Dr. WW follow up

*Barbie*

i saw a GP on Friday for a physical and my OB's nurse practitioner today for my annual exam.

discussed all of the GI issues with both, and my self diagnosis.

I'm waiting on the results of the bloodwork from the GP, but based on my GYN visit, I think I might be right - at least in part.

NP found an egg-sized (we're assuming cyst) on my right ovary. I have a follow-up US in about a week and a half, and an appt. with my OB. Once they do the US, he can figure out a path forward. She said that for a cyst this size, it's possible that he may want to do a laproscopic surgery. does anyone have any experience with this?

NP gave me an anti-spasmotic to try as well, in case of IBS - if the cyst isn't causing the issues. GP is going to have a follow-up with me once my bloodwork is back, and we'll go from there. He gave me an antibiotic to try, in case the GI issues were bacterial, but didn't write the dosage on the script, so i haven't gotten it filled yet. hopefully i won't need it.

MinM

I have experience with laproscopic sugery, for my appendectomy, which isn't going to be of much use to you. I had a girlfriend who had it for endometriosis, and she was back at work the next day. I was out for the better part of two weeks.

You can barely see the smaller scars now. It's only the bigger one in my belly button that you can really see. But at 34, my belly shirt days (who are we kidding, I never wore those) are behind me and I am just glad I am not dead and don't care about the scars.

DG1

I missed the OP, but yay for actually having a few options.  I had a small ovarian cyst once (resolved on its own) and that was hella uncomfortable. I'd imagine a bigger one is no fun at all.

zsazsa-stl

Eeek, I'm glad you asked. 

I had laproscopic lady part surgery as part of infertility diagnosis.  It was super easy.  I went back to work for a few hours in the afternoon although I was pretty sleepy from the drugs. They gave me a pain prescription in case I had any problems, but I never needed it.   But everyone reacts differently so I can't guarantee anything.  My doctor warned me that some people need a full week to recover.

GBCK

They tried to remove my dermoid/terratoma (ovarian growths) laproscopically--other than the 'pressure' afterwards from them inflating your abdomen, that part wasn't to bad.

(Although, it's hard for me to comment...they ended up having to do 'real' full amounts of surgery on me because my growths decided to be impossible to remove w/o full abdominal surgery.  whee)

Ya know, if your IBS is affected by your hormones (mine is), the cyst may be wonking it up too...

*Barbie*

i had a fairly big (not this big) ovarian cyst a few years ago that resolved on it's own - it caused a lot of the same issues i have been experiencing - but the major difference was the pain factor. the other cyst was considerably more painful (at least short term).

good to know that the surgery, if necessary, probably won't be too bad. i'm not worried about scarring. I have a gigantic C-section scar - i'm sure this would pale in comparison.

ovarian stuff worries me - my maternal grandmother died of ovarian cancer. i'll need to ask the dr. if there's anything i can do to prevent, short of having them removed.

zsazsa-stl

Barbie - My maternal grandmother also died of ovarian cancer.  My mother had her ovaries removed as a preventative measure, but apparently that doesn't still eliminate risk.  It doesn't make sense to me, but  somehow there is still some kind of tissue there that is subject to any kind of genetic pre-disposition to ovarian cancer.  From what I have read the best way to lower your chances is to be on some sort of hormonal birth control to stop ovulation, or just stay pregnant.  Every time you ovulate your ovarian cells are damaged just a wee bit and mutations can result from the damage, so fewer ovulations means lower risks of mutations.

SDIL's mother died of ovarian cancer.  She had genetic tests done and found that she also has the gene.  I've never inquired if this was specific to her mother's type of cancer (like if they had to test her mom first and then see if she had her mother's same genes, something that wouldn't be possible if your parent/grand-parent with the cancer has already died).    But SDIL plans on having a full hysterectomy once she is done having children.