Complex Ovarian Cyst

[Lemonslemonslemons]

Hi! Long time lurker, first time posting. I have HA and have for years but like most folks here, I also experience very real symptoms (but I catastrophize). In therapy for this, and am open and honest with health providers.

In May, I had a mammo and got called back. Panicked. There was a long wait for follow up and during the wait, I started experienced weird rib cage pain (left side, opposite side from worrisome breast). It felt like pain on the actual rib cage but then felt like something under. I know this can be a presentation of IBS but obviously worrisome. Then I started feeling gassy, bloated and off after meals and like something is just pushing under my rib. Loud digestion sounds up under left rib too… even hours after eating. Worried sick. Called GI and they had long wait but I’ll finally be going on Monday.

Now, just weeks ago, I had horrible lower pelvic pain which I’ve experienced intermittently so I started freaking… maybe this isn’t GI but I should call obgyn. They ordered an US which I had today. Pain has resolved… period expected in 4-5 days. Really thought it would be normal - I had pelvic pain last summer and had a normal US just showing a large follicle. (I’m 39, have 2 kids). The results came back within hours and said “complex cyst” approx 2 cm. The PA said these are normal on premenopausal women. My obgyn is on vacation but I’ve sent her a note. Immediately I went to google complex cyst and read scary stuff. Felt sick, spiraled. Read some awful stats about complex cysts having high odds of being malignant. The radiologist basically said that it was likely physiological in nature given that I’m premenopausal. I’m freaking. The nurse replied to my message to my MD saying that they didn’t see anything worrisome, copied and pasted a description of a physiological cyst. But when I search for physiological cysts, they aren’t called complex. In fact, some are listed as simple or just a category of their own. Complex is something else entirely from what I can tell? (It says that it is thick walled with echoes which does seem to meet the characteristics of “complex”). I’ve really been on the path of thinking this is just my anxiety going wild from the mammo results (all were fine by the way).

I’ve read a lot on here about others with a complex cyst… but most seemed to be different than this. I’ve heard some mention functional cyst which I’m assuming means related to the cycle but mine was not labeled as such. Not sure my provider will get back to me anytime soon as she’s on vacation (which she deserves). I want to ask for surveillance at the minimum… I feel like having all these Gi and pelvic symptoms makes it hard for me to dismiss as incidental. Nurse said a 2 cm cyst wouldn’t cause me pain. Anyone had a complex cyst that was cycle related? I wish I could trust the reassurance and not feel like all medical providers are missing something and that I’ll be one of those stories where the provider gave me reassurance because of my age even with suspicious findings. Ugh.

[Scass]

I think mine was complex in that it wasn’t simple. There seems to be so many names for them doesn’t there! I can’t tell you not to Google because I went so far down that Google hole that I can’t get that time back & I wish I hadn’t scared myself so much. I have a thread somewhere a few years ago that you could search for if you want to see the process I went through, there’s a few other good ones too.

Just remember that we aren’t the ones with medical training, all the people that have looked at your cyst & scan are. They aren’t concerned, which means you can dial back your worry a bit.

Are they recommending that you go back in a few months or are they referring you? 2cm is little, so I don’t think they would usually do much.

Mine was 4cm & dissolved a year or so after it was first picked up. I worried so much about this thing that a gynaecologist told me not to be concerned about, and she was right.

[Lemonslemonslemons]

Thanks for your reply. The provider letter didn’t mention a follow-up but it was sent by a different provider than the one I usually see. I haven’t heard anything from her (sent her a message) because she is on vacation. The nurse sent me a reply saying that they would expect it to resolve within 3 months or so and that some people choose to go on the pill to help but I don’t know as that’s the option for me (I’m 39). Hoping my provider reaches out with some more explanation and is receptive to follow-up if I request it. I feel like sometimes one of the biggest drivers of my HA is that I can read my report from radiology and then the provider just basically sends a message saying that “nothing was found that explains my pain”. But I’m like “but you found something - explain to me why this something isn’t concerning!” I probably would have skipped googling if they had just explained the radiologists report to me in a way I could understand.