The Follow up

After speaking to my gynecologist, I completed the blood test and ultrasounds as requested. Today I had a follow up call with her to learn what the results mean for me. She starts with the good news, telling me the mass that was found on my right ovary was not cancerous. Hallelujah! It is, however, pretty large in size. At approximately 7cm in diameter she described it as a large plum. For reference, she shared that an ovary is about the size of a walnut. Based on my results, the mass appears to be an endometrioma, which is a type of cyst people with endometriosis can get. It is also referred to as a “chocolate cyst” because it is filled with blood.

            Now comes the options for treatment. There are two options that were presented to me: taking a medication called Lupron or having the cyst surgically removed. I personally dislike taking any kind of medication but the thought of taking Lupron added an extra layer of concern. Taking Lupron would put me into menopause basically overnight in an effort to shrink the cyst. Though being in the state of menopause would be temporary, there are several side effects that go along with taking this medication. My doctor said there’s also a chance my cyst would not shrink small enough because of its size and therefore I would still need surgery to have it removed. 

The second option was to have it removed through surgery. Though I liked the idea of having surgery better than taking Lupron, it still made me feel a bit anxious. I’ve never had surgery before. I was also thinking about my fertility and how it may be impacted by either of these options.  She agreed that it would be important for me to see a fertility specialist before making a decision. A referral was placed and I should be meeting a specialist soon. Though there’s many steps in this journey, I feel I’m getting closer to finding the answers I need to better understand my body.