Ovarian cysts - three off, at 9.5 cm

[windswept]

Sorry if you have seen this post in the first tri - needing reassurance from anyone else who has been in this position.

I've been suffering from abdominal pains for the past few weeks, which doctors have put down to UTIs... They haven't gotten any better, and I have been worrying due to their severity. In the past couple of days I have gotten really dizzy, and this morning developed a pain in my shoulder tip. Maternity wanted to see me, so we went up on Sunday.

We had our first scan - baby was there on the screen - heart pounding away good and proper. Yolk sack also there, and womb looking fine. They put my dates back to 7 weeks 4 days. So glad my bubba was there.

However, it took them a long time to find it (and a transvaginal scan) as my bladder was so huge it was blocking the normal scan - turns out the reason for that is that I have 3 large cysts pushing my bladder and womb out of place, making it hard to find. The biggest cyst is 9.5 x 8.1 x 7.4 cm in size - huge. The others are about half that size, each.

So glad I can say bubba is there, and reassured it is not an ectopic, but worried stupid all the same.

Has anyone else experienced cysts? What size? What outcome for pregnancy? I don't know enough about it, but the midwives and consultant seemed suitably worried for me to follow suit. She talked about surgery after 12 weeks, but how life threatening it is if I am not seen if pain gets worse between now and 12 weeks.

Obviously worried.

 

[mamaofthree]

Hey hun, i have always suffered from ovarian cysts, but mine weren't as big as yours...i had one at 3cm, and one at 5cms which they drained after pregnancy. They were incredibly painful and i also went to early pregnancy with my last preg thinking it was ectopic.......but all three of my pregnancies have been fine...i have a healthy 5year old 3 year old, and 14mnth old to prove this...lol! I don't know much about how they treat larger cysts during pregnancy i'm afraid a they deemed fit to leave mine til after bubs, but make a list of all the questions you want answered and you can always call the unit or you midwife/gp....don't be afraid to ask hun. I'm sorrry to hear of your trouble, and wish you all the best. x x x x

 

[1sttimemama2b]

Hey windswept,

I'm sorry to hear about your news. I went for a scan today and I too have a large cyst which which they think is septated. They are referring me to a specialist for another scan. Have they referred you? They said there's a chance I'll need surgery during second tri but normally they just monitor the situation. I am trying not to worry or google, but it's tough. I just wanted you to know you're not alone. It's scary but all we can do is believe in the professionals to take good care of us and hope everything will be fine. The good news is it doesn't seem likely to effect the pregnancy. Even if surgery is needed it is pretty safe for the baby. Otherwise they wouldn't do it. I know my Dr. said there are risks of it twisting or rupturing, but I'm not sure if it's the same for multiple cysts. Hang in there hon! And keep us posted!

 

[Nosy_Cow]

I suffered from ovarian cysts during my first pregnancy! My biggest was 15 x 15 x 17cm! It hurt a hell of a lot! They said they'd monitor the situation and I had a scan at 14 weeks on them to find they had disappeared!

The outcome wasn't so great (stillborn at 25 weeks) but I must insist this was NOTHING to do with the cysts!

They'll probably re-scan you (they'll check them at your 12 week scan too) once you're in 2nd tri to see how they are before they consider sugery! My consultant at the time told me they wouldn't operate unless it was a matter of urgency!

I hope this reassures you a little!

 

[windswept]

Thank you ladies

So sorry to hear of your loss Nosy_Cow - can't imagine

It's reassuring that yours that big disappeared - I really hope that this will be the case with mine. Were they able to give you an idea of how long you'd had them for? I am guessing that they might be to blame for a lot of pain I have had for the past 5 years... Which we eventually put down to IBS through lack of knowing what else it could be.

 

[Nosy_Cow]

They never said how long I'd suffered with them but did ask if I experienced pain at certain points in my cycle (which I did) and said it's very probable that I'd been having them for years without knowing.

I was also diagnosed with IBS before they found the cysts. Although I do have problems with my bowels at certain times of the month!

One point I must add - try and dig into your family history if possible. It wasn't until I suffered with them that I found out 3 out of my 5 aunts suffer with them quite badly and a few of my cousins too!

 

[windswept]

That's interesting, Nosy. Thank you for sharing. May I ask if your cycles had been regular or if you have heavier/lighter periods some months? I was in the process of having fertility checks when I got my BFP - they were concerned about my irregular and varying periods...

Spoken to my Mum, and she has had cysts, but never in her ovaries - had a few removed from her back, etc and my brother had a nasty one on his neck... Presuming they are not related to ovarian ones though?

 

[Nosy_Cow]

I'm not sure about the family history of cysts. I know my aunts suffered from ovarian cysts so obviously that's related but I wouldn't be able to tell you about the others. Sorry!

I went on the pill after 3 cycles at 15 and didn't come off it until TTC in Jan 2009. I had 3 irreguar periods before getting my BFP but I just assumed it was my body getting back to normal. Then after losing Chloe I had 9 cycles but they were sort of regular (from 27 days to 31 days). But again I can't be sure it wasn't my body still trying to regulate properly!

Sorry it's not much help!

 

[windswept]

Thanks Nosy Cow - it's very kind of you to share your experiences with me.

I see you have an important appointment tomorrow - wishing you all the best with that.

I think I will be getting a scan this week (although not on Consultants clinic list so can't be sure), so will post the outcome on here. If it makes any sense, I do think they have gone down in size - I can't 'feel' their presence (could feel the pressure of them when lying down, sitting in certain positions, etc) and there have been no abdominal pains for nearly a week. Fingers crossed.

Cx

 

[windswept]

Next scan on Thursday - hopefully it will show they have gone down in size, or even that they have grown and that surgery will be necessary - I hate being in limbo! I like firm answers - one way or another!

 

[Nosy_Cow]

I hate been in limbo too hun! The worst part is the waiting! I'm glad the abdominal pains have gone! That's a brilliant sign that they are disappearing!

FXed for you!

 

[secretbaby]

I had a large ovarian cyst found when I was pregnant last time - they told me it was 10 /x 15 by something but when they operated after I was pregnant found it was much bigger than they thought, I have a looped bowel due to previous surgery complications so they couldn't see it all! they got over 1 1/2 liters of fluid out of mine!

Many do dissapear - mine was one of the ones that didn't! I was told that they would montior me and if there were no problems they would sort it out after the pregnancy. If it was an issue they would operate in the second tri. I had PPROM at 20.6 weeks and had my son at 27 weeks - sadly we lost him. I cross questioned my consultant who said that the loss had NOTHING to do with the cyst.

They did my op keyhole - even with all my additional complications - the recovery was very swift and much easier than I thought. They think mine had been there a long time and as it was so big, old and funnily placed I ended up loosing my left fallopian tube - but I am pregnant now so it didn't effect me getting pregnant. Now I don't have it (when I am not pregnant!) my periods were so much better and regular (hadn't been for years) and I stopped getting so many migraines and headaches - just more validation that mine had been there for years. Apparently they are very common and normally only find them when they are looking for other things i.e in pregnancy scans.

It is good news that bubs is growing well - and that they are monitoring you just to keep an eye on everything.

 

[Nosy_Cow]

Hope your scan goes well today hun! FXed it's disappeared!

 

[windswept]

Thanks Nosy! Unfortunately the pains have reappeared, so I am pretty sure they are still there... Time will tell - I'll let you know tonight if I get online.

Cx

 

[windswept]

secretbaby - thank you so much for sharing your experience with me - much appreciate it. I am sorry to hear of your loss, but am reassured that it was nothing to do with the cyst. I hope this pregnancy goes super well!

It is interesting to hear that your periods went regular and that you stopped getting headaches - these things make me wonder if mine has been here for a long time... Although I was on the pill, so had periods when they were supposed to come, but were always different each month and never for the same length of time - worsened when I came off the pill.

I've got lots of questions to ask today...

Thanks again, Cx

 

[windswept]

I saw my baby! I saw my baby!

Been put forward again to 9+5, and she was wriggling about like crazy - heart pounding away.

They read through all my blood results, everything is good and I finally know what blood group I am! Even though I knew I wasn't, I still worried about being HIV positive - it's scarey when you know they are testing those things! They started the scan on one machine and then took me through to a fancier one in the radiography dept so they could have a closer look at the cyst.

Turns out it is one cyst - it is septated, and has solid and fluid in it - they tested it for cancer and apparently I am okay. It has reduced from 9.5 x 8 cm to 7.3 x 4 cm - which is quite a big reduction. She seemed really happy about that.

They cancelled my scan on 9 December, as they don't feel that it needs to be monitored so closely - I don't have to go back until 23 December... By then I'll have a clearer picture and get a better view of bubba.

I am delighted that everything is okay, was so lovely to see her. She was really mobile!

 

[Nosy_Cow]

So happy for you hun! That's great news! It's lovely seeing them wriggle around on the screen isn't it?

 

[windswept]

Just wanted to post this as reassurance to any other ladies searching for info on ovarian cysts during pregnancy - we have made it to 12 weeks and 4 days and the cysts are no longer an issue. They didn't even show on the screen.

Bubba is doing amazing and we are soooooooooooo happy to get to this stage.

Cx

 

[Nosy_Cow]

That's brilliant hun

 

[windswept]

Bump - for info for Lexi!