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questions

where do i start? i have been having bad abdominal pain. i missed my period for two months which was not normal. my pap smear came out abnormal so i am having a biopsy done today. but a month ago, because of my abdominal pain, i went to er and had an ultrasound that showed i have a complex cyst the size of a golfball. my doctor did some kind of a blood test to see if it has cancer. she called me back and said, i dont know if it has cancer but its a very abnormal cyst. and she wants to do a ct scan and then schedule to remove my whole right ovary. these are my questions:
1. is it necessary to remove my whole right ovary?
2. can i still get pregnant later with the left one or my chances will be slimmer?
3. is the surgery painful?
4. how much longer do i have to wait til after surgery to ttc?
5. and if i ger pregnant later, will it affect my baby? i mean can i have a healthy pregnancy?
6. if it ruptures, and if its cancerous, will it spread? and be dangerous?
7. can i lose my left ovary some day too?
8. can an abnormal pap smear be because of my cyst ?
i am only 26 years old so i dont knwo why this is happening to me right now.
i know thats alot of answers, but i am so worried.
intercourse really hurts too.
i am sorry for posting so many questions, but i need help. any answers and opinions will help me at this time. thank you. my biopsy appointment is in four hours . i will be checking for some answers every like two minutes until then. thank you guys soooo much.
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Avatar universal
Hi
I just wanted to tell you I am one of those people that have 1 ovary and 1 fallopion tube. I had them removed beccause of a large dermoid cyst. I had a miscarriage before that. After the surgery I got pregant right away with 1 daughter then 4 years later with another daughter. I do agress with the other ladies you can get pregnant with 1 ovary. I do know a few people that have both and cant get pregnant. Keep us informed on how you are doing. Take care
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Avatar universal

I had a large granulosa cell tumour removed along with the left ovary when I was 29.  Two weeks later I had to go back to surgery to remove a haematoma.  I was gravely ill.  I was told not to conceive until a year had passed but I did have unprotected sex and conceived just 4 months later.  I lost the pregnancy at 12 weeks and was devasted.  I decided that I needed a calm approach to my recovery.  I took up yoga, had aromatherapy massage and a year after the surgeries I became pregnant again - and delivered a gorgeous girl nine months later.  I have since had two more children and all conceived naturally.  There are many on this forum who have had children with one ovary.

Who knows whether losing an ovary will effect your fertility.  Many women with two ovaries cannot get pregnant.  For me taking out the ovary restored my fertility and cycle.

Considering your age, I'm sure your surgeon will not remove anything unnecessarily.  Take care.
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167426 tn?1254086235
At my age dear, I have learned that all things come to us in time. Take care of the first things first and let the others follow in their time. Get your health problems taken care of first then plan your family. You are still young enough to have children, I am a retired OB nurse and I know what having a family means, I have 5 of my own.  But you must be healthy to carry a healthy baby to term.
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Avatar universal
s13
I will answer your questions w/ the best of my knowledge & experience.  1) NO, it is absolutely NOT necessary to remove your entire right ovary.  Unless the ovary is diseased w/ Cancer & beyond saving, DON'T DO IT!  There are several risks involved w/ removing just 1 ovary; removing the right ovary could result in failure of the left ovary to function properly.  This would put you into full surgical menopause, which includes many risks & symptoms entirely.  2) You may or may not be able to still get pregnant.  If you refer back to your 1st question...total ovarian failure could mean no functioning eggs to fertilize.  If the removal is absolutely necessary, check into freezing your eggs for later in life (prior to any ovary tampering)  3)surgery does come w/ some pain.  Everyone's tolerance is different, but the gas pains from the anesthesia produces the most discomfort afterwards.  They routinely give patients access to an IV administered pain medicine.  Depending on what type of surgery the you elect, depends on the strength of the meds.  4) I don't understand your abbreviation of ttc?  5) There's no way to determine if you would have a healthy pregnancy post op.  You would have to wait & see what type of issues presented initially.  You could have unrelated complications just as easily as any woman, but then again you may not.  6)There's always the strong possibility of a malignant mass or cyst to spread upon rupturing.  Right now you don't know if it is Cancerous, so try & cross that bridge once more info. is presented to you by your dr.  7) Refer back to your 1st question.  There's always a possibility for recurrent disease, especially if that is your body's personal trend.  8) An abnormal pap could mean a multitude of possibilities.  There are many benign conditions that could show an abnormal pap. Endometriosis, Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, Pelvic Inflammatory Disease, Human Papilloma (sp) Virus, etc...Yes, an abnormal pap could be indirectly related to whatever is causing the cyst.  The blood test most likely done is called CA-125 marker.  This test may show elevated results in several benign conditions & normal results in malignant cases.  It is not a consistent marker test for Ovarian Cancer.  I've had severe Endometriosis for many yrs. & have always tested w/ elevated levels.  Everyone is individual, since we all have a different genetic make up.  Now your dr. can refer back to those results & track any fluctuations.  That's a + for you.  I know how scared you must be.  I speak straight from the heart when I tell you that I've been there.  I had my uterus removed at 24 yrs., then both ovaries at 26 yrs.  I've already had 1 laparotomy to remove a grapefruit sized mass w/ complex cyst at 28 yrs. (my dr. mentioned possibility of Cancer at that time).  I'm now preparing to undergo another possible laparotomy for another mass & complex cyst (dr. mentioned the C word once again).  Taking out all my reproductive organs didn't prove to be effective for me.  It only created more problems & issues.  I know everyone is different, but your reproductive organs are an essential part of your body.  They're not just there for child bearing & to be dismissed as useless there after.  Your ovaries play a major role in the daily functioning of life.  They're much more than "sex" organs, please be assured!  The US especially has many distorted obsolete views on this subject.  Speak to GYN's from outside the US & they'll tell you differently than most drs. inside the US.  I'm sure you're beginning to understand my point.  Get a 2nd opinion from a dr. that doesn't elect for the typical easy way out.  Your quality of life is too precious to dismiss!  Read up on this subject for your own good.  Most drs. won't tell you what really happens.  My own aunt (who is an RN & Cancer survivor) wouldn't even tell me what to expect after my uterus & ovaries were removed.  She's a firm beleiver of "If you read about it, your mind will trick your body into the symptoms".  That is such nonsense & you have every right to know what to expect - after all it's your body, isn't it?  Best of luck to you & please keep me informed.  I'm not trying to scare you, only inform you honestly.  Peace.
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Avatar universal
thank you so much. ttc is trying to conceive.
Helpful - 0
155056 tn?1333638688
I don't blame you for being nervous and you present many good questions.  If there is nothing wrong with your other ovary, there is no reason why you should not be able to concieve and have a normal pregnancy.  Once you have concieved, it is your uterus that prepares for the fertilized egg and that is where the fetus grows and develops.  Many many many people get pregnant and have very normal pregnancies and deliveries with only one ovary.

Please be sure to make your choices known to your doctor, re losing vs keeping your ovary.

I have to disagree with the statement that Doctors in the US tend to go the "easy way".  I am seen by both an OB/GYN and GYN/ONC and never once did either not consider my wants and desires and we discussed all the options.  I had my right ovary removed in 2000 and a very large cyst (over 14cms) removed from my left ovary, I wanted to perserve fertility. And that was with an early stage diagnosis of OvCa....in 2004 they removed my other ovary and uterus....but, kept my cervix.  Each and every doctor is different, you must talk to them about what you feel and your fears.

I too still have problems with Ovarian cysts even though I have no ovaries, and that is probably because of the scar tissue from the first surgery where they removed the cysts and not the entire ovary.  I was left with what they believe is Ovarian Remnants that function and because of my history they produce cysts and for me with my history there is a possiblity of cancer.

I would suggest a 2nd opinion with a GYN/ONC and not because I think you have cancer, it is because they are the specialists with 3 years additional training in gynocological issues.

I will keep you in my thoughts!!!!

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Avatar universal
Hi, and welcome to the forum.  I do not blame you one bit for being a bit scared and nervous.  You have a lot of things to consider. There is no way to be certain if you lose an ovary if you will have problems conseiving or not.  There are so many women who have lost one ovary and go on and have several children.  In the same note, there are women who have both ovaries and can not become pregnant.  When you have surgery, there is always some pain.  It depends on the type of surgery that you have on how severe and long the pain lasts. The key to easing the pain it to take the pain meds before the pain gets out of control.  Also, you need to follow the directions of your doctor.  No lifting anything heaver that a gallon of milk, walking a little each day to keep form getting blood clots in you legs and to move the "gas" around.  

I totally agree with NYC Lady that you need to get a second opinion with a gyn/onc.  I too have Ovarian Remnant Syndrome (ORS).  I lost one ovary at the age of 30 due to a second large cyst (they only removed the first cyst during my first srugery, and the cyst and ovary the second time).  Then at the age of 31 I lost the other ovary due to a large cyst.  Unfortunately, there was some ovarian remnants left in due to the fact that both of my ovaries were attached to my colon, bladder, and bowels.  Since my last surgery (last April) I have had one cyst that ruptured. Although I have to deal with this problem, I have no regrets about having a hysterectomy when I was 26 or my ovaries out.  Thankfully, I am producing enough estrogen that I have no menopause symptoms and I do not have to be on HRT.  It is because of my gyn/onc that  I understand all that is going on.  My gyn had never heard of ORS.  It never hurts to get a second opinion.  If your cyst does look suspicious, you will want a gyn/onc to either do the surgery or assist during the surgery.  Pleas try not to worry, and know that we are here for you.  Kasie
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Avatar universal
wow, some of your comments were very scary, but very helpful at the same time. i just came back from my biopsy. it wasnt too bad. i am fine now. my doctor told me that the CA-125 was 21 . i dont knwo what that really means. but she wants to take out the whole ovary because the cyst is in the middle of my ovary. she told me that she will only know if its cancerous after the surgery. so she wants to take teh whole thing out. i dont know what to think. if i take a part of it out, i dont want to have the cyst come back in the same ovary so many times. i just feel like whatever she does, its a lose lose situation. but i will try to be positive. there has never been anything like this in my family and this is the first time somthing has happened to me. she even told me to try to conceive two months after surgery just incase i have a problem with the left ovary in the future. my insurance doesnt really let me to go and check with other doctors. the doctor i am seing now is supposed to be a really good doctor. so before i jump to conclusions, i will wait for my ct scan results. i will let you guys know how it went. thank you guys soooooooooooooooooooooooooo much from the bottom of my heart . now i have alot to think of . i appreciate every second that you gusy spent answering me. wow, what an awsome site this is. love you all.
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167426 tn?1254086235
first things first dear,  1. you will not know whether it is necessary to remove the ovary until further testing is done. 2. Yes, you can get pregnant with only 1 overy. 3. Any surgery has some pain connected with it, but now days with the scopes the recovery is much better and faster. 4.  I do not know what you mean by TTC  5. If you get pregnant you will be able to have a healthy baby. 6. You are getting way ahead of yourself here, you do not know if it is cancer or not and you are wondering about a rupture. Yes a ruptured cancer cyst will spread the cells throughout the abdomen, but that is very rare with the tools they have now to follow these things. 7. any one can 'lose " an ovary at "sometime" but why worry about that now?  Take care of the present situation first. 8.  Yes an abnormal pap can be because of the cyst, OVCA is NOT diagnosed by paps. Good luck on your appointment, calm down and try to think a little more positive.
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