I have a what?!

A year ago on April 11, 2011 we were gearing up for our very first prenatal appointment.  We were excited, nervous, happy and just still in awe that this was happening to us!  We had a great visit with our OB/GYN and then it was time for the ultrasound to check baby and hear that heartbeat!  Baby checked out great.  Andy and I were so quiet... there was actually a baby in there!  How amazing!!  And the heartbeat was right on target, too.  We were so happy!

Well, apparently when you get your very first ultrasound during your pregnancy (or so they tell me) they check all of your lady parts out.  They check the ovaries and everything surrounding to make sure it's all ready for the pregnancy and the baby rapidly growing inside.  It just so happened that the ultrasound tech found a huge cyst on my left ovary.  I went from elated to scared out of my mind in a matter of seconds.  I have a what?!

She said we needed to see the doctor again that day to talk about what she found, so we were shown back into the exam room to wait for the doctor to come talk to us.  Great.  I remember sitting on the table and Andy was sitting in the chair next to me but neither of us said anything.  If he did I certainly don't remember a word he said.  I was in my head thinking about the news I was just handed and what this could possibly mean for me and our 7 week old baby growing inside me.

The doctor came in and explained that what I had is called a dermoid cyst.  They are supposedly common and can grow on different parts of the body like your face, other organs and sometimes the ovaries.  You are born with them and something usually triggers them to grow larger and more detectable.  Mine was irritated by all my pregnancy hormones and that's why I didn't know about it until this appointment.  She then went on to explain that mine was large and it would need to be removed most likely.  She wanted me to go to a Perinatologist for a second opinion and we would go from there.

I was shocked.  So shocked I couldn't express any emotion...that I remember. 

We made an appointment with the Peri a week or two later and he agreed with our doc that it definitely needed to come out.  If we didn't do the surgery it would continue to grow and interfere with the baby's development.  As much as I really didn't want to have major abdominal surgery, I definitely didn't want anything getting in the way of my baby's growth and well-being! 

I was so scared to have surgery while I was pregnant.  I was scared to have surgery even when I wasn't pregnant, who am I kidding?  Both docs reassured me that if we wait until I'm well into the 2nd trimester (about 16-17weeks pregnant) that would be the safest for the baby and everything should go fine.  Ha, easy for them to say!  I'd never heard of this happening before.  But, they both told me the same thing so I made the decision to have the surgery in June.

I remember calling my Mom on the way home from my appointment because I couldn't get a hold of Andy for whatever reason.  I was balling my eyes out saying, "I have to have surgery and I don't want to lose the baby..."  It was awful.  Absolutely awful.  I'll never forget it.

It was definitely one of the hardest times in my life and I'm so thankful for the amazing doctors who took such great care of me and our baby!  And speaking of baby... they were right!  She made it through the surgery with me and she's HERE and AMAZING!  I look at her everyday and am so happy she pulled through all of this with me! 

(Surgery day post to come soon)