Common cutaneous cysts on the vulva Milium The location or distribution of the cysts can be characteristic for a particular type of cyst. Vulval cysts are dome-shaped, firm or fluctuant, discrete lesions which may be asymptomatic and noticed incidentally, or present due to pain or dyspareunia which may be cyclic, intermittent, or persistent. I am a strong believer that early diagnosis saved my life.What are the clinical features of vulval cysts? If there are any changes that you cannot possibly connect the dots to how or why something happened, get it checked out. When I tell my story, my message to other women is that you know your body better than anyone. I will always have that fear this cancer could come back or that I get a different type of cancer, but I am living in the here and now. I was able to return to work and strengthen my relationships with those closest to me. Since my diagnosis, I have shared my story with others and have tried to advocate as much as possible to bring awareness to this cancer. Besides being a woman, I did not have any of the factors generally associated with a higher risk for vulvar cancer, nor have I ever had an abnormal Pap test. I have had a hard time dealing with the why and how did it happen to me. While all women are at risk for vulvar cancer, very few will get it. Not a day has gone by that I have not thought about what happened or researched it more to see if there’s any new information about it. I am still learning to deal with my vulvar cancer diagnosis every day. Since the surgery, I have received good results during medical checkups. Part of my vulva was removed as well as some tissue around it. (Editor’s note: Soft tissue sarcoma is a cancer that starts in soft tissues of the body, including muscle, tendons, fat, lymph vessels, blood vessels, nerves, and tissue around joints.) Less than a month later, I had a radical, partial vulvectomy. I was not worried because I had already been told it wasn’t cancer.Īs it turned out, my margins tested positive for sarcoma of the vulva and I was referred to a specialist. My doctor told me I was healing well, but that he wanted to talk about my pathology results. I was hoping to get good news, so I could go swimming. I had been skiing since the surgery and was looking forward to an upcoming vacation to the Caribbean. I had my surgery on February 2, 2016, and two weeks later I had a follow-up appointment to ensure I was healing properly. A few days later, the biopsy results showed I had a ruptured polyp-no cancer!īecause the mass was about 6 cm, we decided to do outpatient surgery and send it to pathology. They decided to biopsy the tissue, and I feared the results would come back indicating I had cancer. The result is relatively painless swelling called a Bartholin’s cyst.) However, when the doctors cut into the cyst, no liquid came out, and instead they found a solid mass. Sometimes the openings of these glands become obstructed, causing fluid to back up into the gland. These glands secrete fluid that helps lubricate the vagina. (Editor’s note: The Bartholin’s glands are located on each side of the vaginal opening. I was diagnosed in November 2015 with a Bartholin’s cyst and was scheduled to have a quick outpatient procedure to drain it. It was at this point that I decided to get it looked at by my doctor. I was in great physical health, having just accomplished a Commanders Challenge, and besides the lump, I had no other symptoms.Īfter I graduated SOS, I noticed the lump on my vulva was still there, it was growing, and it was uncomfortable when I wore jeans. I didn’t pay much attention to it at first because I thought maybe I had pulled something during training. In September 2015, I was completing Squadron Officer School (SOS) when I noticed a lump on my vulva one day when getting out of the shower. My husband and I live in Montana, and I enjoy running, skiing, and reading in my free time. I am the happy pet parent to an Australian Shepherd and a Collie. I am a captain in the United States Air Force and have been married to my high school sweetheart for 5 years.
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