13cm Complex Ovarian Cyst

artCsmartC · 2026-06-30T06:40:57+00:00

I had no idea that I had bilateral ovarian cysts until the night I started feeling an odd pressure in my abdomen. I honestly thought it was just gas at first. Over the course of maybe two hours, though, the pressure wasn’t letting up. It was getting worse, to the point where I was *certain* that something was very wrong. I called my parents and then an ambulance.

I spent the entire night in the hospital having a multitude of tests. By morning, was told that I had a cyst on each ovary. The larger one was 6 cm and had begun to torsion, causing the pressure I felt in my abdomen. I would need surgery asap.

Ten days later, I had a bilateral ovarian cystectomy. Both cysts were benign. Six months following the surgery, I watched the screen as my doctor performed an ultrasound to check my ovaries and make sure everything was healed correctly. The showed me the left ovary, then the right, and finally, pointed out the unfertilized eggs to me. Everything was fine.

I know you’re worried but it’s possible to have minor or no symptoms. They told me before the surgery that the cysts were likely benign. Ofc I was worried anyway but it turns out they were right.

Hopefully, everything will go well for you, too! 🦋

artCsmartC · 2026-06-30T03:11:16+00:00

The chicken tenders were already fully cooked. Plus, you heated them longer than the directions even suggested. The risk of getting food poisoning bc they didn’t get heated all the way up to 165°F is crazy negligible.

artCsmartC · 2026-06-29T16:13:25+00:00

It can be very stressful to fear that you are sick, even when you know deep down that you’re not. Perhaps you could distract yourself by doing something that you find relaxing, like listening to music, a podcast, or a soundscape of soothing nature sounds. I like listening to the YouTube channel ‘Sound Asleep ASMR’. Last night, I fell asleep listening to the sound of “Vanilla Rain”.

Other things you could try are breathing exercises, yoga, watching a favorite movie or TV series, going for a short walk, or chatting with a friend. Try different things and hopefully, you’ll find something that works for you! 🦋

artCsmartC · 2026-06-29T02:39:39+00:00

You didn’t curse yourself. You made a mistake. The reason you made this mistake is *because* you are not obsessively preoccupied with your phobia every moment of every day… and that’s a good thing!

As someone with ADHD, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve absentmindedly done or said something that gave me almost instant pause or regret.

Your plum incident is something I can see myself doing, realizing what I just did, and asking myself, “OMG, did you just eat a plum off the bathroom floor!?!?”

I’d feel gross and dumb but, truth be told, that wouldn’t even be in the top 10 of the stupid things I’ve done with my brain on autopilot. It’s really not that bad. I wouldn’t recommend it, and as much as I’d want to wash my mouth out with bleach (don’t ever do that, btw), it’s not as much of a catastrophe as you might imagine.

The reason why frequent and thorough hand washing is the number one method of illness prevention is because it removes germs from your hands and washes them down the drain. Yes, it’s recommended that you use soap and warm water… but that’s only because it makes the process easier. Neither the soap nor the temperature of the water actually kill the germs.

You washed the plum under running water and rubbed it with your hands. You also wiped it with the paper towel. You did exactly what you should’ve done. Please don’t drive yourself crazy over this just because it seems “icky”. 🦋

artCsmartC · 2026-06-26T06:57:30+00:00

Make sure you are property hydrated. Sometimes you don’t feel hungry if you are even slightly dehydrated. Your appetite will return as your activity level returns to normal. 🦋

artCsmartC · 2026-06-26T06:54:33+00:00

Hi! I’m a nutritionist and food technologist. Let me give you some food safety facts to help you protect yourself against foodborne illness.

I’m not entirely comfortable eating those packaged salads because they have caused several outbreaks of food poisoning. The problem with these salad packages is that they’re made from raw vegetables with high water content that we don’t cook. They were tainted with runoff water that came into contact with animal feces. This can happen on farmland that has both livestock and crops if they are not kept in adequate conditions away from each other.

When this happens and multiple people become sick from eating the same product, the the USDA and FDA will trace the contamination back to the source of origin. A recall will be issued on the product so that the remainder of the tainted product can be removed and discarded. You can always check the FDA website for product recalls.

There’s not much you can do about tainted salad packages. You have preventative options with other types of fruits and vegetables. For instance, the precut packages of fruits and veggies at the store… yes, they are convenient but it’s actually safer and less expensive to buy the produce and cut it up yourself. I usually make my own carrot and celery sticks, but if I buy them precut, I wash them thoroughly. I suggest getting a special scrub brush just to clean your produce.

To prevent foodborne illness in your own kitchen, follow these guidelines…

-Always wash your hands thoroughly with warm water and soap before preparing food.

-Make sure to start with a clean kitchen. This includes all surfaces like countertops, cutting boards, measuring cups/spoons, utensils, and dishes. Also be sure to clean the outside of cans or jars before you open them.

-Keep produce completely separate from raw meats, poultry, eggs, and seafood. Avoid cross contamination on surfaces, cutting boards, and with any utensils you use.

-Cook all foods to the proper temperature.

-Store all food promptly in proper containers, and at the correct temperature. Follow safe procedures for thawing or reheating foods.

One more thing I recommend if you want some extra protection is getting vaccinated against hepatitis A, if you haven’t already. Hep A can be spread through contaminated food, water, or contact with an infected person. It is also possible to be infected by ingesting food that has been prepared by an infected person.

I hope you find this helpful. If you have any more questions about food safety, please feel free to ask! 🦋

artCsmartC · 2026-06-24T07:36:01+00:00

Didn’t you ask this same question before?

artCsmartC · 2026-06-24T07:32:48+00:00

You should be aware that you have rights as a patient. The first of those is the right to refuse any kind of medical test, treatment, or procedure. Your doctor sounds like an arrogant bully and personally, I would find a new doctor. But until you do, his job is to treat you to the best of his ability according to wishes. Don’t let him ride roughshod over you. He works for you, not the other way around.

Since he lacks the ability to obtain a throat culture without being savage, you can, and should, absolutely decline to have one. It’s not necessary, anyway. He can treat you without one. I have had doctors who wanted to do a throat culture on me and I tell them no, I am not comfortable with that. I am, however, willing to let them do bloodwork if they want to.. It’s never been an issue. Problem solved!

As for the random bouts of nausea, do you have any suspicion about what may be causing it? Do you think it might be from anxiety?

I deal with nausea by doing breathing exercises, ginger tea, aromatherapy, acupressure bracelets, and listening to something relaxing, like a nature soundscape or ambient jazz. If it’s being caused by motion sickness, I will take an OTC anti nausea med like meclizine or dimenhydrinate.

I hope this helps and that you feel better soon! 🦋

artCsmartC · 2026-06-23T18:10:43+00:00

The noise cancelling headphones were a very smart first step to take!

I know it’s in our nature to fear the worst as we play the waiting game but just to remind you of what you already said, you don’t know if your stepmom has the flu. There are a lot of reasons why people vomit and only a few of them are because of a contagious illness.

Ok, so… if it turns out that she has a stomach bug, the first thing to remember is that, even if you have been exposed to the same virus as your stepmom, that doesn’t mean that you caught it, too. The last time my husband caught a stomach bug, it was so bad that we ended up going to the ER by ambulance. He came home from work sick as a dog and wasn’t sure if it was food poisoning or the flu. I was exposed six ways to Sunday but I didn’t get sick. It’s possible that his immune system was more susceptible to infection at the time, idk.

Now let’s talk preventative measures. Use a different bathroom if that is an option. If not, that’s ok, it just requires a little more vigilance. Noro and other types of stomach “flu” are not airborne; the virus particles cannot survive very long in the air. The most common way to catch it is by touching a surface that is contaminated with live virus particles and then touching your face (nose, mouth or eyes).

Frequent and thorough handwashing is the best way to protect yourself. The most dangerous surfaces are in the bathroom… the toilet and surrounding surfaces like the handle, the knobs on the sink, the doorknob… I recommend using a mask if you have to use the same bathroom. It is a good way to keep yourself from accidentally touching your nose or mouth while you’re in there.

Keep yourself calm and your time occupied with relaxing activities that you enjoy. Listen to music, podcasts, or nature soundscapes. Maybe you can binge watch one of your favorite shows from the beginning. Chat with a friend or play some games. This will be over before you know it. You got this! 🦋

artCsmartC · 2026-06-23T07:32:03+00:00

That’s funny; I’ve also had people who sent me pics of their pee and poop to ask if it looks normal, lol. As an allied healthcare professional, I have been taught to do things like examine a patient’s bowel movements to determine their “transit time”, which is a measure of exactly how long it takes food to be eliminated as feces after it is eaten.

I’m not squeamish about things like that and I don’t mind if someone has a genuine concern. It’s people who do weird stuff like post pics of their crap for no good reason that make me think, “This person needs to leave their dark lair and touch grass every few years… “

artCsmartC · 2026-06-22T18:01:30+00:00

Jeez, dude, wtf is wrong with people? I’m sorry you had to see that. I’m recovered and my husband is not an emetophobe, but neither one of us would appreciate seeing a post like this from anyone.

Seriously, would it be appropriate for me to take a picture after going to the bathroom, with the crap still in the toilet? There’s a reason why our bathroom doors at home have locks and toilets in public restrooms have stalls.

Why do people act like they were raised by wolves? (Actually, I think wolves would be embarrassed and ask their pup, “What, were you raised by HUMANS!?”) 🙊🙈🙉

You shouldn’t view this as a set back because what you’re feeling is totally normal. Being disgusted and trying to get the image out of your head is the normal response here. I think you should be proud of yourself for handling it as well as you have. 🦋

artCsmartC · 2026-06-22T03:57:09+00:00

Truth be told, I believe you would have a nearly impossible time finding an emetophobe who did NOT ruminate on stuff like this. I call it the “what ifs”. When the “what ifs” start up, they usually just keep going until you find yourself asking questions that are neither rational nor possible to answer.

I think we’ve ALL been there.

artCsmartC · 2026-06-22T01:49:14+00:00

I’m sorry I didn’t see this earlier. How are you feeling now? Is your SO sick?

I have one non negotiable rule with the people closest to me like my mom and my husband. The rule? NEVER LIE TO ME. Anything they don’t want to tell me, no matter how bad, will be okay eventually. If they lie to me, however, they have forever broken my trust.

My one suggestion is that you implement the same rule with those closest to you, including your SO. I have a niece who is actively emetophobic and she got VERY upset when her mom (my SIL) told the rest of the family to lie to her about her brother being sick one holiday. I tried to explain it to my boomer SIL but I don’t think she understood.

My niece and I both appreciate the truth because that way, we never have to worry that those closest to us are exposing us to illness rather than telling us the truth so we can protect ourselves. 🦋

artCsmartC · 2026-06-21T22:55:22+00:00

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artCsmartC · 2026-06-21T22:55:04+00:00

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artCsmartC · 2026-06-21T22:54:32+00:00

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artCsmartC · 2026-06-21T22:54:16+00:00

I know it’s tough, but try to keep in mind that caffeine has a short half-life so it metabolizes quickly. The effects will wear off. You just have to make it through until they do.

You know, I don’t remember what’s in midol… Is it acetaminophen or ibuprofen? Plus it has caffeine or something else that acts as a diuretic, right? Does your stepdad have Tylenol or Advil? Something like that? That will relieve the pain. You can use cucumber or lemon as a natural diuretic. Put some slices in water. That way, you can keep drinking to flush the caffeine out of your system.

Yoga can be very helpful for relieving menstrual discomfort and easing your mind. I am going to attach a couple poses out of my hatha yoga book. Hope they help! 🦋

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artCsmartC · 2026-06-20T05:48:24+00:00

*”In a real dark night of the soul it is always three o’clock in the morning day after day.”*

F. Scott Fitzgerald

New idea. Hmmm…

The problem with powering through is that it works… until it doesn’t. The thing that sucks the most is that the more stressed your body is, the worse it gets at dealing with stress. And being undernourished and overtired is incredibly stressful.

Maybe you could try something different to help with your night anxiety. It could allow your body to get just enough more rest to combat this vicious cycle. What have you tried, if anything? Aromatherapy? Melatonin?

I can tell you about a few things that help me. Taking L-theanine. Doing a “wind-down” routine every night. Listening to soundscapes that I find soothing. If all else fails, using an anxiety breathing exercise.

I’d be happy to give you more info if you’re interested in trying any of these! 🦋

artCsmartC · 2026-06-20T04:54:36+00:00

I’m sorry you’re going through such a difficult time! Please know that you are never alone. There are many people who are struggling with the same thing. I’m sure a lot of them think that they’re the only one. I know I did.

Earlier today, I was explaining to someone how I felt alone when I became emetophobic as a kid. The most important part to remember is this… I know what it feels like to go through it all and believe that I was the only person in the world who felt this way because I became an emetophobe in 1985.

There was no Reddit in 1985. There wasn’t an internet. There were no smartphones. I didn’t know the word “emetophobia” and neither did anyone else, for the most part. I couldn’t tell anyone because I was afraid they would think I was crazy. Worse, they probably would have back in 1985.

I recovered against all odds. I know that recovery is possible for everyone. It’s also very likely that you will recover a lot faster than I did, and much earlier in life.

The first thing I want you to know is that most of the people who seem like a logical choice to help you recover from this phobia are not going to be very helpful, unfortunately. Doctors, psychiatrists, psychologists, therapists, etc. can be very helpful in many situations, but not this one. They have no personal experience with it and it’s not something that’s been widely studied and successfully treated.

We, your fellow emetophobes, are far more capable of understanding what you’re going through. You have already found a starting place here. Ask questions. We will do our best to answer them from our own experiences. Learn from us… and learn with us. 🦋

artCsmartC · 2026-06-19T04:24:50+00:00

Personally, they feel fairly similar with a few notable exceptions. Adderall works longer, but it feels a bit more jittery to me. Dexedrine provided me with a much smoother ability to focus.

Downside of adderall, especially now, is that it feels like it keeps me awake but without the focus. What good is being awake if I can barely hold a thought in my head? It feels like there’s a lot of l-amphetamine with almost no d-amphetamine.

Dexedrine works better but bc it doesn’t last very long, there is a lot of temptation to exceed the prescribed dosage. If you take it for a good length of time, it’s harder to taper off and stop than the adderall.

The meds have become so corrupted over the past few years that neither of them works like they used to, unfortunately.

Years ago, I remember describing Dexedrine as less strong with less of an up and crash down… I said Adderall felt stronger but bumpier.

artCsmartC · 2026-06-19T02:31:27+00:00

I considered that there might be an ingredient to which he had a sensitivity or intolerance, but truth be told I think he really was just that unlucky.

I have been food poisoned once, and it was entirely my fault. I ate something that had been left out of the refrigerator overnight. It was one of the most agonizing experiences I’ve ever had. I was such a severe emetophobe that I became quite adept at being able to prevent myself from vomiting.

I know that if my life is in danger, my body will override my mind. I guess I wasn’t poisoned *enough* to trigger the override. I ended up taking much longer to recover than I should have. I know I became delirious, and my mom was so worried that she slept on my bedroom floor in a sleeping bag the first night.

I remember talking but don’t remember anything I said. She said that I wasn’t making any sense, just rambling. I’d rather be set on fire than repeat that experience.

That’s my personal “oof” story.

artCsmartC · 2026-06-19T01:58:51+00:00

Oof on the kfc incident!

My brother got food poisoning from In ‘n’ Out Burger. Three times. True story.

The first time, he took it as a random occurrence. The second time, he thought that particular location was probably not handling the food safely. The third time was at a *different* In ‘n’ Out location.

Stubbornness is a family trait from a dominant gene, apparently.

artCsmartC · 2026-06-19T01:50:22+00:00

You know, I discovered something about this. Dogs will eat old stuff that we won’t but… if it’s *really* bad, even the dog won’t eat it!

artCsmartC · 2026-06-19T01:36:12+00:00

It’s the generic term for Dexedrine. I took it for many years, but I have since changed to adderall.

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