2 weeks post op. As you say a very anxious time for sure. I am trying my best to keep positive and of course keep occupied before my surgery.

Thank you again for taking the time to reply and I am so pleased it all worked out well for you. Best wishes xx

[Decca4Ever in reply to Gida]

Hi - I, too, had a v large ovarian cyst/tumour - still can't work out how I didn't notice. I knew my shape was changing, but I was still wearing the same jeans, just not tucking my shirt in. Thought it was what happened when you got older.

Like Dugonga's, mine was Borderline, too. Massive relief. The Gyne at my local hospital was v gloomy, but my GP said, right at the beginning, 'It's a good sign that you're feeling so well' and I held on to that. My theory was that anything that big would surely have spread and be causing problems if it were malignant. No idea if that's true, but it helped me get through all the scans etc.

At one stage, someone actually told me there would be no operation, just chemo - so when my gyne-onc surgeon told me he thought it was OK and I was already on his list, never has anyone been so pleased at the thought of major surgery.

I had the path results within a fortnight, when I saw my surgeon at the follow-up clinic. But he came into the ward to tell me he hadn't found anything obviously nasty. The actual surgery and recovery went v smoothly for me. Everyone was surprised how quickly I recovered.

Fingers crossed for you. Do come back and tell us how you got on.

[Gida in reply to Decca4Ever]

Thank you to you for another positive reply. It's encouraging to hear other people's stories. I am so pleased to hear that you had a good outcome.

I am also holding onto the fact that I too have been feeling so well ....... Those are my positive thoughts.

I will of course post again after my op and update you.

Thank you again for taking the time to reply. x

[BJ_UK]

I have nothing particular to add on general aspects of recovery from the surgery, but would like to raise awareness of a possible complication arising from having an epidural. The complication I'm going to describe is rare, but because it's rare the surgical team may not see it coming, so I want to raise awareness so that we can shout ourselves if necessary!

When I had me pre-op epidural, the anaesthetists doing it (an experienced one training a beginner) accidentally breached my dura. They told me so immediately, and said that if I got a very bad headache after the surgery I should bring it to the attention of the medical staff and ask to be seen by the anaesthetist.

Well, unfortunately for me, I never did get a really bad headache, but I did get a shedload of other symptoms caused by the breach which they had not warned me about:

- profuse vomiting for the first 24 hours post op. To be fair, this could have been down to other causes, but I had no previous history of vomiting following general anaesthetics, and I have had loads of general aaesthetics!

- muffled hearing from the day following the op. The surgeon assured me that this was nothing to do with the surgery and I should see my GP if it was still a problem when I was discharged. It continued to be a problem for a good three weeks. I later found out that this is a relatively common syptom following a breached dura.

- general feeling of being very ill when sitting or standing, somewhat relieved by lying down. This hit on day 4, and meant that I was unable to leave the hospital that day, as I had hoped to do. This was as close as I got to the bad headache the anaesthetists had warned me about.

10 days after the operation, I woke up with severe double vision. I rang the surgical ward, who assured me it was nothing to do with them and I should ring my GP. It was the weekend, but the GP locum service took it very seriously, saying they were not sure whether I needed to see an ophthalmologist or a neurologist first, but would speak to the relevant services and get right back to me. They did, saying ophthalmologist first, and I should go directly to the hospital, where they would be waiting for me. The ophthalmologist told me that I was suffering from a severe sixth cranial nerve palsy and he was going to refer me to the neurologist on call. The neurologist admitted me, and I spent longer as an inpatient for the nerve palsy than I had for the cancer. I had to keep my right eye masked for several months, until they were able to correct the double vision with prisms, starting with very strong ones and gradually decreasing the strength until my eyes stabilised. Unfortunately they never did manage to get entirely back to normal, and in the end I had to have surgery on one eye to fully correct the double vision. Fortunately this did have the desired effect.

Anyway, I don't want to scare you. Breached duras are uncommon, and cranial nerve palsies rarer still. I just want people to know to ask for the anaesthetist if they get any of the other symptoms I've listed, because if the early symptoms are treated (mine weren't), the late symptoms can be avoided!

[OC1985]

Hello Gida, you were very wise to have your symptoms diagnosed. Hope you receive good news, and we are here to help. Sadly October is the 2nd month that Breast Cancer is recognized.. What is never mentioned by the media is that it is also Ovarian Cancer Month and our Color is Teal! No money is collected in the degree that Breast Cancer has collected and the largest fund raiser does not share there excess with any other Cancer Research, they invest in non profits...we are here for you. Wishing you all the best.