Bartholin Gland Cysts (Page 15)

well, i had both of my bartholin glands removed today. i wanted to report back that it went very well! the worst part was that my surgery was delayed for three hours and i couldn't eat or drink after midnight so i went almost 24 hours without anything! i was starving and soooo thirsty in the pre-op room!

i had general anesthesia, so i was really groggy and disoriented and shaky when i woke up. the first hour after the surgery was a little rough. i had to take a wheelchair to the bathroom the first time i went but was able to walk unassisted the second time. the surgery took about two hours, but i was at the hospital for almost 12 hours before the let me go home. BUT, they let me go home!

my pain is manageable. i took one percocet and a stool softener when i got back. i have been able to walk and pee just fine, only hours after surgery, so my experience was not that bad...and that's having BOTH glands removed!

i will update again over the next couple of weeks. good luck to you all!

Hi. I'm really sorry to write here. I need advice. I'm currently in UK. I still don't have a GP because I'm waiting for my registration to arrive. Last week I went to the hospital for what they call Bartholin cyst. It was drainder under full anesthetic. But now I want to be checked by doctor to tell if everything is ok. The lump is going down so the operation was successful, but hat i want to know, if anybody here can help me, is if the cut will heal on its own, because I saw the stitches are already dissolved and only less then week passed since the surgery. The cut is neat to the va****. On the right side. I use mirror to check it for infections and swellings as they told me. I also was recommended to sit in a tub with warm/hot water and salt in it for faster healing.
So... because the stitches are dissolved and nobody wants to check me after the surgery can anybody tell me if the cut is going to heal well, because I see it is deep and there are no stitches to hold it.
I know this may seem stupid to you, but I have nobody to ask for advice, to make a medical examination on to reassure me its fine. I've never had a surgery before and I don't know what is normal. I thinks its healing well, but I'm worried the cut will not close itself properly.

Thank you all and I'm really sorry to hear a lot of women go through this. It is really strange. I've never heard about such a problem before (as the bartolin cyst) I had it. I don't think it was that common years ago (maybe 10-20). There must be some reason?

Will be very grateful for a reply.
Thank you all again.

Just wanting to let crdf know - you are not alone! I am 21 and am dealing with the after effects of a bartholyns abscess.Early Nov 2010 i noticed a lump one evening on the right side, it felt hot and was red. It had appeared out of nowhere and grew quickly. The following day i was struggling to walk, sit, and that night was in agony. I took myself to A&E the next morning and was put on the emergency operation list. I had the gland marsupilised the next morning under general anaesthetic and was out of the hospital hours later. I was given lots of painkillers and antibiotics. They had inserted a gauze ribbon (or similar) into the wound and told me to leave it in overnight and remove it the next morning in the bath. I cried for ages in the bath before building the courage to pull this thing out of inside me. The following week sleeping, sitting, walking was difficult and painful. I took it easy over the christmas period and recovery was slow. It is now Feb and the wound is still tender. I had one flare up the other night and bathed in warm water to try to ease it. Luckily the lump had gone down again the next morning. Currently i am still feeling clueless and scared for its return. I have not had sex since and am absolutely petrified to in case it causes the cyst to return, or it is painful. How long must this continue?! I wasnt told to go back for a check up, and havent - although i wish i would make myself. I am unsure whether it is healing as it should, and most days (sorry for the graphics) have a sticky substance around the wound. It is on my mind constantly and i can never relax because of the worry of it returning. I have never been in soo much pain in my life and pray to god that it doesnt return and i have to endure the procedure again. I really dont know what to suggest to anyone, other than to say you are not the only one, and i know how your feeling. I want to cry at the thought of going through this again. If anyone is in the same boat as me - i am interested to know if yours has healed, and whether you have dared have sex since?

Logrimas, please give more information on the surgery for the removal of the gland, the recovery period etc, how soon could you move about, is that place disfigured, is there numbness or any other side effect?

5lt hi. Thank you for your answer.

What I can say is for some reason your recovery is much slower then mine. Just after I wrote my post I found about the marsupilisation. I felt angry because nobody had told me about the procedure. I had to call to times in the surgery to ask them about the stitches and if I can be checked. They told me the stitches has to dissolve in 2 to 3 weeks. It's been almost 20 days and I can still see them. And they never put anything in me. They just gave me painkillers, antibiotics I had, because I was taking them for few days trying to prevent the surgery after a 'check' in a walk-in centre.

From what I read this marsupilisation is done so that the problem doesn't REAPPEAR. I think you don't need to worry about that now, but you need to be checked and to talk to someone to put your mind at rest. I know how you feel. I couldn't sleep from worrying. I was thinking about it all the time (and still am). The problem in UK is that you don't get a proper checks. Go to the nearest sexual clinic to be checked. They will perform a NORMAL/STANDART for some countries gynaecological examination. You'll be seen by a nurse, but before that you will be able to speak privately with a doctor. Probably the doctor will also see you. You will receive more attention there and if needed - medicine. If they can't help you - go to A&E. When you get in explain you still haven't recovered from the surgery (few months is too long!). Insist to be seen by a doctor and checked! Explain them you are still in pain and have other problems. If that doesn't work - try again. Don't go to a walking centre - they are idiots there (and all they can do is look from distance-HOW STUPID!!!). The nurse there told me that the same problem in 9 form 10 women is from ingrown hair from waxing or shaving. Every doctor I saw I asked - is it possible the gland problem to be from an ingrown hair - ABSOLUTELY NOT, was their answer!

Also from what I've read, it's normal the stitches to be healed up to 4 weeks. Sex you must be able to have 4 weeks after the operation has passed. I also am worried about that. About the substance, it is actually normal for me, but it is more dense then before. I think it's normal for you to have it now, but if may also indicates a problem this like a BV (bacterial vaginosis) or it is just the gland working properly. But you need to get checked. Also the substance can be from something else. I read that the hole from the marsupilisation will close by filling itself with a tissue (of course it will take months). I also am worried if this filling will be ok, and If I am going to have more problems. From what I can see it's not as much as a hole that as a cut! I don't see how it can fill itself!
But don't wait. Nobody understands how stressful it is to have a problem at such a delicate place. Try sitting in a bath with salt (a handful of cooking salt) at least one time per day as I do. And wash yourself with the shower as much as possible. DON'T use soap, shower gel or something else there!!! Also - check your self with a mirror - if it is red or swollen - go to be seen as soon as you can. It's up to you to get better. If they don't want to check you, prepare all the question you want an answer to! Also don't accept answer such as - 'well recovery time is personal' (I also can tell you that!). Insist that you have problem and you need to be seen. If there wasn't a problem you wouldn't be worried and don't feel guilty about going to A&E just to calm your self your OK. And don't underestimate the problem! Don't wait and GO TODAY! Please take care of yourself.

I read all the posts on this forum and Im very concerned about some of the information posted.

Ladies, please, lets understand first that our bodies are all different; what works for you may not work for others. Then, lets understand that Marsupiolization and Catheterization are no cure for this pesky disease.

I have had the same problem for a long time. I have also had those procedures done and the cysts came right back. Finally, I had them excised 6 months ago. I must say that the surgery was painful for me.

Some posters saying they were up and about the same day of their surgery, I was in bed for a week. Eventhough I suffered, I wished that I had done the excision procedure a long time ago. So ladies, do not be scared or discouraged about getting them out just because a couple of posters say not to. Just make sure you do your research about your doctor and his ratings, ask questions, chose a good hospital and go for it. Those glands are embarrassing and just painful, to keep having reoccurances is really torture. As I was suffering from surgery pain, the idea of never have to even see those glands again gave me strength and encouragement.

Anyone who is looking for a great GYN to put an end to your misery come to Miami, Florida and look for Dr. Karen Nishida. She is great. She has done a lot of this surgery, she did a GREAT job on me and I feel fine. yeah, it'll look ugly and numb for a little while but you'll be suprised to see how nicely it'll heal. My vagina looks nice and pretty, no scars, no more holes. By the way, the holes are made to help with draining. If it is not completly drained it will not close. I am happy I had the surgery and regret those procedures that only cost more pain and mony.

Good luck to all of you out there who are still struggling with bartholins, help is just a little research away.

Hi

I am 25 and have had a bartholin cyst for over an year..it has been painful at times but usually it s just swelled up n it s embarassing to think that my vagina is swelled up and not the way it is supposed to be.Can someone tell me why these cyst's occur?I feel like getting it removed forever but its going to be awkward to talk to my mom about it,cant even get into details of my sexual activity
can someone please help me??My aunt is a gynae if I get it treated from her will she be ever be able to make out that I have been sexually active in the past?

Eagerly waiting for you guys to send in your responses.

diva
xx

Hello,
I had a bartholin's cyst marsupialization about 10 years ago. 3-4 years ago I started having this awful and itchy pain on the site. It feels like really hard scar tissue in the shape of a pencil. It's especially tender after I bleed and it's definitely painful after sex. It pretty much hurts all of the time. It's itchy the way poison ivy is itchy... like a healing wound or something. Has anyone else experienced this? I feel like there might have been a drain left in there or something. I have had it looked at by my OBGYN and they said that it was just scar tissue and there is nothing I can do. Help!

Hello my fellow cyst sisters!
I felt i should add my recurring bartholin cyst experiences with you because i know that icky feeling of being ashamed and feeling alone on this issue. i first noticed my cyst over 2 years ago ( i am now 26 yrs old) when i asked my regular doctor about it she said it was probably nothing (size of a grape at that time) and i should just keep an eye on it and not worry...BIG mistake! i went on for several months ignoring this growing lump on my labia hoping that if i bathed it and kept it from being irritated it would go away on its own, it got to be about the size of a gulf ball when i started to feel excruciating pain. i couldn't walk, sit, pee, anything without pain. i went back to a different Dr. and she immediately knew it was a Bartholin cyst. it had gone with out treatment and become infected and that is where the pain came from. she prescribed me antibiotics for the infection and considered it a urgent case and refereed me to see a specialist that same day. the specialist made a incision (which hurt like hell let me tell you i am not a screamer when it comes to the doctor office i can brave most things but for this i was screaming and clinging to the nurses hand for comfort, getting it drained hurt worse when it was infected) they do give you a Novocaine like shot down there but you still feel it! she drained the fluid then placed a word catheter which fell out on its own a few days later. after she drained the cyst i felt immediate relief and was glad i went through with it wish i could say that's the end of the story but its not... several months later it was back, my OBGYN specialist gave me the choice and i choose to have it drained again. this time a gauze catheter with a wick on the end which fell out again... several months after that, back again for the 3rd time!! this time i scheduled a surgery but it became painful weeks before the surgery was going to take place and i couldn't take the pain anymore and had to go to the emergency room to have it drained, word catheter again, which fell out again!!!.... so now for the 4th time it came back my specialist OBGYN recommended marsupialization and we needed to wait until it was big enough to operate on. i had the surgery 2 days ago it was a very scary experience as any surgery is but the idea of not dealing with this anymore is worth it to me. i am still bleeding (using menstrual pads and keeping it dry and clean) and have not felt much pain on my surgery site, just using ibuprofen. my doctor says i should heal in about a week. Ive also been directed to not put anything in my vagina for 3 weeks, so no tampons, no sex etc.. which i plan to follow and my fiance understands. sex just cant compare to the idea of being done with this burden forever so i do not want to risk any infections or broken stitches, i pray to God everyday that it does not come back this time but if it does i will get a excision and be happy to move on with my life after the toll it has taken on me the last 2.5 years. i have been stressed out wondering when it will pop up again and worried i cant make plans to go out of town or be intimate with my fiance of 5 years. i have felt the anxiety of explaining to my boss and co workers why i will be out sick to treat this pesky cyst. i encourage all of you who are going through this to SEE A SPECIALIST OBGYN RIGHT AWAY if you notice a lump the size of a grape. It will just keep getting bigger. if it reoccurs after being drained once get it marsupialized, don't wait to see what happens. when it gets big and left un-treated it IS only a matter of time before you WILL be in pain, for me it was a matter of a few days. and i just want to add that doctors first will do marsupialization before excision (remove the whole gland) because most of us want to try to keep our body parts if we can. i have been reading in to this and your bartholin gland produces some of your natural lubricant but they don't know for sure if it is the main source of your sexual lubricants, and in that case i would rather use some artificial lubricant during sex then to have to live with this painful lump. I really hope by sharing my experience with you all that i have helped someone, I have been in your situation before if i could go back and go for the surgery after the first abscess i would. if your doctor tries to tell you its nothing to worry about or puts you on medicine= get a second opinion and make sure it is from a OBGYN specialist who deals with this kind of thing. and don't worry there are others out there dealing with this just like you. see a doctor and have this dealt with before you are in a situation like me and it has stressed you out like it has stressed me out immensely for years.
sincerely, your cyst sister
P.s. i would be interested in hearing from those who have had there cyst marsupiaized and if it came back or not.

It's not cancer, it's not an std.... it's bad luck; that's what I was told. I am 30 years old and have dealt with this issue at least 4 times. I can't even remember because it recurs every two years. My last cyst which formed an abcess was the worst yet! I was in severe pain! I felt like I was giving child birth to a cyst! I was sent to the ER after my OBGYN took a look at it and had to wait 2 days and for the cyst to rupture for them to finally operate. A marsupialization was performed (this is my third one I have had so far; always on my right side). If you doubt the surgery... do it!! It's worth the temporary relief and recovery is really not that bad. The first two times local anaesthaseia was performed and my last one I was put to sleep! I tried to plead the surgeons to do local but they were adamant about doing the general anastheasia. The surgery only took 14 minutes and I was alert and so happy to leave the hospital. I was discharged immediately after. So, if you feel pain go to a gyno/obstetrician right away. Antibiotics can help to prevent an infection but do not fear surgery. If this recurs I think I will have my gland removed. That's what they did to my aunt and she is okay!
Good luck to you all!

I'm 19 and this is my second one. It's the size of a pea each time, but it's still extremely uncomfortable. The first time, I drained it myself. D: AHHH! I know right!
I'm not too sure what to do now that it's back though. This is the second one in the past year.

Please don't mess with this yourself, see a gynae doctor. I am scheduled for a gland removal tomorrow after 5 marsupialisations in the last 3 years. I hope to God this will end this misery.

Hi ! Janienicola I hope everything has gone well : )

I have had about 8 absess in the last 2 years - on both sides - ( had marsup and catheta but neither have worked) I am seriously looking at having the glands removed but am very wary as so little information ( medical and personal) is available - and its hard to find doctors who want to offer the removal as an option.
Would you mind letting me know how you are getting on and which country you have had this done ? (Im in the UK in the London area )
Also can anyone recommend a good gyno ? I have seen 4 over the last few yrs - all v reluctant to remove the gland, all opting for antibiotics, which clearly dont work !!!!!
Thank you for any info and really feel for anyone suffering from these 'lovely' things : )

Going in for a Bartholin Cyst Marsupilization tomorrow morning. I will check back and let you know how it went. This is my first vaginal cyst and it is not infected, I wouldn't even know it was there besides feeling it when I clean the area. My doctor was going to drain it in her office, but she and the nurse said it would be painful and gave me the option of doing outpatient surgery under general anasthesia. I think I will be happy I took this route. By the way sitz baths did nothing for me. I will post back soon.

JW10

I'm really curious on what you ladies thinks causes this. I'll be honest and say what I believe: I think during sexual arousal, some bacteria sneaks it's way into the gland. After sex, the gland closes up and the bacteria party begins. The first cyst occurred on my honeymoon. During my honeymoon, I'm sure my hubby and I did it in the hot tub. And that hot tub was probably full of germs from previous couples. I seriously think that's how I got my first one. My second one occurred not too long after my hubby pleased me down there, while I had a pad on. Stupid. The third one, I remember wearing a couple of thongs for a few days, which I never do. I started itching real bad down there and stopped wearing the thongs. The next week or so I saw the cyst.

Anyways, I think once it's been infected, it will not stop!!! It's always been the right side in the same place. I had a marsup. done last week. Hope it cures it. Oh and btw, I had it done in the hospital under anesthesia. Soo wonderful to be asleep during the procedure. My Gyn recommended it, seeing as how I had a huge panic attack with my last lancing. Needless to say, I've been physically and emotionally scarred down there with all these cyst problems.

i got my first cyst about 13yrs ago.It was never painful and my gyn said if its not causing pain then we'll do nothing. About 2 or 3yrs ago it swelled, felt like i had a softball between my legs and was very painfull. went to er and they lanced and drained. few months later it was back. i went back to gyn and had marsupilization done. i have not had any problems since!!! and i am no longer embarrassed about how my "stuff" looks.

Hello Ladies,

I just turned 43 and have had this pesky pea size bump for about 8 years now also on my labia. It stays hard but not to sore and never comes to a head. It went away one time and 6 months later came back. My OB says not to worry about it and never told me what it is, I just started to research it to find out more, I worry about it getting worse and dont understand why it has been there so long without much change. I'm just at a point where I will be having a new sexual partner and dont know how to tell him it's nothing to worry about as I find it to be embarrassing myself. Wishing this thing would go away...

Hi bertabugg1 and welcome to ehealth: Just tell him it is a Bartholin Gland Cyst...These are very common with women and nothing to worry about...Like your OB-GYN said, don't worry about it...I have had mine for years...I was advised to do nothing about it...I didn't...Once it drained, but then went down...

Sexually, if it gets sore try staying away from the area...Back when I was younger and it got sore I would put a piece of wash rag where it was so that it would not hurt when thrusting...This did help....

Not to worry...Just enjoy life...Take care...

Caroline

Ive lost my mind and my vagina for that matter. Like clock work ever 8 to 9 months my cyst emerges now it has new tricks. i've been able to drain it myself in the past due to the amount of times ive been to the er and they just cut it open, now when i squeeze it to let the abscess drain it comes out of my urethra yes my pee hole as if it has made some sort of "tunnel". I have no insurance my best friend is a nurse and is lost for words. Has any of this happen to any of you? Im scared terrified and completely lost.

Hello ladies,
Thank you for sharing your experiences with us all.

I had my first cyst last year in May. It started when I first had sex with my current boyfriend. I had no idea what it was and was so frightened that it may be a STD.

I went to an urgent care because I did not have insurance and they prescribed me antibiotics took some blood for STD testing and sent me on my way. I was in excruciating pain. The cyst formed for two weeks with no pain until the last two weeks when it was the size of a golf ball.

It was not an STD of any kind and that is when I learned what this mass was... A bartholins gland abcess. The antiobiotics helped and it begin to away on it's own. It was slow and painful.

Six months later I felt it reaccuring. I knew exactly what it was and stuck to the sits baths and prayed it would go away soon. Unfortunately it did not go away and I still had no insurance so when I went my obgyn this time she gave me another antibiotic and sent me on my way reminding me to continue the sits bath.

I did so faithfully at least three times a day. The last week I was unable to walk sit stand and even laying down was a challenge.

During one of baths I noticed some red gunk hanging from the mass. It looked like a really skinny piece of yarn coming out.

I begin to put pressure on stand more came out and I immediatle begin to feel relief. I did this until it was not coming out anymore. I felt sore and decided to give it a break.

I cleaned out the water and the nasty gunk that oozed out. I waited about 30 minutes and consulted my sister who is a med assistant and she assured me thT it was the infection coming out because it was red and yellow and looked marbled in color.

After setting the new water and sitting in it for about a minute I started to squeeze on it again,not hard but with enough pressure, and here it came again. I was sloop excited!

I took three separate baths and was able to squeeze all of the infection out. I followed up with my gym and she said it looked great and that was it, I left.

Six months later, exactly a year from my first one I noticed a some pain and another lump in the exact same place but this time it was not as painful. I made an appointment and she said it was not infected. She then asked what I wanted her to do.

I was frustrated with this question because I wanted her to just do something. I was so scared about having a word catheter put in, and since I had an option and I was not in pain I agreed to just do some sits baths for a few more days and hopefully it would go away on it's own.

That was a big mistake and over the next few days I blew up and I was,once more, in excruciating pain. I went in today to have the word catheter put in.

Oh my goodness!!!! It was the worst pain I have ever felt. The shot to numb me was horrible I wanted to scream. It hurt so bad I was shaking uncontrollably. I was in tears and she gave me two more shots to ensure that the whole area was numb before she proceded and even waited a couple of minutes for it to start working.

I could feel some pressure and occasional pain from her pushing. The gland drained a lot and she said it was not infected but took a sample just to make sure. She inserted the catheter which was a stinging pain and when she blew up the balloon part it hurt and she let me rest for a bit so the stinging would go away.

She then proceeded to tuck the end of the catheter into the vagine and that also hurt. I was uncomfortable to sit down so driving was a bit of a challenge and when I was filling my prescription (immediately after) I was really uncomfortable and afraid that I might rip the incision from walking or sitting.

I was prescribed oxycodone and ibuprofen. I got home about 40minutes after the procedure was done and I ate and took the oxycodone. It took the mild pain away and I have been laying on my stomach the entire time watching movies and reading posts. I am afraid of having to use the restroom and will probably jump in the shower to pee so I have that running water to quickly clean the area and also I can dab it dry.

I feel great and relieved that it is over. I feel great now compared to this morning I was in agony.

If you can handle the 10 to 15 min of uncomfortable pain it is not that bad once you are relaxed. I am going in next Wednesday to have the catheter removed. The doc said she will deflate the balloon and it will slide right out.

If anything changes, or if the cyst occurs I well keep you updated.

This is my whole long story of the recurring bartholian cyst, including all of the treatments I have had to this day.

If you check the more recent posts, I also have updates on the newest treatment that I had done.

I have done two word catheters, a marsupialization, three cyst removal surgeries, and one nerve-ending proceedure. To my surprise, many people come to my ranting blog to read about my recurring bartholian cyst...lol...I only started it because I was generally angry about what was going on and how it was never fixed. Anyways, that's my story (please remember to check the two updates as well).

I would also like to add that I had posted back on this thread (back on page 5), right before and after my marsupialization. It has obviously not gone away for me. I DID start my own journal (blog) about this, when I realized that not only was the problem still occurring - but women out there had no idea what to do or the facts about it. I'm a no-nonsense type of person that likes to hear the facts and not just a bunch of quacks telling me to try taking some herbal supplement instead.

Anyways...this is just my random update that I did promise to post...though, I am a few years later down the road now and many more surgeries later. It's been a long trip, and honestly, I still have the same problem as before.

Who knows, maybe I will come up with a solution at some point.

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