Hey guys,
I have a big lump inside my vagina, I'm having a lot of back and womb pain. My left leg is also swollen. The lump itself is rock hard at the bottom and covered by what feels like a water balloon. I've had a Bartolin's cyst before but this feels nothing like it! I've just gone through the menopause and I haven't had any bleeding, just awful bloating, running to the loo and th awful pain! I've realised I've had this lump for years, I never paid it much notice as I thought it was part off my anatomy it was so hard! I had been having pain after sex and feeling sick but I ve so many other ailments it didn't register (I had a 3cm benign lump removed from my thyroid in Nov). I've booked with my gp for next week but I'm really worried...hoping it will be a cyst or maybe prolapse. Apologies for asking but what did everyone's lump feel like? This feels weird, there's at least 2cm thickness of rock hardness running the whole length of my vaginal wall, then the whole thing is enclosed in a massive watery balloon.
Hi Jayda
You are right-it might not be serious, but don’t feel bad about kicking up a fuss. You are in a lot of pain, so something needs to be done. I’m amazed you’ve put up with it for so long.
I tried to make an appointment today at the breast clinic to get a final check on my abscess but no joy-no-one there whenever I tried, so I’ll try again tomorrow. It’s way better thank you-still got a hole there but my dressing is clean when I changed it so no more stuff leaking out-today is the first day it’s been clean so hoping all is well and this will be a final check for it.
Hope you get some action tomorrow when you phone!
Sarah xx
Did you manage to get an appointment?! Hoping it was discharge time for you! 
Well I got through to reception and got a few more details, I don't know how to process it to be honest. I've been referred to Gynae, not even down as urgent, there's just a note added to say i'm in a lot off pain etc. The hospital I've been ref to has a 7mth waiting list for Urgent and a 18 mth waiting list for Routine. So if I'm lucky in looking at Feb for an appointment....I've just no words! The only saving grace is that my wife's friend works at that particular hospital and know 's the consultant 's , she's a Ward Sister or something and has been helpful in the past. She said she take a look on Mon and see what she can do. On the one hand it could be viewed as positive that the doctor isn't worried about it but on the other side if she is wrong that's a long time not to have treatment and regardless in still in pain! The frustrating thing is that if I go private things could probably get started next week!
Hi Jayda
My first question would be can you afford to go private? You cannot wait 18 months for a non urgent referral, nor 7 months for an urgent referral in pain and needing to stay in bed.
I’m sorry but I don’t see it as positive that a gp isn’t worried about it-they cannot be sure this is not serious. My dr told me I had a urine infection when I had a blocked bile duct, was jaundiced and had a raging bacterial infection which could have killed me, so I just wouldn’t be reassured because she is not worried. He didn’t even do a urine sample test.
In your shoes, if I didn’t have the cash I’d ask family, friends to help, take out a loan, do anything I could as I’d feel my health was worth it. I don’t see how you can put up with your situation for months-especially not the pain which doesn’t seem to be being managed properly either. I’d be asking why the referral is not classed as urgent when she has mentioned a condition it might be, which can be benign or cancerous. Either way it needs to be correctly diagnosed by a specialist and not a gp.
Are you honestly prepared to take the risk? I don’t know if you are, but if you do decide to wait till next year that’s an incredibly long time. I’m aware it’s completely your decision though. Having had cancer and ignored symptoms for a long time I’m maybe coming at it from a different angle because I know I’d never take that risk with my health again.
On another note, I have an appointment for next Thursday which I hope will be my last for a long time!
Sarah xx
All I can suggest is to do whatever you can to get this sorted out.
Do you know even which hospital it is? If so, then next week phone and ask for gynaecology or look up the number on the internet.
Ask them to check who the referral is with, and then to speak to the secretary for that consultant. Tell them you need a call back. I would phone every day until I got answers. If you are told there is no referral to a specific consultant, say you need to speak to any of them.
I’d also put in a complaint to the gp surgery, and speak to the practice manager and get a reason for why the referral is not marked as urgent. If you can’t get any result from the hospital, contact PALS (at the hospital) in writing-send an email so it’s logged. They deal with complaints about healthcare and treatment.
Unless you push for yourself then nothing will happen and that might have serious consequences for you. I know you’re fed up with all of this but you have to speak up, get your wife to help you, anything. Or go private.
You need to make waves now, seriously. Please think about that. I’m only saying what I would do because people get lost in the system which is not working well right now and you could be gambling with your health sitting by and waiting for something to be done.
Gather your energy this weekend if you can, and get on the phone on Monday. If the pain gets worse or you feel really unwell, then you have the option of A&E. Just suggesting possible courses of action for you and I appreciate you may decide not to take any of them, but it is your choice.
Sarah xx
Hi Jayda
I’m ok thanks-away for the weekend for a nice change of scene. Got an appointment for January if I need it for my abscess-apparently they take a long time to heal, but next week have a follow up with gastro for my gall bladder removal where I’m certain I will be discharged as I’ve recovered well.
Puppy therapy must have been fun! I couldn’t have a dog, but I’d certainly like to have some puppy time.
Not sure what you can do about your own situation-as I’ve already said, I’d go private but I realise that’s not possible for everyone. I would not be able to cope with waiting for months to be seen as my mental health would suffer, but it’s maybe different for me having gone through cancer twice and experienced how life changing it was for me. I would never risk that again.
If you’re staying with the same doctor and not getting a second opinion or going private, then I hope she can explain to you why she feels you can wait months for a diagnosis. I think you deserve that at least. Good luck with your appointment!
Sarah xx
Oh Jayda I feel so sorry for you and what you’re going through. This is just awful for you, and being left in limbo like this is so bad for your mental health, quite apart from your physical. It’s no way to be, being in your bed all the time and miserable.
We expect that doctors will help us, and things become even more difficult when we lose confidence that they will. I have zero confidence in my current one either as it’s so difficult to get seen and I lost trust when I was misdiagnosed over the phone.
I don’t know what else you can do if you cannot face going back, but I think it might be the only way to get some answers. This isn’t going to go away without some sort of intervention it seems and it’s been such a long time for you to be suffering like this. Sending you a cyber hug-I’m here if you need to just chat.
Sarah xx
