So you're in pain...

Here is the sequel to my first part Signs of an Ovarian Cyst: how to stay comfortable with one. Pain is something I have been surrounded with since about the 6th grade when I started getting migraines and then it was made worse when I was diagnosed with lupus in high school. So sadly, I am no stranger to being in pain. But having an ovarian cyst was pretty high up there on my list of worst pains. But it’s an invisible illness, like so many today, so you have to put on a painfree face and get your work done like normal. So here are a few of my tips for keeping yourself as comfortable as possible.

1. Don’t skimp on the pain meds

I am notorious for thinking I am too strong for pain meds or that this pain isn’t bad enough to need them. This was no exception. But take it from me, you want to take the pain meds before it gets so bad you can’t sleep.

2. Ice works better than heat

I was very surprised by this one because I love my heating pad, but an ice pack worked way better and keeping the pain at bay. I would even use an ace bandage to keep the ice pack held in place while I moved around. And when I couldn't fall asleep, an ice pack was my saving grace.

3. Figure out what side the cyst is on and sleep on that side

I noticed that when I would sleep on my side with the cyst side up, I would wake up like once every 30 minutes to have to pee. Naturally I had to experiment with this, if I slept with the cyst side down, no waking up. The cyst would move around depending on how I was laying so keeping it from pushing on all my other organs by facing it down was key for less peeing and less pain!

4. You can have sex, just don’t go rough

I was super curious about this one and there's not much information online, but turns out you can have sex with a cyst! Take it nice and slow and find a position that works for you. Doggy style worked best for me because the cyst wasn’t pushing against anything, but do what works best for you! There may be times where it feels like your partner is hitting something weird/painful inside of you and he’s probably hitting the cyst. If that happens, just change the position or don’t push in as far and you’ll be fine. It really is all about them angles.

5. Okay, so you think it ruptured

You will 110% be able to tell if it ruptures. It was definitely in my top 3 pains I’ve ever felt. I was in tears in my bed in a ball with my boyfriend sitting there not sure what to do or even what happened because it was so sudden. We may or may not have been having sex when it happened, so he was very very confused (which is why I said to not go rough- I’ve had sex plenty of times with a cyst, but this one time my cyst was not happy with me). And to add insult to injury, there’s really nothing anyone can do for you other than give you pain meds. So if you can tolerate the pain with normal pain meds and ice, that’s a good option. If it’s too much to deal with, go get some stronger pain meds from an ER or your PCP. There can be some complications from a cyst rupturing but my gyno told me that those aren’t very common and I was smart to avoid paying for an unnecessary trip to the ER.

6. Rest, Rest and more Rest

Your body is growing things it shouldn’t, which pushes everything to new places and is causing lots of pain, so make sure you give it the rest you can to heal.

7. Take some melatonin and sleep!

Sleeping can be hard when you’re in pain, but you need your sleep to feel better. I take 5 mg of melatonin when I need a little help falling asleep and it works like a charm.

Again, I always say these things with the caveat that I am not a doctor, but I’ve been in pain enough times to have learned some tricks along the way. And these are all things that I wish some one would have told me when I had my first cyst. If you’ve gotten this far, I’m guessing you are in some pain right now, so I sincerely hope that you are able to get rest and are pain free soon!