This time my bloodwork was normal as was my urine sample. The ER was going to send me home with a diagnosis of a stomach virus…which I knew this was not. I requested an abdominal and transvaginal ultrasound since my obgyn suggested I have these done anyway to explore the presence of endometriosis. The transvaginal ultrasound showed 1 cyst on each ovary approx 2-3cms in size…1 of them being a hemorrhagic cyst. She thought this was enough to be causing the pain but not severe enough to treat further.

The ER Dr. thought that my symptoms were perhaps a combo of the cyst issue and a stomach virus…basically because she could not explain why I had a fever. I was discharged from the hospital with paperwork that indicated I had a stomach virus and pain killers to manage the pain of the cysts. I will be scheduling an appt with my obgyn this week so he can see the ultrasound results as well.

So I told you want I know…but this is what I am confused about. Is it normal that I had so much pain from these types of cysts? Is it normal that I experienced this type of pain right before getting my period versus in the middle of the cycle? Is it common to have a fever with these symptoms? Does a hemorrhagic cyst tend to be more painful then a regular cyst? Would these symptoms support a diagnosis of endometriosis? Why might the doctor have insisted I have a stomach virus when I am pretty sure I know the difference between stomach/digestive pain versus abdominal pain? I just hate leaving the ER after having been there for 8 hours on new years day feeling as if I still don’t know what’s wrong with me…or what the ultrasound results really mean. I am home now and still in pain…but the pain meds are helping at least.

Thank you for any responses, thoughts, and/or advise given. I appreciate it…happy new year!

Well, let me tell you something. When I was 15, I scheduled a regular physical with my GP. At the end of the exam, she felt my belly and she said she felt something hard and she thought I was pregnant for sure.

Me being 15 and being quite aware that I still had not had my first sexual intercourse experience told her she was insane and that I could never be pregnant.
She was still sure of it, she even got a radio ultrasound machine to hear for a heart beat. She made me take a urine test. She said she thought I could be anywhere from 6-8 months pregnant.

She asked me if I had regular periodes. I told her I did not, they were spurratic, ranging on and off for months at a time.

When the pregnancy test came back negative, my GP ordered an ultrasound. I went to a low profile place, where their equipement was standard. The ultrasound operator would not tell me any information on what she saw. She called the doctor in and he too would not discuss it with me. They took about 50 photos of what they could not tell me.

I was sent to a high profile hospital, and there, finally, I was told I had a cyst. This was followed by a visit to a gyno, who explained to me what was in my body.

A brief explaination followed: Apparently I had a cyst on my right ovary that would need operating. This is because the size of my cyst was not one that could be resolved by the pill or by itself…my cyst was massive. On screen it mesured 42cm in diametre. After the surgery, the weight of the cyst removed was 11.3pounds.

The surgery left me with an incision scar that mesured 12inch long. From my pubic hair to my belly button.

Thankfully I did not lose my right ovary, the gyno said she removed 75% of the ovary, but when I had my 1 year checkup, a vaginal ultrasound showed both ovaries about the same size and everything was there!
Crazy!

Thought I’d share my story with you

A rupture is terrifying.

As far as I can tell, the benefit of using oral contraception is that it can help prevent future cyst development, and is especially useful in women who’ve been having recurrent cysts. There might have been other factors involved in my friend’s decision to start OCPs, too (like, the birth control factor) which may also have played a part. I didn’t ask her, to be honest.

The twisting of the ovary is called torsion. I think that it’s rare for torsion to resolve on its own, but I’m really glad to hear that yours did! Glad that they waited an extra night, too, instead of opening you up immediately.

A data point to add: I had a big cyst (probably functional) my senior year in college, which almost required surgery — from the ultrasound they said it got twisted at the point of connection to the ovary so it couldn’t be re-absorbed as they usually would be? I had the SEVERE abdominal pain experience. Doctor thought it was appendicitis at first, but somehow I knew that was my ovary, not my appendix. Fortunately, they waited overnight to see what it would do, and it resolved itself…

Here’s what I don’t get, though. If almost all cysts resolve themselves on their own, what’s the benefit of putting a woman on oral contraceptives for this?