I have an ovarian cyst, FOG.

[Ms. Night Surgeon]

I`ve named it Marla, and I just thought I should tell you that. ^^

[Fate Flyer]

XD

Wow, it's crazy you have one too! At least you know what it is. You know what? I am still dealing with paperwork and bills from my ovarian cysts.

Waaaay back in March of this year, in the middle of the night, I woke up to this excruciating pain in my abdomen. I couldn't move, I couldn't breathe -- I was just in complete pain. Tony/Axiom (my fiancé) didn't know what to do for me. It was so bad though, that he drove me to the emergency clinic down the street, only to find out that it was closed. I decided to just tough it out though and go to the doctor in the morning.

So, the next day came, and I went to the doctor. All I did was explain to him what happened and how bad the pain was. (By then, the pain was only mild, thankfully.) He immediately sent me to the emergency room at the hospital, thinking that it could be something very serious (such as appendicitis). Well, I later came to find out that this doctor visit, which only consisted of him telling me to go to the hospital, costed $1,000!!!

Well, I went to the hospital, and they performed all kinds of tests on me. They even used "the duck" which, ladies, you'll recognize from your ovarian tests (which I just so happened to forget the name of right now). I even got a cat scan and an ultrasound (like what they do for pregnant women). Well, those are some of the most expensive tests in the hospital, but they checked beforehand to make sure that my insurance would cover it, and it was supposed to. Well, it didn't -- or at least, they were trying to get out of paying for it FOR 5 MONTHS! (Only recently were my parents able to get them to pay, finally, after having had to deal with a mountain of paperwork, which is good, sine the hospital bill was $13,000!!!)

So, after all these tests and all this worry, one of the nurses comes over to me and says, "You have ovarian cysts, and the pain that you experienced was from one of them bursting. There's nothing that can be done about it though, so we're just going to write you a prescription for some pain meds." >.< I was like 'Are you kidding me, lady?' Ugh.

I guess ovarian cysts are really common among women though, and I was not aware of that at all. I still had more ovarian cysts that they could see in there, which they said may either disappear on their own or burst like the first one did. D:

[Gadreille]

I used to get those when I was a kid (14-16). It was awful...had to go to the emergency room as well. They put me on birth control to fix it, and I haven't had them since (though I've...obviously...been off birth control)

[Kalon Ordona II]

I feel like I've stepped into Forbidden Female-Land.
Those sound painful.

[ImmortalSin]

I was actually in hospital a few weeks ago because of one of those bursting. They thought the pain was due to me having appendicitis, but thankfully the pain started to subside after about 3-4 hours and they decided not to operate. Unfortunately my doctor said I could have the same problem each month, but it could also not happen again for years.

Either way, they're no fun and I'm sorry to hear about yours.

[Ms. Night Surgeon]

Gah! That sucks! I didn`t realize they were this common. D: Well I feel alittle better now, I suppose. >w<

[Gadreille]

I guess they are common, I didn't know either. All I know is that I passed out, crumpled into fetal position for a day and a half

[Fate Flyer]

Oh, wow, yeah. It's crazy that it's so common and that some of us here have already experienced them! I was never taught anything about them, nor did I hear about ovarian cysts before I had them. I think it should probably be more well known than it is. If it was, I probably never would have gone to the doctor's and the hospital's in the first place.

[Ms. Night Surgeon]

Ugh... Well my mom used to get them, so I was always told I might get them, but yeah. I woke up and was in paaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaain so I got someone to drive to the hospital and the did I bunch of tests and were like "Oh hai you have a cyst :/"

And now I`m paying for it all out of pocket. If I had known they weren`t going to do anything about it I would have just taken some pain meds and stayed home. I can`t even take birth control because most of the shit out there would be really hard on my kidneys... D: Fml.

[Guest]

Well, at least the other females who frequent FOG can read this and perhaps not make the same mistake

Of course, there is always the chance that they will think: "Oh, its just an ovarian cyst bursting, nothing to worry about!" and then it happens to be something far worse...

[ImmortalSin]

Well, at least the other females who frequent FOG can read this and perhaps not make the same mistake

Of course, there is always the chance that they will think: "Oh, its just an ovarian cyst bursting, nothing to worry about!" and then it happens to be something far worse...

See, that's the really big problem for people that do know about them. You could experience the pain again and put it down to a cyst when it really could be appendicitis or something worse. It's also very annoying too because they advise you to go back to hospital just in case.

But I do agree with you all, it should be more well known. Even though there's not a lot you can do anyway. If they want to burst they will. I was on birth control when it happened as well (namely for the acne I used to have) and it didn't seem to help.

[Fate Flyer]

As long as you are 100% about knowing that your insurance will cover your hospital expenses, I think going to the hospital is the right kind of precaution.

My insurance that I just switched to is through my school, and they're just a small insurance company, so of course they were going to try and weasel their way out of paying for these huge expenses. Like I said, the tests they need to perform on you are some of the most expensive ones that are done in the hospital, so you definitely don't want to end up paying the full $13,000 that I was charged, which they originally said they'd only have to pay $300 of. That made no sense, since I would have saved money by not paying for insurance each month with the amount they had agreed to pay initially. Thank goodness my parents we able to get them to cooperate after such a long and tiring struggle.

[Ms. Night Surgeon]

Meanies... D: Least you got everything squared away though!

[Kathryn Lacey]

My mom used to get ovarian cysts on occasion, but I've never had one. I've been really lucky. Then again, if birth control is said to help sometimes, I've been using the Nuva Ring since I was sixteen, so maybe that helped a bit. ^^_^^

I hate when insurance doesn't cover what they say they'll cover. I remember when I was getting all of these STD tests done before Jonathan came to visit, my insurance covered everything with the exception of the two herpes tests. Right before they took my blood for the tests, they were like, "We just looked, and your insurance said it will cover this!" I got two bills in the mail that added up to over two hundred dollars that said my insurance crapped out on me. Bleh...

Anyway, yeah. I hope if I ever have the misfortune of getting an ovarian cyst that my insurance covers the tests for it.

I think maybe it's a good thing that women know about ovarian cysts because if they're sent to the emergency room, they can mention it and maybe have the doctors test for that issue first instead of running tons of tests without any clear idea of what could be the problem. =3

[Fate Flyer]

Yeah, I'm glad that we were able to at last work everything out. *wipes brow in relief!*

Ugh, that sounds familiar, Kathryn. That's too bad. I don't know how that happens! If your insurance is supposed to cover something, and they say you're covered, then I don't think it's fair that you had to pay out of your own pocket. *hugs* I'm sorry.

Yeah, I definitely agree there. Just being aware can be a big help.

[Anemone]

I think I've been one of the lucky ones....

I mean... I have had them... but they didn't burst.... They were actually found during a series of tests I had done on me a while back. Cancer tests, of all sorts to be exact, it runs in the family. Well, at least I was told I could have them. Its been a while, and I was half asleep, but I do remember them being mentioned.

God... its a miracle that Canada has free healthcare.

[Guest]

I've never had on ovarian cyst, but endometriosis runs heavily on my maternal side of the family and I'm sure I'll get it eventually. I was lucky not to have it after having CJ, but I could still get it if I get pregnant again. D:

I feel bad for you ladies that have had one burst. I'm sure it hurts like hell. >__<

[Guest]

The title and first post was actually amusing to me; that someone could actually incorporate humor into their misery. But after reading further down I realized, much like Kalon, that I stepped into the wrong thread. >.<

[Silvan Arrow]

I've never had an ovarian cyst, but over the weekend I was on a camping trip with one of my classes, and one of the girls had a cyst burst. We were three hours away from campus having lunch when it happened. She told us she was in pain but luckily had her pain meds with her, and she was fine after she took them. But wow, I felt really bad for her. Of all the times for one to burst, it was during a camping trip when we were away from the comforts of home (aka college).

[Edon]

The title and first post was actually amusing to me; that someone could actually incorporate humor into their misery. But after reading further down I realized, much like Kalon, that I stepped into the wrong thread. >.<

We should make a thread about... manly.. things like...

... I don't know o_o

Buuuutt yeah... x2 on that one. x_x

[Kathryn Lacey]

You could talk about things that harm your prostate. Women don't have those, after all. ^o_~^

[Fate Flyer]

Oh, man, Silvan. This seems like it's soooo incredibly common! Us poor, poor girls! It's good she brough pain meds with her at least. That'd be awful...



Ugh. Well, I just experienced another bursting cyst last night. I always was afraid of it happening while I was in class, but I never actually thought it'd really happen. I am in class more now than I'm not, it seems, so it does seem likely I suppose.

I was in my night class just last night, and as I was getting up to leave when it was over, a terrible, excruciating pain erupted inside me and I immediately sat back down. I looked at Jen, the girl sitting next to me, and explained to her that, "Oh-my-God, my ovarian cyst just burst!" I wasn't even aware that I still had ovarian cysts, but throughout class, I kept getting odd sensations, like I was on my period. You girls know that feeling? It was kind of painful, but I think when I stood up is when it burst, and then the pain just skyrocketed, and I couldn't move. I started tearing up immediately and was freaking out, not knowing what to do. I needed to get home and just lie down, but I couldn't stand! Nobody seemed to notice, since we were in a dark computer room, but Jen ran and got me some toilet paper to wipe my face off with. She then researched what pain meds to take, and she looked in her bag and found some Midol for me. Midol has a lot more mg in it than normal pain meds, and she gave me two, so that eventually dulled the pain.

I finally forced myself to get up and leave, but it was a little embarrassing...

[Silvan Arrow]

Oh wow, Fate, I'm so sorry that happened to you last night *hugs*. I'm just glad that girl Jen was there for you and had some pain meds that you could take.

Though I must admit, this thread has been very informative for me. I'd heard of ovarian cysts, but I just figured they were rare and that I didn't need to worry about them. Now it seems they are more common than I thought, and if I get one, I'll have a better idea of what symptoms to look for.

[Fate Flyer]

Aw *hugs* thanks, Silvone. I was so, so lucky that she was there. I don't know what I would have done otherwise. It still hurts some today, but not nearly as bad. I just really hope I don't have any more of the nasty suckers burst on me.

I'm really glad that we have this thread, since, like you said, it's extremely informative. I really think now that a lot more girls need to know about this and be aware that it could happen to them. Someone else I know, I just found out, had an ovarian cyst explode on her too, and she said it was the worst pain she has experienced. It's surprising to see how many women have this happen to them. Oh, and actually, my fiancé/Axiom's mom was just talking to him a few days ago, and she told him that she even once had an ovarian cyst burst on her, and she told him that it was more painful than giving birth! I wouldn't be surprised if she had multiple cysts burst on her all at once.

[Guest]

I didn't realize how common ovarian cysts are, but I suppose we all learn something new every day.

I'm not sure what else to say, except that...well, men have it kind of easy.

[Anemone]

Wow... Fate... just... wow...

*hugs*

What causes these cysts anyway? It can't be a natural flaw in the female body....

[Gadreille]

Women normally have two ovaries that store and release eggs. Each ovary is about the size of a walnut, and one ovary is located on each side of the uterus. One ovary produces one egg each month, and this process starts a woman's monthly menstrual cycle. The egg is enclosed in a sac called a follicle. An egg grows inside the ovary until estrogen (a hormone), signals the uterus to prepare itself for the egg. In turn, the uterus begins to thicken itself and prepare for pregnancy. This cycle occurs each month and usually ends when the egg is not fertilized. All contents of the uterus are then expelled if the egg is not fertilized. This is called a menstrual period.

In an ultrasound image, ovarian cysts resemble bubbles. The cyst contains only fluid and is surrounded by a very thin wall. This kind of cyst is also called a functional cyst, or simple cyst. If a follicle fails to rupture and release the egg, the fluid remains and can form a cyst in the ovary. This usually affects one of the ovaries. Small cysts (smaller than one-half inch) may be present in a normal ovary while follicles are being formed.

From this source

I remember how horrible the pain was. It lasted for days...I think the difference between the pain of a cyst and the pain of giving birth is that contractions give you breaks. You can work through them. You can feel when they start, when they peak, and when they let up, and then you've got a break anywhere from 5 minutes to one minute, but at least it is a break. You also know that you are progressing toward something, rather than feeling excruciating pain for no reason at all.

With cysts, the pain doesn't let up. It doesn't come in waves like contractions. So while contractions post water breaking hurt a lot worse than ovarian cysts (in my case at least) overall, I was in more misery with the cyst.

[Guest]

Nevermind...
Ryona beat me to it.
lol

[Gadreille]

Nevermind...
Ryona beat me to it.
lol

Aw sorry You should post up your thoughts anyway!

[Kathryn Lacey]

Fate, I'm really sorry that happened to you. I think I'm going to buy some Midol and keep it in my purse in case something like this ever happens to me or someone else. I'm glad that I know about it.

Ugh... I do know how it feels to start my period. I feel it every, single time, but I often feel that way a couple days before I start my period, too, due to the discharge. I have no idea why I'm so sensitive that I can always feel it. I've heard that most women really aren't all that aware when they start theirs. I actually consider myself lucky because that means I'm not going to just sit around, bleeding all over the place before I realize wtf is happening. XD

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