In Process of Diagnosis

pfunk · 03-02-2004, 08:04 PM

Hi. For a couple of years I was suffering from LLQ pain. When I told my PCP about it she sent me out for an ultrasound I was told that I had numerous follicular cysts with one large dominant cyst on the left ovary. I had a follow up ultrasound 8 weeks later and the left cyst had decreased in size and I had a cyst on my right ovary which had emerged but was only told that the left cyst was gone. I continued to complain of the pain and my doctor said that I should see a gynecologist and a very good one was recommended to me.

The Ob/Gyn performed ultrasounds and found a very large cyst on my left ovary and sent me for a CT scan which indicated very large cysts on both ovaries. I underwent a bilateral LAP ovarian cystectomy and was told that I had numerous cysts. In fact, from what I understand, the grouping of small follicular cysts is what composed the apparent singular 5 cm mass on my ovaries. Furthermore, these cysts were in the textbook "string of pearls" configuration. The Ob/Gyn spent the majority of the hour and a half surgery puncturing and draining numerous cysts on my ovaries and was not able to eliminate all of them.

I have a postoperative appointment in six days and I wonder what to expect in the way of screenings and tests next.

I am 24 yo. I am 5'7'' and 113 lbs but have weighed as much as 123 lbs. Thus, I am not a heavy potential PCOS sufferer. I have read that thin PCOS patients may in fact be suffering from a more severe form of insulin resistance than those who are heavier. Also, I am concerned about being put on birth control because I have varicose veins in my legs and have read that birth control can significantly exacerbate this condition. Also, the women on my mothers side of the family have histories of panic attacks associated with the use of hormonal contraceptives.

Does anyone have any advice or information to provide to me in the way of what to expect next?

moonshadow · 03-03-2004, 08:39 AM

hi, and welcome

i never had my ovaries checked for cysts-- i think that after my bloodwork, the docs either assumed i had them, or figured it didn't matter if i did, as the results of my blood tests confirmed pcos.

anyway, i think the next thing to expect is loads of blood tests. they'll test for things like elevated testosterone, they'll test to rule out things like late onset adrenal hyperplasia (i'm not really sure what they test to do this, but as it was the other thing they thought i might have, and decided that i didn't, i'm sure they tested to rule it out), and they'll test your glucose tolerance. for me, this was the worst of the lot. they take some blood, then they make you drink this horrible drink that tastes like extra thick flat soda (orange or lime were my choices), then you wait a couple more hours, and they take more blood. i don't mind the blood letting, but i really didn't like the glucose syrup stuff! i didn't even wind up insulin resistant. yucky stuff.

they may run a panel to check for other things, like thyroid function, as a lot of people with pcos have thyroid function problems, too. i had my thyroid tested a few years before i was tested for pcos, though, so i don't know if they'll automatically test for this.

good luck with everything, i hope you find out a way to keep your pain down (or keep it from recurring) soon.

i would not go back on bcps. that's me, though. or any hormonal birth control. if i had known what difficulty i would have ttc, i would have started ttc a lot earlier. i didn't go on bcps until after i'd been with the man i wound up marrying, though. and that was primarily to regulate my almost non existant menstrual 'cycle'. the other reason is that my little sister wound up with breast cancer at 21, and she'd been on and off various hormonal bc things, and while the docs can't say if they were connected to her cancer, they also can't rule it out. however, millions of people are on bc of one form or another, or, like my sister, trying out different sorts, and the rate of breast cancer in people under 30 is very low, let alone those under 25. so, given those numbers, if it was connected, it was a fluke. still, i won't go near them again.