Posts by Thomas Morales4

copperraven53 said:I’m only bumping this thread to share my results, if only to offer a word of caution to any women facing this procedure down the road.

I just had my follow-up. The gynecologist who performed the egg retrieval noted a tiny cyst—about 1 cm—on my right ovary. We aren't even sure if it's the same one refilling or a brand new development. 🤷

At the end of the day, I'm left feeling pretty uncertain about whether the procedure actually achieved anything meaningful. 😳

My takeaway, which mirrors exactly what I was told when the cyst resurfaced, is this:
The procedure is nothing more than a temporary fix; you're essentially just buying a little bit of time.
In my case, I gained a few months, only to find things were arguably worse once they started refilling again.

Charles Myers76 said:Fair enough. Thanks. I really ought to schedule a checkup with my doctor regardless.

So, did you actually make it to the doctor?

Charles Myers76 said:you should just copy/paste

or

just click http://img534.imageshack.us/img534/5192/pupak.jpg

Something is clearly going on with your belly button.
Mine looked exactly like that two weeks after my laparoscopic surgery, even though the procedure was six weeks prior. To make matters worse, mine was actually oozing—that yellowish discharge you have there in the center is visible too. My doctors told me to clean it with Hibiclens and rinse it frequently with plain water, avoiding any soap, then pat it dry thoroughly with sterile gauze.
Have you checked in with your primary care physician yet?

Hi there,
I went in for blood work yesterday because I’ve been feeling completely wiped out—just constant fatigue, lightheadedness whenever I stand up, headaches, and some uncomfortable digestive issues following a surgery last month.
But today, I’m heading back in for more tests because my iron levels came back abnormally high.
I’ve never dealt with anything like this before, and frankly, it caught me off guard.
If anyone here has navigated a similar situation, please reach out.
Now, I'm just sitting here anxiously waiting for today's results.

Rebecca Thompson67 said:but the catch is that a puncture biopsy goes for cytological testing, whereas tissue removed via laparoscopy or laparotomy undergoes histological examination—and occasionally, the results from those two methods don't even align, since histology is much more precise.

Which, let's be honest, is a bit unsettling.

Still, let's just hope everything turns out fine and there's no recurrence.😍

Bokic, did you get your follow-up done yet?
Is everything looking okay?

copperraven53 said:I did. I picked up my results at the office and took them straight to the department, but the young doctor there just scribbled the findings onto my discharge papers and told me to follow up with my own gynecologist. 🤷 So, I won't be back for a checkup until January, and then we'll see what the next steps are.

Hey copperraven53, did you get that checkup done?
Everything alright?

Quote:>

Charles Myers76 says: For about two months now, I’ve had this red spot on my belly button that looks like a little bite. It doesn't hurt, there’s no discharge, and nothing feels swollen or deformed. It just looks exactly like what you see in the photo. My main concern is simply identifying what it is. I'm female, and I had my last baby about two and a half years ago. Does anyone have an idea? Here is the photo... Link: http://img534.imageshack.us/img534/5192/pupak.jpg

Unfortunately, I can't get the link to open to take a look.

Kate Sanchez31 said:Hi there...
I'm 29 years old and I've been dealing with hemorrhoids for seven years now. The thing is, they first showed up during my first pregnancy. It was painful—there was even some bleeding once because I was dealing with severe constipation, going days without a bowel movement. It was pure misery. But that was just during the pregnancy. I used various ointments, like Preparation H, to manage it. I only saw a general practitioner once when there was a bit of bleeding. The problem is, they never actually went away completely. The inflammation would subside, but the hemorrhoids were always there. Is that normal? For about five years now, there’s been this little lump, though it doesn't cause much trouble. Recently, though, it flared up again. I've never seen a specialist, and honestly, I'm getting a bit anxious. Once the inflammation settles, it's just a pinkish lump that doesn't hurt; I can feel it and see it.😲And it's been like this for five years.
It seems like most of you find that applying creams works temporarily, only for the issue to return later.
I'm planning to see my doctor tomorrow to discuss it. Maybe she'll refer me to a proctologist, but I'm really not sure what the next step is.
My mind is racing with "what ifs"—could it be something other than hemorrhoids? Then again, if it were something truly malignant, wouldn't it have progressed more aggressively over the last six or seven years?
What do you all think?

I once spoke with an older woman who suffered through hemorrhoids for years simply because she was too embarrassed to admit she had them.
She endured it until the pain and inflammation became absolutely unbearable.
Eventually, she had no choice but to seek medical help.
They had to perform a procedure to essentially scrape them out (that's how she described it).
Because she waited so long, she had to go back multiple times for treatment.
If I were you, I'd get it checked out now while things are still relatively manageable, before it becomes a much larger ordeal.

stormypanther55 said:Internal pain is its own beast—if anything, it’s more punishing than external issues. I never dealt with surface discomfort, but I spent eleven years battling internal flare-ups. The pain was intense; before a bleed would even start, I’d feel this sharp, stabbing sensation radiating all the way to my lower back. Now, I’m just waiting on my post-op recovery to see if things actually stabilize...
I found the most relief using fatty ointments and suppositories... eventually settling on that Hemorrhoid Protect cream.
But honestly, constantly managing those flare-ups became exhausting. I decided enough was enough; I’d rather go under the knife than live like this.😉

Is surgery a permanent fix, or is there a chance they come right back?

Amy Gomez36 said:So, you have external and internal ones. External ones are excruciating, while internal ones might not hurt as much, but they bleed. That can be a serious issue because it leads to anemia, or it could be a red flag for Crohn’s disease, colon cancer, or colitis... External ones are usually treated with ointments or sitting in chamomile tea, potassium permanganate, or just warm water... The key is sticking to a high-fiber diet, eating walnuts, and staying extremely hydrated daily...

In short, you can get them from overexertion, chronic coughing, or even sitting on cold surfaces... You might see swollen veins around the anus that look purple or bluish—it looks nasty, but it isn't life-threatening.

Roughly speaking. Just my humble take. 😉

I have to agree.
INTERNAL hemorrhoids hurt too.
Unfortunately, I've been dealing with this misery for about 10 years now.
Mine are Grade II.
Things will settle down for a bit, then they flare up again—usually whenever I deal with constipation, and it goes on like that.
Right now, they've flared up again following surgery (some gynecological issues).
A really effective ointment for managing this is Preparation H; they even have the applicator tip version.
It genuinely works for me.

feralharbor89 said:Shouldn't those medical review boards be replaced by inspectors who actually visit the doctor's office in person?
I read about that proposed change recently, and I actually had a bit of an extended medical leave just the other day. The representative from the review board reached out to my primary care physician directly, and all we really had to do was make sure my latest test results were updated in my digital health records. In the end, I didn't even catch a glimpse of the board representative myself.

I saw my GP today, and she told me the exact same thing. Now, thanks to the bureaucracy, I have to trek over to my OB-GYN just to get a referral for the disability claim, then head right back to my primary doctor.
It’s absurd. I’m driving all over town hunting for rides as if I hadn't just undergone major surgery three weeks ago.
And since the procedure was gynecological, my GP can't authorize anything without the specialist's sign-off.

Carl Hayes2 said:Ugh, tell me about it... that’s exactly what’s weighing on me too. Honestly, I think I’d much rather just go in a day or two early to be safe. My current leave ends this Wednesday, so I’m thinking about heading over tomorrow or the day after. I’ll definitely post an update once I find out if it’s actually possible to handle all of that in one go.🙂

The real kicker is the timing; with the holiday season hitting right now, you never know if these places are even going to be open or if they'll be running on skeleton crews.
Keep me posted—I've got my fingers crossed for you.

Carl Hayes2 said:Does anyone happen to know which days and at what times the medical commission meets over in Boise or the Suburban area? Thanks in advance!

Best regards,
I don't have the answer to your question, but since I’m heading into my own medical review, I’m trying to wrap my head around the procedure—specifically, if everything can be knocked out in a single day.
To give you some context, I had surgery three weeks ago, and my doctor gave me all the sick leave he legally could. Now, he’s saying he has to close out my current claim and refer me to the medical board to request an additional two weeks. The catch is that he wants me to report back to work on the exact same day I’m supposed to be at the review. It feels like a bit of a logistical nightmare.

copperraven53 said:Basically, I’ve been to the hospital several times now, but I just couldn't catch anyone in the office at the right moment. 🙄

Finally, I managed to pull it off yesterday. The cytology report states:

''On the centrifuge sediment of the cyst puncture, old, broken erythrocytes were found, along with some fibrin and a few histiocytic cells. Epithelial cells were not found in these samples, and the findings align with the initial diagnosis.''

Well, nobody bothered to explain the results to me, so I guess I'm stuck waiting until my follow-up appointment to figure out what this actually means. Though, I don't see why they didn't bother measuring the volume of the aspirated fluid either. 🤷

Yeah, that's just the standard experience there—wasting your life circling back and hunting down paperwork.
I can't say I enjoyed it; when I went to pick up my results, I spent two hours sitting outside the door just waiting for someone to deign to come out and hand them to me, and then I had to wait another hour for the doctor to stamp everything...
I have to give credit to Rib, though; they were surprisingly efficient and responsive.
Not only did they get me scheduled for the MRI within a week, but the actual report arrived at my house within seven days too.
Did you head down to the specific unit where they performed the puncture?
I went straight there and the doctor walked me through everything.
The main thing is that they didn't find any epithelial cells.

copperraven53 said:Honestly, I’m crossing my fingers that the results are actually reliable.

Look, in my opinion, laparoscopy is always the superior route since you can actually remove the cyst entirely. But if someone isn't a candidate for surgery or finds themselves stuck in our exact situation, a puncture is a much better alternative than just sitting there in agony.

By the way, I haven't even seen my report or discharge papers yet. 🙄 They told me they’d mail everything straight to my house, but so far, nothing has arrived.

Have you received your results yet?

Linda Reyes3 said:Hey, hi Nancy. I just saw this question. Mine was a clear cyst measuring 7 cm. When I first found out, it was only 3 cm, but it grew steadily until it hit that 7 cm mark. At that point, the doctors decided a traditional open surgery was the better call because they couldn't get it out via laparoscopy. With the traditional approach, I felt much more confident that they actually cleared all the lesions on my ovary.

Mine were 8.5 cm and 6.5 cm before the sclerotherapy puncture; now they’ve shrunk to about 5 cm each.
Now my gynecologist is rushing me over to Petrov's clinic.
By the way, I've been carrying these things for three and a half years—is it even possible to have a baby like this, or am I just asking for trouble?
I'm dealing with a uterine fibroid too.
If you don't mind, could you give me a bit more detail regarding the procedure on the ovaries? 🙂

copperraven53 said:I’m not so sure; my doctor told me that's perfectly normal. 🤷 For instance, after my laparotomy, I didn't bleed at all, yet the woman sharing my hospital room did. It seems to be one of those things where everyone reacts differently.

After my procedure, I had some bleeding, though it was brief—only a few hours. Now, there isn't even a drop. 🙂

Any updates on your end, dear? Have you managed to get a second opinion?

I just wanted to share this so if anyone else finds themselves in my shoes, they don't feel completely lost like I did. If anything else comes to mind, I'll post it. 🙂

Not yet. Unfortunately, I had two different appointments scheduled for today.
One was over at the Petrov clinic and the other was with the pediatric specialist, who concluded today that my little one has overcome every obstacle and is now a healthy child.
Naturally, the latter was the priority, so I chose to come here instead.
We are absolutely overjoyed; seeing five years of hard work finally pay off makes everything worth it. 🙂
Now, I can finally turn my attention back to my own health issues.

copperraven53 said:Alright ladies, checking in after my procedure to share how it went. 🙂

I was originally scheduled for Friday, October 1st, but they bumped me because they were out of beds, so I spent the weekend at home. I headed back to the hospital yesterday morning at 7:00 AM. After changing into a gown, I just waited in bed. They took me in at 10:00 AM and had me back in my room by 10:30. Basically, the whole thing takes about 20 to 30 minutes. It was done in the gynecological clinic area using the standard exam position. The anesthesiologist gave me an injection that made my head spin like crazy, and then they put me under with a gas mask. They didn't do local anesthesia; it was full general anesthesia. I did mention I had a bit of a cold, but they told me it wouldn't matter as long as I wasn't seriously ill—they didn't need to intubate me.

I have to say, this anesthesia was much easier to handle than the intravenous stuff I got during my laparotomy last year; that left me feeling nauseous and miserable all day long.

The rest is a bit fuzzy, but essentially, while under ultrasound guidance, they puncture the cyst with a needle to drain the fluid. Then, they inject 96% ethyl alcohol into the empty cyst cavity. Once that alcohol hits the epithelium, it destroys the cells and causes the cyst walls to stick together. The alcohol stays inside for about five minutes, depending on the size, before being cleared out.

When I woke up, they brought me back to my room, where you’re required to lie still for about two hours without eating or drinking anything. As for pain, I felt fine while lying there; I felt a slight twinge in my right ovary when sitting up or coughing, but otherwise, it was great. It didn't feel like "surgery" at all. 🙂 I had some bleeding afterward, which is expected, so definitely bring pads with you to the hospital. It felt like a period, but by that evening, it had mostly stopped, leaving only light spotting when I went to the restroom.

They discharged me this morning for home recovery. A few days of rest and some oral antibiotics, and then I can get back to my normal routine—even lifting heavy things, which isn't a concern like it was after the laparotomy.

All in all, the procedure wasn't a traumatic experience at all. 😁

Now, the real question is whether it actually works. There's no 100% guarantee that the cyst won't refill. With smaller cysts, the alcohol destroys the walls effectively, making recurrences unlikely. However, with cysts larger than 100 mL, the alcohol might not make complete contact with the entire wall, so they can sometimes come back.

Sandra Anderson31, that might be why yours refilled. 🤷 Mine was 3.5 cm, so even for me, nothing is certain regarding whether it will fill up again or not. 🤷

But let's just say it's cleared for now. This gives me a window to try to get pregnant. My doctor advised against trying this month, though, since we don't know how the ovulation or the egg will react to that harsh alcohol. But he told me to go for it next month.😁

So, starting November 11th, I’m planning to be back in the bedroom playing rabbit 😬—keep your fingers crossed for a positive result soon so we can get ahead of this endometriosis. 🙂

Thanks to everyone for the support, sending love 😘

THAT'S GREAT NEWS THAT EVERYTHING WENT WELL.
The only thing I don't get is why there was bleeding afterward, because I didn't experience any at all...

nimbleheron2 said:Even after all those tests came back clear for bacteria and yeast, I still felt terrible.
I was dealing with this relentless burning sensation in my pelvic area and lower abdomen. I was absolutely convinced it was some stubborn infection or a bladder issue.
Finally, after an endless cycle of specialists, one sharp doctor stepped in and suggested we look at hormones. It had been dragging on for nearly six months, and honestly, I was at my wits' end.
I was only 36 at the time—nowhere near menopause—but I had bloodwork done
which revealed an estrogen deficiency.
I wasn't on birth control; I just used a hormone cream (I believe it was Ovestin) and felt better within days. Once I finished that cream, the symptoms stayed away for years, until this year when they removed my ovaries and uterus. Suddenly, I lost my estrogen overnight, hit menopause instantly, and all those old problems are back.🙄

I'm 35, and I'm facing the same surgery to have my ovaries and uterus removed, but I'm still hoping to have one more child. What was the reason for your surgery?

I'm facing massive gynecological issues, even though I'm only 35 and have had just one child.
Because of these complications, surgery is being recommended to remove both my ovaries and my uterus. I'm caught in this impossible bind: I desperately want to have another child, yet I need to save whatever functionality is left in those ovaries that are currently being ravaged by endometriosis and uterine fibroids. A highly respected gynecologist in my city suggested I see Dr. Barišić at the main hospital, but getting an appointment with him feels like trying to climb Everest. Does anyone know a way to actually get through to him?
Thank you so much.