internal bleeding due to ruptured cyst

[jen492]

In December, my husband rushed me to the ER b/c of serious abdominal pain!  I tried to tough it out at home for about 3 hours, but it got to the point where I could not take the pain anymore.  At the ER they told me to take a seat and fill out paperwork, fortunatley my husband had the brains to tell the triage nurse that I was having trouble breathing, which was true(this got me seen asap)!  Of course the docs thought I had appendicitis b/c my WBC was over 18,000, they ordered a CT and Ultrasound.  The CT revealed that I had free fluid in the abdomen and pelvic regions, and that I had cysts on my right ovary, and a possible ruptured cyst on the left ovary.  The GYN said he wanted to perform laproscopic surgery and take a look around and he said he might have to remove my left ovary.  He said it would be quick an easy surgery and that I would be up and about in a no time ( I have a 10 yr. old son to take care of and I am a full time student, I needed a quick recovery).  Well, I wake up 3 hours later and find out I had a laparotomy and that my left fallopian tube and ovary had to be removed. Apparently my ovary was destoryed and the bleeding could not be stopped.  I lost about 37% of my total blood vol. When I got the pathology reports back, all that was reported on was the tube and part of my ovary (no cancer, Yeah!!) but nothing was documented about the cyst, actually the report said that the etiology of the hemmorhage was unknown!!  What??  At my post-op check up, the doctor didn't seemed too concerned, and never even mentioned I had a cyst on my right ovary.  I only know about it because I ordered my med. records.  Sorry for all the backstory, but I have had a hard time finding anyone else who has gone through this.   I know cysts come an go, but I am afraid of going through this experience again.  I know it is unlikely, but every time I get a pain on lower right side I get nervous. I also feel like I am PMSing all the time.  I'm so tired of feeling twinges of pain, being grouchy, and feeling alone.  My husband tries to understand, but after all he is a man! I also have a history of uterine polyps,(surgically removed) and I feel like one day my uterus and ovary are going to gang up on me again.  I wish the doc. would have just taken everything, and I would not have to worry anymore!!  I already feel hormonally imbalanced, could menopause be that much worse??   So if there is anyone out there who can relate please write back.  Sorry that I  have babbled so much, this is my first time to post, I promise to keep it short and sweet from now on.

[Alefiyaaa]

Oh my god!!!! I cant believe that this has happened to someone else as well... ur case is exact same as mine.. it happened to me 3 months back .. my surgeon said same things n i am also 5'9 n they removed about 2.5 ltres of blood from my body and it is a miracle i am here. but mine ruptured all of sudden when i was making my daughters sleep. And yes that shoulder pain cant describe in words. i want to know how are you now?

[Alefiyaaa]

Oh my god!!!! I can't believe that this has happened to someone else as well... ur case is exact same as mine.. it happened to me 3 months back .. my surgeon said same things n i am also 5'9 n they removed about 2.5 ltres of blood from my body and it is a miracle i am here. but mine ruptured all of sudden when i was making my daughters sleep. And yes that shoulder pain can't describe in words. i want to know how are you now?

[Jell3]

Hi there this is an old conversation but I think that I should share my experience with you for the sake of other girls googling this.
So 2 days ago during intercourse I felt a sharp sudden pain into my abdominal area-from my stomach to pelvis. The pain was so bad I had to lay down in foetus position. My fiancée gave me a painkiller and ater a while I thought that I am better. I tried to get up-to get dressed! and a felt the pain soooo bad, my vision darkened and I felt how I fell on the floor. After this I went to the hospital and after a long waiting time (2 hours) I finally saw a GP. She asked me to lay flat on the bed and when I tried that a sharp pain came to my right shoulder. I was so scared I started crying. She gave me another painkiller and when I returned after 20 mins I was able to lay down. She sent me home with painkillers and gastritis medication. She told me that of the pain persists of new pain arises to come back.
Back home I tried to have some sleep-but every time I tried to lay down the shoulder pain would come back. I even tried to resist the first econd thinking that maybe goes away but it only got worse.
So I went back to the hospital-the other GP that saw me got a bit concerned so she sent me to have ECG, Xrays and blood tests. When I did the urine tests they saw traces of blood. Waiting for my results I was sent to the Surgical Assessment Unit. The tests came back normal, I had a bit of temperature- 37,6 but it went away in an hour. They scheduled a scan for the next day-today- and I went home after taking massive amounts of painkillers. That night I was able to get some sleep.
Today I went to have the Ultrasound scan and they saw large amounts of liquid around my spleen and down my pelvic area. I was sent back to the SAU then I went to have a transvaginal ultrasound. The result was the same- too much liquid- though no cysts on my ovaries.
I am back home now-my choice- and because my haemoglobin levels dropped since yesterday they want me to come back tomorrow to repeat the blood tests.
The pain is not that bad- I don't need to take any more painkillers. Though it hurts when I walk/laugh/sneeze/burp/sit up/sit down. So I guess I'll see tomorrow-if the results show even lower levels that means I am still losing blood and I need surgery. Hope not, I am only 22!

[old_before_my_time]

Wow, I am glad you are ok (as well as all the other women who posted here). It is so good your fiance got you to the hospital. And I am glad to hear that your surgeon saved your ovary. Unfortunately, too many are quick to remove them and they are so important for our health (not just for reproduction). Ditto for the uterus. Do you think having the Mirena had anything to do with developing this cyst?

[haplyhere]

4 weeks ago my fiancé and I were having sex and I got excruciating pain, the pain just radiated everywhere,  from my abdomen, to my vagina, to my rectum. Couldn't even pinpoint the pain. I just laid down and took a nap for about 2 hours and the pain would then come and go, but resting seemed to help. All of the sudden the pain was coming in stabbing jolts and I had another painful jolt and it brought me to tears, so I thought I would try and go to the bathroom,  felt like a good idea at the time but it was near impossible to get out of bed, then to sit on the toilet and to get off of the toilet,  so I ended up pants around my ankles after attempting to use the bathroom, on the floor crying. I have a very high tolerance for pain, so my fiancé on looking with extreme concern told me he was going to take me to the ER, I wanted to just lay back down and take a nap, but he insisted on getting me to the ER. Back story: I knew I have had cysts before, only because they have been seen on ultrasounds in the past, and I have read about them and remembered reading about extreme pain if they get complicated and in very rare cases they could cause internal bleeding.  So I knew, going to the hospital that had to be what it was especially since we were having sex and the movement of sex just made sense for making something pop, so I was thinking the ER would at least help me with the pain. My fiancé driving me to the ER- every bump in the road hurt so bad, every single movement was so painful. The ER did not care how much pain I was in, I had to wait like the rest of the patients. Sitting in the ER waiting area for a long time, getting jolting pain, the pain was changing throughout my 2 hour wait, the jolts started to go away, then they came back and we're more severe and different,  then it turned into sever shoulder pain occasionally. (Weird right?) Then I started thinking, maybe it isn't a cyst? I was called up for about the 3rd or 4th time during my wait to do the routine vital check and the nurse could not get a read on the blood pressure...He asked me to stand because sometimes that helps, he still couldn't get a read. I guess in him thinking it was the machine sent me back to wait. FINALLY my name was called. Then everything happened so fast....As soon as I got back there and the nurse and doctor came in and tried to lay me down to start figuring out what was happening and when they heard/saw how bad my shoulder hurt they knew right away to check me for internal bleeding, they wheeled the mobile ultrasound over and confirmed there was alot of fluid and presumably blood in my abdominal cavity. IV went in for pain and fluids,  and I was admitted.  They said it's either a ruptured cyst or an ectopic pregnancy.  Given that I had an IUD I didn't think it would be the latter, but they still stuck a catheter up me and did a urinal pregnancy test which came back negative.  I was off to have emergency surgery after some more thorough ultrasounds.  They said they would go in laproscopically stop the bleeding and hopefully save my ovary. I signed papers for blood transfusion incase they needed to etc. Next thing I know I'm waking up post surgery.  What was supposed to be an hour long ended up taking 5 hours.  Apparently I lost 2 liters of blood inside. They said if I waited any longer and  if my torso wasn't as long (i am 5'9" and have a long torso), I wouldn't be here. My torso, diaphram and abdomen was at maximum capacity for blood. When they opened me up they said blood when shooting out everywhere. So they made 3 laproscopic holes and then ultimately a c section type incision.  I had to be intubated and placed on a respiratory machine as I apparently was not able to breath on my own anymore. They were able to siphon out my two liters of blood, and "tip the table downward so all of my blood could swash down to the bottom of my abdominal cavity" to get it all out (says the doctor) and able to do the transfusion with my own blood. Doc said I shouldn't be alive and it really is a miracle I made it and someone is looking out for me. He also said it's crazy that I didn't feel light headed or sick and that I actually was able to wait in the ER for 2 hours without collapsing.  They were able to save my ovary! About the shoulder pain, I think this is the most important part and I think everyone should be aware of....After the blood had time to accumulate,  whenever I laid down or leaned back in a waiting room chair is when I felt this...that was the blood swashing up into my upper chest/diaphram and surrounding nerves and causing really bad pain in the nerve endings in my shoulder. I think this is a great indicator for those of us who might be worried at home about internal bleeding.  If I didn't go to the ER with the pelvic pain, I WOULD HAVE gone later when I felt the shoulder pain- I knew that was not right/normal. Felt like someone sticking a knife down my shoulder and I couldn't breathe when it happened. So I lost more than 60% of my blood. No external bleeding happened at all. I think bleeding out is better because then you can gage the blood loss. I am so thankful for my fiancé making me go, and looking at my cut up stomach....I'm thankful to be here and alive and it's scary how dangerous it can be. Please get seen any time you feel the worst pain in your life, apparently when I experienced was worse than child birth. You will know.  

[Chelsrae19]

I had the exact same thing happen to me in 2010. During intercourse, I had severe pain in my abdomen. I could not move out of the fetal position because I was in so much pain. I tried sucking it up and dealing with it for almost 26 hours but once I turned almost green and my stomach was swollen, I was rushed to the ER. Once there, they did many tests and after an ultrasound, rolled me straight to the OR to do a unilateral salpingo oopherectomy. They removed my Fallopian tube and an ovary. They assumed I had a cyst that ruptured during sex, which in turn caused my ovary and Fallopian tube to rupture. My stomach was so swollen due to internal bleeding and they said that if I had laid there a few more hours that I would have "bled out." I know you posted this in 2008 but I wanted to share for anybody else needing answers or just someone who experienced the same thing. Oh, and I had my son in 2011! :)

[Jules11989]

I'm glad you posted.  I just went through the same thing this week.  I waited the pain out through the night and actually had a seizure because of how low my blood pressure was due to all of the internal blood loss.  Though my surgeon was actually able to stop the bleeding without removing anything, I was still curious as to why he did not remove the cysts let alone my ovaries.  

[Morrowville]

You have sex?  Wow!  I wish I could say I have sex... but the doctor says no sex for 8-12 weeks!  YIKES?  

I guess I have to agree I wouldn't want any of the careful repair work they did in there (complete hyst & ooph) to get messed up.

I just want to remind anyone who had surgery NOT to have sex... NO SEX... until the doctor gives you the go ahead.

Laughingly,
Morrowville

[painterchic]

First of all, I'm sorry you had to go through that!! I wish I had info to help, but i can at least tell you my experiences and what I've been told. Mabye it will help, maybe not, or someday someone else will read it, who knows?
Anyway, two things, still a bit of a mystery... Ok, lets get the 'embarasssing' part over with first.... one night after intercourse I saw watery blood, thought it was from my husband, I freaked and told him he needed to get checked right away!!. Turns out it was from me...oops! Ruptured cyst is the only explanation I have been given so far.( Sorry to gross out or embarrass anyone, glad you can't see my redface as I type this... :o)

Then, shortly after, I experienced that terrible pain you described, only I foolishly waited it out and didn't go to the ER. It finally was the kick in the butt that I needed to go see the doctor though... turns out it was a twisted ovary. Luckily it untwisted or my tale would be exactly the same as yours. They said next time it would be emergency surgery.

Now, for the one ovary part, I did ask about that, and my doc told me that if I left the remaining one, it would eventually compensate for the other, but that I might experience menopausal symptoms for a few months. So if you are feeling like you are PMSing all the time, that is probably it. I hope it goes away for you soon, it's enough for you to go through all this, have a young child (my youngest is 8, I hear ya...) AND go to school! I am feeling very PMSy myself and wonder if the cysts are messing with my hormones also or if I am just anxious about all this. I would love to hear y'alls theorys on that one!(how'd ya like my y'alls, not bad for a Cdn, eh? haha)  Anyway, to recap so you don't have to reread my posts, uterus is already gone and I am taking out both o's to avoid future troubles, like you said, but this was not an easy decision for me to make. Everyone is different. Just read as much as you can. And get that vagultrasound for sure if you can, at least for your peace of mind. The more you know the better you are prepared.

I hope this helps, if not you, or someone else, and again, sorry for the "details", all in the name of science, right girls?

[Shari4444]

Hi and welcome!!!! Everything Morrowville said sounds RIGHT ON!!!! You really do need the "girlie parts"  you have left if it is possible to keep them. You may want to have your doc order a trans vaginal ultra-sound for you. That is going to give hin/her a good idea of what is going on with your right ovary cyst-wise. Then, you both, can keep an eye on it for growth or it may even disappear. It is not at all uncommon to have two TV/US a month apart to check for that specifically.

Your fear is understandable. No one would ever want to go through what you went through once, much less, twice. So, as Morrowville said, press on. Get a second opinion if need be. You don't want to feel pms-y ALL the time. That 'ole cyst could be very well causing that and you and it should not be ignored. Good Luck and we are all here if you need us!!!!! Have a good weekend!

Hugs,
Shari

[Morrowville]

Hi Jen, it sounds like what you have gone through is already enough pain to cover the 4-6 recovery period for a complete hysterectomy!  And I'm sorry you had to experience it.

But the doctor's are smart to leave in some female organs (Marty, where are you?)
because each and every part has a role to play, besides the baby making bit we all know about.  

I just had a full abd. hysterectomy 04/08.  My story is 46 pre-menopausal woman, obese, diabetes, HBP, beyond child bearing (3 lovely daughters).  They found a large dermoid cyst on my ovary in ER (I had same symptoms you explained above).
I had a trans vag. ultrasound (2 actually), a CA125 (10).  Because I am so fat, when I consulted with my GP, GYN, and Oncologist, we decided that we should only do the surgery once, since surgery in and of itself it risky for a 350 pound woman.

So, I have all my bits removed, right?  And I'm healing better than could be expected.
Praise God.  All reports came back negative.  But I got my staples out yesterday, and the oncologist said there was the dermoid (about the size of a fist), and multiple fibroids, and a teratoma (whatever THAT is).  None of that was mentioned prior to the surgery, and makes me even more grateful the whole kit is gone.

I have been reading though, that your body needs all the stuff it starts out with.  Live your ovaries, for hormones, your uterus for babies & whatever else it might do, even your cervix plays dual roles.

So while I agree you might want to consider having the whole kit removed like I did, you might benefit from researching what the individual parts do for your body prior to saying "take it all".

Press on with your doctor about your options.  If he does not completely satisfy you, guess what?  You can choose another one!  Doctors who don't satisfy you are a dime a dozen.  Find one who cares about you... and takes the time to listen.

Sorry my response was so babbly, this is my first time to respond to your post and I promise to keep it short and sweet from now on (but my fingers are crossed).

Keep us posted!
Morrowville