Doctors--even yours truly--can be lazy. I don't mean in how many hours they work (which is a lot) or how hard they work to treat patients (which is really hard). I mean that even the best of us can occasionally not really listen to a patient's complaints, or sometimes talk to a patient without thinking about how she may interpret what we're saying. My most recent reminder of this tendency came today, when G. came to my office with a diagnosis from another doc that scared her. G. was seen in a clinic because she had a sudden onset of pelvic pain. The doctor told her that the pain was likely due to an ovarian cyst, and she should just take Advil. G. saw me, upset that she has a cyst and is now worried about cancer.

So many women get diagnosed with an ovarian cyst, and naturally think it's a serious medical problem. But ovaries make cysts for a living--each month your ovary "recruits" microscopic eggs to pick a candidate for ovulation. After the best-looking egg of the bunch is released, a cyst is left behind (kind of like a big pimple on your ovary). The cyst will eventually be absorbed, but may linger for a while, and even get bigger before it gets smaller.

Why do I think this doc was lazy? It's almost impossible to diagnose a cyst without an ultrasound (which G. didn't have), and in general, cysts don't hurt unless they've ruptured. If her doc had talked to her at length, he may have discovered that her pain was due to constipation (which I think it was) and treated her without terrifying her.

If a doctor says that you have an ovarian cyst, please remember:

• Most cysts are considered "functional"--completely normal
• Your doc may want you to have a follow-up visit, but you may not need one
• Most cysts will resolve on their own--no medication or surgery required
  

Don't let our carelessness make you lose sleep.  Have any of you been diagnosed with a cyst?