Ovarian cysts R fun!

[fireheart]

So I got stuck in hospital for a good portion of Easter Saturday and some of this morning (Sunday)!

Turned out that I had a cyst in my right ovary that had ruptured and the fluid had not been absorbed by the body. They were contemplating appendicitis or an ectopic pregnancy, but a pee test and ultrasound ruled the ectopic out and the fact that my fever had gone DOWN and I was feeling better, not worse, ruled out appendicitis.

What was NOT fun though was:

-The Clexan injection. Oh dear lord those things HURT. I wound up in more pain after having it than the pain I came in with! (For those who don't know, it's a blood-thinner and is given just under the skin...on the belly. I had to have one because they were contemplating surgery for me and therefore I was at an increased risk of DVT. I had to wear the stockings as well)
-Having my arm feel stiff/sore and my fingers swelling. Turns out that was caused by the IV line and me having too much fluid (from said IV). They took the IV away from me after that, putting it in only on doctors orders (the actual needle itself was pulled out when they gave my discharge orders)
-Trouble sleeping. Have I mentioned how fun it is to sleep with an IV in?

They were contemplating exploratory surgery, but I was hoping that it wouldn't come to that. Shortly after I was discharged, I was taken back to my partners house (my car and that were up there) and I had a nice long nap. I then woke up and according to my partner, I must've been really out of it, because I was talking in my sleep. Our guess was that whatever was in the pain meds they'd given me at the time made me slightly loopy.

I now have some Nurofen on hand for any future attacks and a list of instructions for what to do in the future.

The doc DID contemplate PCOS, but that's been ruled out on the grounds that my periods are generally regular (with the occasional breakthrough bleed) and I don't have any of the other "traits" associated with PCOS (ie excess hair)

[crazylegs]

So I got stuck in hospital for a good portion of Easter Saturday and some of this morning (Sunday)!

Turned out that I had a cyst in my right ovary that had ruptured and the fluid had not been absorbed by the body. They were contemplating appendicitis or an ectopic pregnancy, but a pee test and ultrasound ruled the ectopic out and the fact that my fever had gone DOWN and I was feeling better, not worse, ruled out appendicitis.

A very good friend of mine has considerable, ongoing, issues with cysts. If you have additional problems I IMPLORE you to keep going back to your GP to get an appt with gynecology to see what can be done and what analgesia can be prescribed for you.

I do really hope it doesn't come to this though.

[fireheart]

A very good friend of mine has considerable, ongoing, issues with cysts. If you have additional problems I IMPLORE you to keep going back to your GP to get an appt with gynecology to see what can be done and what analgesia can be prescribed for you.

I do really hope it doesn't come to this though.

I'm hoping the same, especially because I'll be moving interstate in a couple of months. I had a past ultrasound which revealed the cysts some time ago and that had been causing me some pain in the lead up to my actual period, but that stopped around the time of my birthday last year (which is in august).

We've since worked out that stress played a slight role in this case and to always keep some form of pain relief on hand. (Currently it's ibuprofen. While I would prefer paracetamol, I was given that in the hospital along with codeine and was told to avoid it for a day or two)

[Seshat]

PCOS can be lived with, especially if you don't plan on having children (sub- or infertility being a common symptom). Eating and exercising like a diabetic managing the diabetes with lifestyle changes will minimise the PCOS symptoms.

So if it does turn out to be PCOS, it's not the end of the world. Not even beyond the black stump.

* NOTE: the above is patient-to-patient advice - PCOS is one of my 'lesser' issues - and is not a substitute for seeing a doctor. At all. In fact, I recommend asking for specialist help if it does turn out to be PCOS. Useful specialists would include an endocrinologist (perhaps even a specialist reproductive endocrinologist), as well as the gynocologist, and possibly someone who specialises in the other end of the PCOS cycle: the digestive endocrine system (specifically insulin).

* I'd suggest my PCOS books, but they're out of date. A lot of research has happened since they were written.


Anyway: you have my sympathy; and I hope it's a one-off and nothing serious!

[Sapphire Silk]

What was NOT fun though was:

-The Clexan injection. Oh dear lord those things HURT.

Clexane. Enoxaparin sodium. Lovenox is another brand name. It's not the med that hurts as much as the fluid displacing the fatty subcutaneous tissue. But yeah, it does sting a bit. She might have given it a bit too shallow, unless you are really skinny.

I'm hoping the same, especially because I'll be moving interstate in a couple of months. I had a past ultrasound which revealed the cysts some time ago and that had been causing me some pain in the lead up to my actual period, but that stopped around the time of my birthday last year (which is in august)

I would get a complete copy of my medical records from that visit, in that case, along with a copy of the actual ultrasound and the ultrasound report. You might have to move fast if they're still using VCR tapes. That way you'll save time if the problem recurs so your new doctor can look at the previous records.

Getting a copy of all your medical records from your regular doctor (if you have one) is a good idea as well.

[Seshat]

As a backup to getting a copy of medical records from your existing doctor & the ER, make sure to carry the contact info for both with you. Your new doctor can (with your authorisation) request the information from your old one.

That's what we did when we had to change doctors. And no, in Aussieland, 'interstate' should make no difference. (But check with your doctor before the move.)

[fireheart]

Clexane. Enoxaparin sodium. Lovenox is another brand name. It's not the med that hurts as much as the fluid displacing the fatty subcutaneous tissue. But yeah, it does sting a bit. She might have given it a bit too shallow, unless you are really skinny.

Unfortunately there wasn't an option that could've been given orally (or at least through my IV line!). That sounds about right though, as there was another guy in the bed across from me who'd been given a clexan and wasn't in as much pain. (Unlike me though, he had to have it for 2 weeks and was shown how to do it by the nurse on the floor)

I would get a complete copy of my medical records from that visit, in that case, along with a copy of the actual ultrasound and the ultrasound report. You might have to move fast if they're still using VCR tapes. That way you'll save time if the problem recurs so your new doctor can look at the previous records.

I have an ultrasound from my last visit that shows the cysts, so I'll definitely bring it up with me when I fly over (That's if ultrasounds can be taken on flights???) From what I saw in the office, they either print them out or save them to DVD along with the report.

Getting a copy of all your medical records from your regular doctor (if you have

As a backup to getting a copy of medical records from your existing doctor & the ER, make sure to carry the contact info for both with you. Your new doctor can (with your authorisation) request the information from your old one.

That's what we did when we had to change doctors. And no, in Aussieland, 'interstate' should make no difference. (But check with your doctor before the move.)

I'll check if my GP can do this or not. I'll be visiting them prior to flying over to check and make sure that I'm not at an increased risk of rupture while on the plane and/or if I'm allowed to take some form of painkillers on the flight.

[Sapphire Silk]

That particular drug isn't given IV. It has to absorb slowly to regulate how quickly it is metabolized in the body.

Regular heparin (Clexane/Lovanox are low molecular weight heparins) can be given IV, but it has to be a continuous drip or it doesn't work, and can actually result in too much bleeding. Clexane is very safe given subq; we don't even bother to check labs on a daily basis.

Heparins can be given by mouth. The oral anti-coagulants (they don't actually "thin" the blood, the prolong bleeding times) have to be taken awhile to build up enough of a level to be useful. Sometimes patients will be on IV or SQ heparin or Lovanox in the hospital to "thin" the blood while the oral meds (usually coumadin) builds up enough of a level to take over. We call this the heparin coumadin bridge.

And I'm sure that was much more than you wanted to know

[wolfie]

I have an ultrasound from my last visit that shows the cysts, so I'll definitely bring it up with me when I fly over (That's if ultrasounds can be taken on flights???)

I'm not involved in airline security, but it would seem logical that media carrying an ultrasound image would be treated no differently from other media of the same type carrying other information (i.e. if it's OK to take a newspaper on a plane, then it should be OK to take a printout of an ultrasound). The only problem I can see is if it's on magnetic media, in which case there's the possibility that magnetic fields from the X-ray machine could erase it. Unlikely you'd run into that - floppy discs aren't used much anymore (and wouldn't have the capacity to hold a large high-res image), and data tapes are expensive and would depend on the other hospital having backup drives that use the same tape (a few different physical types) and software. Cheaper (and virtually guaranteed compatibility) to "burn" it to a CD-ROM or DVD-ROM.

[fireheart]

And I'm sure that was much more than you wanted to know

That was. But thankyou, now I understand why I had to have the stupid needle.

And before anyone asks, even though those things are single-use only, I did not take the stockings home with me (despite the fact that I would've probably used them when I went flying next month, but I've flown before and I know enough about preventing DVT to not need them).

What also varied on the good-sucky bridge was the "entertainment unit" built into the rooms. The good was that it provided a variety of services including Foxtel (cable), regular TV, movies on demand, INTERNET and prepaid phone calls. The suck? You had to pay for all of it, instead of getting it for free. *sigh*

The nurses at the hospital were lovely as well-I'd never been to this particular hospital before, so I wasn't prepared.

[LesserSouthernFroglet]

Ovarian cysts aren't fun.

I lost a metric shitload of weight a few years back and noticed a large lump in my lower abdomen. Trip to GP, ultrasound - yup, BIG ovarian cyst, around AFL football size - and a referral to a surgeon. Mentions of the C word because I was in the right age demographic. Yikes! Less than a month later, into hospital for an exploratory laparotomy (open procedure, in this case a cut from belly-button down to just above the fuzz) and ovarian cystectomy (they took the whole ovary too).

Thankfully it was just a cyst, no cancer detected. I'm glad it didn't rupture though, it was a big sucker! Recovery time was not fun - nearly a week in hospital. Thank goodness for PCAs (patient controlled analgaesia machines) - push a button, morphine IV, sleepy drift away from pain.

I hope things heal up well for you, particularly considering the Big Move. There shouldn't be any issues taking oral painkillers on the flight - BTDT heaps of times - and if the scans etc are on CD or DVD they'll be fine. Good luck with everything.

[Rock Lobster]

I nearly died from mine twice when they burst! Had major surgery to remove them. I quit getting them for some strange but good reason. Good luck!

[fireheart]

So a quick update on this.

The hospital sent a copy of the report to my doc. I went in and spoke to her for a mental health crisis and while I was there, asked her about the visit. She brought it up and explained to me what had happened.

Turns out that it wasn't quite big enough to be counted as a cyst, but it was still fairly large and it had ruptured, causing the pain. The avenue for future is to stick me on the Pill for six weeks to basically shut my ovaries up (her words)