I will keep all your advise in mind and see if any will move things along.
I guess to clarify, I haven't been to the ER, although Doc said I probably should have. My first symptom ever was 6 weeks ago. It felt like someone was stabbing me up my backside for about 3.5 hours. It happened at work and I thought then, that I couldn't move to get medical help if I wanted. When I could move I went home to bed.....(probably not the smartest thing to do.) But all was okay and went to see my fam. doc. the next day. That day had the US. Was diagnosed with the hemorrhagic cyst. I was tender then and fine really after until this past week. I have been in bed all week it seems and very tired, and taking tylenol 3 for the pain. It is not stop cramping. Now I have my mensus on and off. I am even (sorry to be explicit) passing what seems to be some sort of lining. Have had water gushes (almost like water breaking before labor). When I told my doctor all this, she sort of panicked but thinks that I am too young (I am 34) to get cancer. Her reasoning does not feel right to me. That is when she suggested endo. This could well be but when I reminded her of my previous tubal ligation 11 years ago, she said stranger things have happened. I understand that doctors are just practiceing but, it doesn't make you feel better that they have that "Doesn't sound promising" look on their face. My doctor is making the appoinment for the GYN. Nothing in stone yet. She basically told me to wait things out until then. I don't mind, I am just trying to go about daily living and I feel like I am getting worse each day. I am staying as possitive as I can though, and hope the waiting list is short. I will try your tricks for the GYN appointment, if things get unbearable. In the mean time thanks much, I will keep reading up for insight and will keep in touch.
Sorry to hear that you guys are going through more on the ovarian roller-coaster. Good luck!
Dairelle
After finally convincing my doctor that this warrants seeing a specialist, I will be sent near the end of August to the Gyno. I have yet to be sent for a blood test of any kind.
I am puzzled however as to the run around that I and other women (from what I've read), have to endure. It seems that we are all on the "oh,you are just sensitive" quest or awaiting the never ending "could be...." line up. I guess I am just unsettled with the look on my docs face. If I am off the bc patch then I could be in for trouble with the cysts, If I stay on then I am looking at potentially having a stroke or breast problems.
All will be sorted in good time I'm sure. Thanks anyway for the help. Reading this forum has given me some feeling of support. Thanks again. Dairelle
I can at least answer your questions about endo.... I, too, was sent to the ER with what they thought was appendicitis, and it turned out to be a partial rupture of an endometrial cyst (didn't know it was endo at the time).
They put me on oral BC, which I found out (later, of course) that it does nothing to the current and existing cyst, but keeps others from forming. The idea behind that is to prevent more from forming to give the current one the chance to reabsorb (however, that only works with normal or hemhorragic cysts, not endometrial or dermoids). Since there's no way to tell exactly what kind of cyst is there without surgery, they do the most common thing first and go up from there.
You do need to see the gyn, and they had a point about mentioning you were in the ER and the dr told you to go to the gyn. It does make a difference in how fast you can get in.
As for endo, it's uterine tissue that ends up in the wrong place. There's lots of theories on how it happens, but bottom line is, who the heck knows. The problem is that you get the tissue elsewhere (in my case, on the ovary, bladder, and outside of the uterus), when you have your period that 'misplaced' tissue bleeds just like your uterine lining, and the body recognizes a problem. So it creates inflammation, which then creates scar tissue over the endo cells in an attempt to contain them. Problem is, it doesn't, so more and more scar tissue forms, and the scar tissue can grow and attach to other organs (adhesions), and that's the real problem with endo.
If your gyn does surgery to remove the cyst (and surgery is common if your cyst is over 3cm and shows no changes on oral BC for more than 2 months), then they will remove the cyst and laser off the endo. Then you go on some sort of BC again, but not taking placebos, so you don't cycle or have a period, so the endo doesn't grow (I'm on the Depo-Provera shot now).
If you take things to prevent the endo from growing, there's no reason why you should need a hyster. If the endo is really severe, they may take stuff, but it's not that common. Endo can be controlled, though you may need occasional surgeries to remove adhesions. My plan is to make it 10 more years, then just have everything removed, since women in my family hit menopause in their early 40's anyway.
The important thing with the endo is to get it cleared away as much as possible, then keep regular checkups with your gyn and get transvaginal ultrasounds to monitor the ovaries
Hope this helps, and don't be afraid to keep asking questions!
~Marianne
Here's a tip: now that you do have an appointment with the gyn, call the gyn's office, explain your situation (intense pain, leg pain, worries about strokes) and request a quicker appointment, or to at least be placed on a call list in the event of an appointment cancellation by another patient. That last one, the call list, only works if you can arrange to be there with short notice (a day, possibly two, and sometimes for that very afternoon!)
And, should any of your conditions or symptoms warrant a trip to the Emergency Room, then have the ER staff recommend an gyn, call that gyn ASAP, and inform the office staff when you call that you were referred by the ER. You will get a quicker appointment that way.
You really need to see a gyn. It seems to me from your post that you might have hormonal issues that need to be addressed. You will also need the expertise of a gyn to best determine how to deal with your various conditions in your whole reproductive system. Often, if a doctor can get the appointment for you, then you can get one faster.