February 02, 2013

Edited: There Is Something On My Right Ovary

I had the ultrasound done this morning.

The tech didn't say anything and I didn't ask, but there is definitely something on my right ovary. It looked like four follicles stuck together, but he was measuring it as one. I searched images online, and it looks like a complex ovarian cyst. Those are the kind that have the potential to be really bad things.

He also did blood flow imaging. When he was on the right side, I remember seeing a pretty clear image of blood flow and thinking that must be my ovary's blood flow. I don't remember if it was going to the cyst or not, because I didn't know to look for that, but I think it was.

Blood flow to a cyst is a really, really bad sign.

Also, while he was looking at my bladder, before he did the ultrasound, there was something on there that looked long and thick and squiggly and very white. I don't know much about bladder ultrasounds, but the fact that it was very white (the more white it is, the more solid it is) and squiggly (not of consistent shape) also makes me nervous.

I am scared. Very, very scared.

The tech said my doctor will have the results when he gets into the office on Monday morning. That seemed really fast to me. I don't know if that's standard practice or if he's going to be rushing it along because he thinks it shows something concerning.

I am going to try to be patient and wait until Monday morning and call my doctor's office first thing. I am debating going to the ER and telling them I'm having pain and that I have a cyst. But if it's something bad, they're not going to be able to do anything before Monday other than possibly confirm it. I don't know that they could say for sure that it's something not bad. So I might as well just wait. I'm just not sure how I'm going to make it through the weekend.

Edited to add: Thank you for your comments and prayers. I have calmed down a bit, and I am not going to the ER, I will wait until Monday for the ultrasound report.

Usually Googling this kind of stuff freaks me out more, but I've actually found some information that has reduced my panic a bit. Of course I'm no expert on any of this so I could be completely wrong about what I saw, but right now what I have found is comforting me, so I'm going with it.

I think what I saw was a fluid-filled multi-septated cyst. I know follicles are supposed to be completely black on ultrasound (fluid-filled) without any white (solid matter). Other than what I am thinking are septates (a few lines going in various directions), I didn't see anything else in there. I found a study online that says septated cysts without a solid mass in them that are less than 10 cm and the septates are less than 3 mm are almost always benign. I didn't ask how big the thing was when the tech took measurements, but I saw a lot of my typical small PCOS follicles (usually less than 1 cm) in there, and this thing looked like it was maybe 3-4 times as large as that, definitely not 10 times as large. Also, I pulled out a tape measure, and I don't think the things I'm assuming are septates were anywhere close to 3 mm thickness. So, all of that helped.

Also, I read something else that said even if there is blood flow to a cyst, in pre-menopausal women it is not a reliable sign of whether something really, really bad is going on. And I can't say for sure that the blood flow was even going to the cyst. So I'm also hanging some hope on that.

Oh, and that long, thick, squiggly, white thing that I saw next to my bladder? Um, after looking at some ultrasound photos, I'm about 95% sure that it was my bladder wall.

I plan to stop consulting Dr. Google now (no, really). I will post when I have news of the report. Depending on how calm I am, if I am able to focus and get things done on Monday, I may even just wait for the doctor to call me rather than beg for the results first thing in the morning. And I am 2 hours behind East Coast time at this point in the year, so don't be surprised if there isn't a post until evening.

Thank you again for all of the supportive words and thoughts.

7 comments:

MrsSpock said...

I don't think the ER will be able to do anything really. The gynonc is the best one to tell you what is. The ER will assess you, and then release you to follow-up with your doc during office hours. I would just call the doc first thing AM, talk to the nurse, and just say you are terribly anxious about the results and hope the doc can get back with you asap.

I hope, hope, hope that this is nothing but a cyst. *Hugs to you*

Reese said...

I second that the ER likely can't help you with this. Sending positive thoughts and prayers your way. I find myself hoping this is just a case of anxiety (something I also struggle with on pretty much a daily basis)or a simple little cyst. With no blood flow. Hang in there.

SLES75 said...

I'm so sorry you're so scared. I really hope it's nothing. Please know I will be thinking of you and praying for good news come Monday. Keep us updated, please...

Libby said...

What you described in your last post really sounded like what I felt before I ruptured my first disc, so your u/s surprises me. As many u/s as we've been through, you'd think we could diagnose ourselves by now wouldn't you? I remember seeing the u/s of my fibroids back in '08 and thinking there was no way they could take them out and save my uterus, but it was nothing terribly unusual for the RE. Wish you didn't have to wait until Monday, but I don't always have a lot of confidence in ER diagnoses, so unless I needed pain meds, I would wait it out, unfortunately. Will be praying that it's nothing to be overly concerned about.

MyTwoLines said...

I'm really sorry this is so freaky. I was going to say (before I read this follow up post) that my hernia barely poked out but was more like a soft blobby thing, but it sounds like that is no longer applicable information. I am hoping for a cyst! Hugs, I know this is a stressful wait.

Mo said...

so sorry you are having this scare. i vote for calling early tomorrow (monday) and seeing if your doc can give you some info. it's so hard to wait while you're worried. thinking of you and hoping it's just a regular cyst.

Mo

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