"Don't worry, you're not pregnant"

I knew when I went to bed Thursday night that Friday would be a crazy day--it was the last day of work before payroll taxes were due for our clients, among other things. But I had no idea just HOW crazy this day would be.

I had a doctor's appointment scheduled first thing yesterday morning. I've been having a sharp pain come and go on the lower right side of my abdomen for months. I finally caved and went to the doctor (I HATE going to the doctor) a few days before Christmas. My conversation with the doctor had gone something like this:

     Can you explain the pain?
          It hurts.
     Can you give me a number from 1-10?
          It varies.
     Is it constant?
          Sometimes.
     Is it a dull, throbbing pain or a sharp, shooting one?
          Both.

Having a nurse for a mom, I'm usually the ideal patient. I know all the questions before they ask them and I have my answers ready. This pain just couldn't be described...it was like one big contradiction. Consequently, they weren't able to identify the cause of my pain and sent me home with a pat on the back and some ibuprofen.

Now two weeks later I was back with the same complaints. They ordered a pelvic ultrasound. No, not the kind they just roll across your belly. The exam room was tiny so they asked Justin to wait in the lobby. A few minutes later I was seeing my uterus and then...a giant black thing.

(giant black thing...the small black thing on top is the probe)

     WHAT IS THAT?!?
          Don't worry, you're not pregnant.
          It's just a cyst.

Just a cyst? This thing is HUGE. It measures 6.5 cm, nearly the exact size of a tennis ball. I couldn't stop crying. Mainly because I finally knew I wasn't crazy. I had been feeling this pain for months but when all you can say is "my stomach hurts" you just sound like a weenie who complains a lot. It was almost a relief to know that there was an actual cause for this pain. But despite my relief, I was also pretty scared. 

Turns out, ovarian cysts are fairly common. Normally they stay very tiny and go away on their own, mine just happens to have been growing for the last 6-7 months. They generally aren't dangerous but can cause a lot of pain depending on their size and location. In some cases they can be cancerous if they're solid, but mine is clear fluid which I'm told is a good thing. I was sent to a radiologist to have a second pelvic ultrasound and now I'm waiting for a consult with an OB/GYN to find out what happens next. There is a surgery that can be done to remove the cyst, but chances are mine will go away on it's own and I won't need surgery.

Needless to say, I never made it in to work and my day was just as crazy...probably more so after my phone was stolen at the doctor's office, but that's a whole other story. Did I mention yesterday was also our four-year anniversary? What a day!