Ugh. I went to the gyn for a followup to my annual which was on the 4th. She thought I might have fibroids or endometriosis. Turns out I have to have surgery on May 6th, if not sooner because (whitefonted for the squeamish) I have an 11cm. cyst on one of my ovaries. It's apparently so bog she thought it was my uterus during my pelvic. But wait, that's not the sqeamish part! It might have TEETH. And/or HAIR.

I've named it Little Orphan Annie. I had blood drawn to see if it's cancerous, which my gyn seemed really supersure it wasn't. BUt they're going to chop me open and take it out. On MAY 6th. End of the school year. TWo weeks, at least recovery. And I'm out of sick days (Thanks, Little Orphan Annie!) so it will be two weeks right at the end of the school year WITHOUT pay. With a $1000 deductible and 50% freaking copay on everything over that. Le fucksticks.

So, what I really want to probe the hivemind for it: anyone ever had one of these things, how long does it take to recover from a chick slice and dice?

And how good are the drugs?

How does a cyst get teeth and hair? That sounds like something X-Files-ish.

{{{Erin}}}

No surgery advice -- just {{{}}}

Fingers crossed that it's just a benign hairlump.

(Also, much in the way of hugs. That's rotten to have to have surgery.)

Sometimes, for reasons that are not well understood, they take on characteristics of skin cells. And what grow out of skin cells?

Hair follicles and teeth roots Yep, it is strange but not uncommon for large cysts, tumors and/or growths.

EtA: Not cancer, not usually though. Cancer tends to be whatever is supposed to be there, just run amuck...

I've named it Little Orphan Annie

that's my sister's cat's name.

health~ma Erin.

How sick is it that I am endeared that Plei is excited, instead of grossed out?

Apparently Connie, sometimes they just grow 'em.

I'm gonna ask for it, put it in a jar, hotglue googly eyes and a wig to it, and give it to my sister for Xmas.

This news brought to you by my dad, who when I mentioned that I am calling it Little Orphan Annie, said i should name it "Cyster."

I'm gonna ask for it, put it in a jar, hotglue googly eyes and a wig to it, and give it to my sister for Xmas.

Euw! That's like Hubby wanting his extracted teeth so he could use them as gaming props. He was going to glue extra bits on and make them monsters.

I have weird squicks.

Teratomas are a germ cell neoplasm. The ovaries being what they are, it's a logical place for them.

Erin, I redacted my inappropriate enthusiasm! All tumors suck, but if you have to have a @)#! one, at least it's an interesting one to have.

So, what I really want to probe the hivemind for it: anyone ever had one of these things, how long does it take to recover from a chick slice and dice?

Well, mine was about that size and I had a full-on laparotomy because my doctor thought that by doing so she could save the ovary. Sadly, this doesn't really seem to be the case, but I digress. It was basically a caesarean without the baby at the end. You might not need that.

I was technically on a month of bedrest but at my two week appointment I was in pretty good shape and subwayed there no problem. My doctor thinks that my quick recovery was mostly because I lived alone. The first week, I did have friends that shopped for me and came to clean (and my sister came for a whole day@@), but mostly I had to take care of myself.

Also, from my obsessive reading at the time teeth and hair are almost always a guarantee that it is not cancer.