Found cyst by accident - now facing surgery. Please help!

[got2trot]

Hi everyone.  I just found out that I have a teratoma (sp?) that is 8cmx6cm.  I had a CT scan for my adrenals and pelvis to rule out Cushings and PCOS and was not exactly expecting to hear something like this.  I have a lot of health problems that aren't really related to this and it caught me off guard. The CT was just supposed to rule out one more long shot disease, ya know!!!  I met with an OB/GYN yesterday and am now scheduled for an ultrasound next Tuesday and surgery in the next 2 weeks.  Wow that seems fast - still reeling a little!  Dr said the surgery will have to be a laparotomy due to the size of the teratoma and possibly one of my ovaries will have to come out as well.  He also said this type of tumor is almost always benign, but we won't know for sure until it comes out.  My husband and I feel completely unprepared for this.  I'm confused and scared about this, especially having surgery.  Can anyone please tell me what to expect and how to plan?  I am self employed and work from home.  My home office is downstairs.  I have a close friend that can take over my business for me, but how long do you think I should take off?  I know everyone recovers differently, but I'm just trying to get a rough idea.  Days?  Weeks?  I don't have to worry about a commute and my job is a desk job.  Will I need someone at home with me during the day when I first get home from the hospital?  I know my Dr will give me general instructions, but I thought it would be great to hear from the ladies that have already gone through this.  Any other tips you can give me?  When did you feel up to traveling - by car?  Is there bleeding after surgery?  Sorry for the multiple questions, but I'm a real (scared) newbie.  Thank you so much for taking time out of your day to read this!!  God bless.

[got2trot]

that thanks was for you, too!

[dkw139]

My doctor found a large cyst on my ovary during a routine yearly exam.  I went for a pelvic ultrasound and an MRI and ended up having a total hysterectemy 4 weeks later.  My CA125 was 117 and they could tell me if it was cancer or not until I had the surgery.  It ended up being a stage IIIC and I have just finished up with 6 treatments of chemo. I made it through with not much problem, excpet the loss of my hair.

The surgery recovery was not too bad. I didn't have anyone there with me most of the time or at night and did ok by myself.   The first few days were rough when I came home because I was afraid I would split the incision open getting in and out of bed or a chair.  Once the staples were out a week later, I was much more relaxed about it.  Get up and walk around as soon and as much as you can.  It really helped me.  I was off of work for 8 weeks, but probably could have gone back after 5 or 6.  I did do a part time computer job from home after about 2 weeks and I did ok with that.  

The scariest part was not knowing for sure if it was cancer or not.  Try to stay calm and positive and that's what will help pull you through.  Good luck and I'll keep you in my thoughts and prayers.

[Cagney2712]

I had a laparotomy for an ovarian cyst in Feb 2007. Turned out to be Stage 1A, but I was VERY lucky to have caught it so early, and no chemo was necessary. By all means, make sure that a gyn. oncologist either performs your surgery, or is present at surgery just in case. While it's highly likely your cyst will be benign, just in case it's not, having a gyn oncologist there gives you the best chance to have the most thorough and accurate staging, etc.

As for recovery,  you are fortunate that you work from home, and have a desk job. The usual recovery time for a laparotomy is 2-3 days in the hospital and 5-6 weeks at home. I had my surgery on Monday & came home Thursday.  While I did have a friend stay with me for the 1st couple of days,  in all honesty I was able to get around pretty well on my own right away.  Obviously you need to take it easy- no lifting, not alot of walking stairs, etc. for quite awhile.  But, you'll likely be able to get downstairs and work at your desk pretty quickly.  Just expect to be pretty tired and need lots of naps :-)   I actually made a 3 hour road trip just 10 days after surgery, and flew from PA to CA for a week just 4 weeks after surgery.  I probably did "push" things just a bit, but took it slow and felt fine. The hardest part of the surgery is the time before, cause you do too much thinking and worrying. I pretty much slept all day the 1st day after surgery,  but felt ok by the 2nd day.  Just take it easy, let folks helps you, and you shouldn't have any problem.

[got2trot]

Thank you all so much for your words of wisdom and for answering my questions.  I will certainly discuss the need for a gyn/oncologist with my dr on Tuesday.  I would have never even thought of that.  I will keep you posted on what happens.  

[dian07]

Hello....I can relate to the disbelief.....I ended up being in the lucky 1% club.....as was said earlier, you will not know whether your tumor is benign or malignant until the biopsy done during surgery....YOU HAVE ONLY ONE CHANCE TO GET IT RIGHT THE FIRST TIME.......make certain you have a gyn/oncologist at your side for your surgery......I'm awfully glad I did as his expertise at debulking and knowledge of staging has made a terrific difference in my life......his expertise has probably extended my life and definately made a huge difference in my quality of life.....my prognosis is good because of his skill.....don't short change yourself......get a gyn/oncologist to do your surgery.  Please do keep us posted.
Peace.
dian

[rmarie]

The recovery is about 5 to 6 weeks, I went back to work after 5 weeks following my last surgery.  You are in the hospital anywhere from 2 to 5 days depending upon how well you do.  The most important thing to do post op is to walk as soon as you can.  Oh yes, you will have a catheter in for a period of time, mine was in for a day.  Take your pain med in the hospital to stay ahead of the pain, it gets less the more you move, at least it did for me.  You can do stairs probably once or twice a day.

Does your OB/Gyn plan to have a Gyn/Onc on call in case you end up being the 1%?  I don't mean to be a downer, however you really don't know what kind of tumor it is until they biopsy it.  If it was the cancer you really need to have the Gyn/Onc take over the surgery.  Ask about seeing one for a second opinion.  Good luck, keep us posted

[PPhelps]

I haven't had a laportomy before, but I've had 2 c-section. They are different, but one thing is the same. The recovery is 6-8 weeks. Stairs will be a problem for awhile. Some tips: take a pillow with you a small throw pillow so if you have to sneeze or cough you can put the pillow on your incision to lessen the pain also you can use it between your stomach and the seat belt for the trip home, and remember to take the pain meds as prescribed, stay ahead of the pain.  And remember 95% of ovarian cysts are benign. Someone that has a little more experience with laportomies will be along to fill you in on the rest.