I have a very large cyst on one of my ovaries, which has grown to a whopping 18cm (most of the time without my knowledge). My stomach 'blew up' within half an hour one Saturday afternoon and stayed up. After several ultra-sounds and now a CT scan, the doctors and surgeons have decided that they want to cut it out, and cut all my reproductive system out as well at the same time. I don't want to lose my womb or remaining ovary if I can at all avoid it, but keep hearing time and again, that I am 'old', getting into the menopause stage of my life and that I have no use for my bits anyway so best take them out. I am 41 and haven't given up the hope that I may still be able to reproduce. Am I being sentimental and unrealistic, or is it perfectly reasonable to ask for a few more years of fertility?
I have read and scanned all the messages posted and not one person seems to have been in the same predicament. Any ideas? Thanks.
Hiya
Let me give you the story of my best friend Ruth.
She finally managed to persuade the doctors that there was something wrong with her: the constant blood loss and bloating must be pathological. Eventually they agreed to do a hysterectomy.
She's got a picture of what they took out of her: it shows her uterus; the cyst, which was the size of a melon; and a third thing, which was the mummified remains of her daughter's twin. When they examined the cyst, it proved to in fact be cancerous and they estimated that if they had not operated, she would have had a week to live.
Doctors don't know everything, that's true: and if your instinct says "is there something else" then ask for a second opinion. But see if they can leave some of an ovary, if only for the residual testosterone produced by it.
This is probably no help whatever! Best of luck.