Endometrioma

please don't feel freaked out by laproscopic surgery. i had an ovarian cyst that ruptured, and for me, surgery was a far better option than the problems that could have arisen from not taking care of it, like infection. while they were in there, they took out my appendix, as it had become inflamed, most likely from the ruptured cyst. sure, i was only 22, much more resilient than i am now ten years later, but the recovery time was incredibly short (two weeks and i was up and waiting tables again). in comparison to a c-section (which i had one year ago), it's not very invasive and much much less painful (c-section recovery: several months to be at 100%). besides that, if you could get pregnant with the cyst, having a complication because of it would be so much worse (emotionally for you, physically for the baby) than just getting it taken care of in the first place. it's a lot easier said than done, so be sure to rationally weigh the consequenses of not taking care of your cyst vs. the laproscopic procedure. good luck.

Dear Kate,
I have had just about every reproductive calamity that can possibly happen to a girl. I have literally lost count of how many surgeries I've had. When I was 19, I became very ill. Because of my raging fevers, they put me on antibiotics. I got worse. Then they found a "mass". My ovary was the size of a grapefruit. I ended up losing that ovary.
If your doctor wants to go in laparoscopically and drain/and or remove the cyst, you need to let them do it before things progress beyond the point of no return.
A woman only has two ovaries. And if you lose one all together, it can be difficult to bet pregnant. I know, first hand. I had one ovary and one tube and they were on opposite sides. Against the odds, I managed to have two children.
Honey, no surgeries are fun, but laparoscopies are by far the easiest to recover from. Trust me. I've had 4 or 5.
They put a small incision just under the belly button and another on your tummy in the area they want to be able to look at. By small, I mean they just put maybe 1 stitch and a piece of tape over it. Because of all the problems I'd had, I welcomed the laps because they could really look around and see if there was anything else that needed to be dealt with. They blow your belly up with gas so they can have plenty of room to look around and I found out the hard way, the first time, that not all of the air gets pushed out and some of it stays trapped inside. What hurt me, far worse than the surgery, was the air getting trapped up by my shoulders. It's quite uncomfortable, but it goes away.
I've had so many operations that I could probably put my own I.V.'s in at this point, so I by no means want to make light of your fears. If you feel you need a second opinion, get one. But try not to be afraid of the procedure if it can save your ovary. Some cysts break on their own, and others continue to grow which can harm surrounding tissues. And you don't want that.
You can e-mail me to talk any time...if you have questions or get scared or just need someone to listen.
I wish you the best.
Please let me know what happens.
Take care!

Kate, I know the fact of having surgery is scary but you need to weigh the pro's and con's. If you want to get pregnant then you need to prepare your body and make it as healthy as possible. I have had a lap. done and she removed 5 cyst and then I was pregnant 4 months later. It sounds worse then it really is. The scares are very small and the recovery was really not bad. Schedule the appointment to have it done and over with, you'll be happy you did. Good luck!!!

Hi Kate! I had two endometrioma cysts removed. One when I was 23 years old and my ovary and tube was also removed. I got married at 26 and had no problem getting pregnant with my son at 27. More recently when I turned 30 I had laparoscopic surgery to remove another endometrioma cyst. I had been trying to get pregnant for about a year at the time the cyst was found. I ended up getting pregnant wit a girl 3 months after I had surgery. I know surgery is scarey, but it is a fairly routine outpatient surgery. The recovery is quick and you will be glad you did it. Good luck!

During my pregnancy I had a cyst that ruptured. A ruptured cyst is right up there with giving birth on a pain scale. My c-section, when it was time to give birth, was a piece of cake after the rupture.

I had endometriosis removed by surgery and it was pretty much painless. It only took me a couple of days to recover. Honestly, child birth was WAY more painful than the surgery. I think the scariest part of the surgery was being put under, but it went way more smoothly than my fears thought would be possible. I would definitely agree w/ the moms below and check out all of your options before you have surgery. Accupuncture can do some amazing things. Good luck!

My sister in law has this and did not have any surgeries. Her doctor told her when she was a teenager that she would not be able to have children. She became pregnant with her daughter when she was 19. Defintely was a pleasant surprise for her.

Kate,
I agree with the response below - when a Dr. says this is the only option - they are talking about the only option their training allows them to provide.

Have you thought about going outside mainstream medicine? An accupuncturist might be able to assist, specifically one trained in Chinese medicine. San Francisco probably has more than the nation's fair share of these practioners. Next, I know that hypnosis is extremely effective in working with fertility issues. And yes, you can address issues of endometrioma with your mind.

Find a good hypnofertility practioner through the HypnoBirthing institute, or by googling the term hypnofertility.

While I don't advocate complementary medical practices replacing traditional Western medicine intervention, I do know that western doctors do not hold ALL the answers.

Good luck in your search.

K.

Hi!

I am so happy to answer your question...
I have an endometrioma that is 7 cm on my right ovary - I was told the same thing you were.

Since I don't want to have kids for a few more years anyway, and the doctor told me there was a 99% chance I could not get pregnant without surgery, I started to lighten up on the birth control (condoms and watching the calender)

And, what do you know... I got accidentally pregnant. I am 27 yrs old and married - so obviously we are keeping the pregnancy. I am just 5 weeks pregnant, so we'll see but there is absolutely hope for you!!

Our bodies are mysterious things...

Hi Kate, I diod not have this condition but have had surgery to remove the uterine lining and it was very easy and painless so go for it so you can move forward with getting pregnant. Good Luck.

Hi Kate,

I don't have any experience with endometrioma, but I have to say that with the knowledge I have gained over the years that often times when a dr. says "that is your only option", what they really mean is "that is the only option I have to offer you." Meaning that doing some research (like asking all these great mommas out here) and searching the internet you may find drs. or other practitioners that can provide you with more options. You may have to get a second, or a third opinion and research alternatives to western medicine. You really must become your own health advocate and base your decision on knowledge and not fear. Then whatever you decide you will be doing it knowing that it is trully best for you and your health. I hope that you find the answers you are looking for and can get your family started.

I just did! I had my first laparoscopy at age 19. I got pregnant at age 27 with no other intervention. Since then my endometriosis had gotten pretty severe, but my doc told me to just try. I am now 34, so I was thinking with the endometriosis and my age it would be tough. However, it only took us a few months-I am glad I tried first. Have you been trying for a while?

If you do end up having it, I know surgery is never something to go into lightly, but this is a pretty simple surgery, and you will recover very quickly. The relief from pain that I felt after the laparoscopy was huge.

Hope that helps!

There are natuural methods that have worked well for this and a doctor in Marin county who has written several books on how to cleear them without surgery: Fibroid Tumor and Endometriosis Self Help Book by Susan M. Lark (Paperback - Nov 1995. There are many non-surgical alternatives available--just check Amazon or your local library!

Hello Kate,
Turn to hypnosis. Hypnosis can help you overcome you fear of surgery and HypnoFertility can help you conceive once you are medically cleared.
All my best.S.
To learn more you can go to www.BakersfieldHypnoBirthing.com

I have read that this type of disorder is caused by toxic exposure and that once they DETOX their bodies... it goes back to normal!!! I can look up the article for you... if you want to read it!!! Just let me know!!!

Love, G.. :0)
http://stemcellforautism.blogspot.com/

Hi Kate,
My mom successfully conceived me at age 33 without the surgery. She later had the cyst removed and then used alternative treatment to ensure that it did not return. I used only alternative medicine and conceived with no problems, but I am 24 and being young helps. I encourage you to seek other professional opinions, especially from non-western sources. Best of luck!

I have had 2 babies with 2 different cysts. Both were present before conception. My OBGYN just monitored them close, and they were removed after delivery. One was 7.8cm and the other was 13cm, and my babies were 8lbs 7 oz and 9lbs 5oz. Get a second opinion.

However, if you have not gotten pregnant yet, you should probably have it removed first. There are cases when they have to remove it while you are pregnant so it does not harm baby. I was very worried about that, but I got lucky. If it is the loss of the ovary you are worried about, it is not that big of a deal. They say your chances of conception are barely effected by having one ovary missing.

The laparoscopic surgery is not that bad. I was TERRIFIED, but recovery was a few days. Just a couple tiny holes, and I felt a lot better after the cyst was removed. It caused so much pain and other problems that recovery was a peice of cake. Plus I had babies to care for! Good luck!