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The endocrinologist tried to call me not long after my last post as it turned out, but I missed it. That's Al for you. When I tried to call her back, she was with a patient, and the receptionist asked the best time and number for her to call me back, making it clear the endo wanted to speak to me herself. So immediately I thought, "Uh oh." She was able to reach me today, however when you're waiting for what you expect to be bad news, any amount of time is very long to wait.

In follow up to this post about severe, intermittent pain and the ultrasound to investigate, I share the results. I do have a benign cyst on my right ovary, 3.5 cm wide at its largest point. The radiologist reports that it is not a tumor and there is no need for further action. The cyst has nothing to do with polycystic ovaries, and in fact my ovaries are clear of such indications. It doesn't have anything to do with the hirsutism at all. It's recommended I just be aware of its existence, in case the pain gets worse.

I was kind of hoping they'd find something in the ultrasound, so at least I might have an answer. So I wasn't shocked, and only somewhat nervous, when she told me. It wasn't until I actually looked at 3.5 cm on a ruler--about the width of my three middle fingers--that it really hit me. Holy crap, I thought. These are my ovaries. As a woman, I have rather a particular attachment for them. And ovarian cancer is the One Big Thing runs in my family. And stupid me, I've misplaced the old records I used to keep about the pain, because it seems to me it has appeared not only on the right side of my abdomen. So perhaps it's not the cyst at all that hurts me now and then.

As this isn't really the endo's area, I'm going to see about being referred to an OBGYN by my family doctor to see where to go from here. I really don't know much about benign cysts. I'm fine with living with it, but I've got a few more questions. And yes, the pain might not be from the cyst at all, so there's that to consider as well.

Oh, and my liver's fine, so I can keep taking the Finasteride. I think--I think--I'm feeling all right about this. I have a possible answer for one problem, and am working towards finding a way to make another problem easier to live with. I'm still digesting the news.