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Fri 27 May, 2005 12:57 am
Hello All,
I don't know how soon I'll be able to get a reply, but I guess the sooner the better.
Let me tell you my situation.
My mom currently has an ovarian cyst and fibroids. She is 55 and has been experiencing menopause for a year. I personally don't know much about menopause so I don't know if she is still in it or in the post-menopause stage. She has had check ups for the past two years the cyst seems to be fluid filled.
Is an operation necessary? or even recommended?
I know that my mom's biggest fear is not knowing the sideeffects or consequences of the operation. Will hormone levels decrease so much that she will be in depression? She would rather be a happy person than one who must face depression. She has heard of people who have done the surgery and afterwards gone through great depression...and the doctor never mentioned to her that it would happen. So I guess it came as a shock and with an operation, it's irreversible. I guess we just want to be prepared for anything that might come our way.
So I am asking anyone out there for your experiences or opinions on ovarian cysts and fibroids and whether or not an operation is the way to go. Our insurance is also coming to an end and to get another insurance provider is going to cost a lot more money. I just want to make sure that she will be okay.
I appreciate any help I can get.
Thanks.
ArtMusic
I am sleepy so not as link ready as I sometimes am, but, first - welcome to a2k -
and second, there has been a recent topic here that explained all sorts of stuff re ovarian cysts.
So.... look at the top of the page and click on Search. Wait for a window to come up. Write ovarian cyst in the box at the top.
Then, see where you can check posts or topics? click on Posts. then Submit.... it'll pull up recent info on this - we have another a2ker's mother who had surgery just this last week.
Sorry re my not just finding all this for you, but it's time for me to sleep.
Artmusic - just wanted to let you know that the post osso is referring to is mine. My mom is going through a similar situation - it almost sounds like a carbon copy of yours. I can't really answer your questions as I just found out she is scheduled for surgery in two weeks. She did first try a different procedure which looked promising, but unfortunately was not effective. So that surgery is the next step. I don't know the details as another family obligation last night prevented me from talking with her in detail.
I will post the results of what had happened in my post that osso spoke about if it helps.
Artmusic, I have had three surgeries on my ovarian cysts. I wrote about it all in Linkat's post. However, I would say that unless your mom is experiencing pain with her cyst or there is some other medical reason to have the surgery, there is really no point.
Fibroids, however, are another story. I don't have any experience with them, so I am not sure what to do there. A fluid filled cyst however poses no immediate threat other than torsion (which is when the cyst gets so big it twists the ovary cutting off blood supply to the ovary). Mine were all very painful so hence I couldn't stand it and had to have them removed. However, my ovaries are still intact so I am guessing that because you are worried about hormonal changes, her doctors want to take out her ovaries completely. I would guess that if the cyst is just fluid, this is more likely due to the fibroids which I know nothing about.
On a positive note for you, my mother had a full hysterectemy when I was little, and she didn't fall into a deep depression or anything close to that. If that is what they are suggesting for your mother, they have hormone replacement to help that my mom has been on for a long time-so far with no real huge adverse effects.
Good luck and let us know how it goes. Linkat-how did I miss that your mom is having surgery? Are they doing it laproscopically?
I just got off the phone with mom and yes dragon at least first they are, if they are unable to remove it that mode, then they will remove her ovaries. I am going to write everything under my post.
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