Cysts are very common. I have had them all my life. I would suggest going to a gyn before heading straight to a surgeon. My recent cyst was 6cm and my gyn checked it with ultrasound every month and it shrank down to 2cm. Might want to try that before you head off to surgery. They gave me pain meds in the meantime.
Hi, don't be worried, I'm 16 and they found a similar sized cyst near my right ovary. They described it as a 'Complex Cyst with a Solid Mass'. They have no idea what it is!
My family doctor said it could be an endometrioma - something to do with the lining folding and a cyst forming around it, no idea really - doctors just keep throwing all the medical terms at me!
So he sent me to see a gynae at the hospital, who I saw yesterday, she said it could be a dermoid cyst, which sounds horrible, a cyst with hair and teeth in it, gross right?!
She gave me a couple of options;
- Leave it there as it isn't causing me any pain (obviously in your case you'll probably leave this option)
- Have a 'Transvaginal Ultrasound' to find out what it is and get a closer look. Obviously, I didn't want to be losing my virginity to a probe and it so that was cancelled out by me and the doctor. (They won't do it if you're a virgin)
- Have an operation to take a sample and send it to labs to see if its harmful or not (I ruled this on out because of the next option - might as well just take it out if I'm having an operation)
- Have an operation to remove it.
So I went with the last option, because I don't know what it is, and if it is harmful I don't want it to be left there and be a nuisance in the future when they can take it out now! The operation is called a laproscopy, they make 3-4 small incisions (belly button, above the hip and below the pelvic bone - another may be needed so they can get to it) each is about 1cm. Then through the power of modern medicine somehow they can remove it.
As to the consent that had to be given, they made me sign a form that said that they could take my right ovary if the cyst was attached to it/it was diseased. Don't be alarmed, she said that they won't touch it unless it really needs to come out. The waiting time for the op, for me was 4-6 weeks, so it should be a similar time to that and the recovery time is 7-10 days.
I hope this has been informative for you, I was in a similar position to you before I saw the gynae, I kept searching the internet and it only got me nervous about the possibility of cancer. At our age it is rare, so you needn't be worried. I hope your consultation went well and I wish you all the best for the future.
Charlotte
Yes, don't be scared, worst case scenario is you need to have it surgically removed, which is no fun, but is fairly common. Just wanted to comment about the transvag ultrasound...they are nothing to be worried about, no different than inserting a tampon. It has nothing to do with your virginity. I have heard some ppl say they hurt, but if you don't tense up, it is completely painless. (Are you familiar with kegal exercises? They teach you how to control that muscle.) I just don't want you to refuse something that is really no big deal and could possibly help you make a better decision. I've had a bunch of them for various things over the years, and it is not remotely like sex in any way, not as uncomfortable as a pap smear, and about at the same as inserting a tampon. :)
Thank you for all y'all's support! We went to an ER and it shrunk to a 2.0cm but it may continue to grow and shrink rapidly. I appreciate all of y'all's suggestions and stories.
Thanks again,
Hannah