After having
the performance of a lifetime, which earned her a Tony Award nomination,
Valisia LeKae discovered that she had cancerous ovarian cysts. The routine
check-ups that followed confirmed that she had an 8cm ovarian cyst that
required removal, especially because of the increased risk of rupturing.
She had to
depart from the cast of Broadway’s MOTOWN, the musical, in which she plays
Diana Ross so as to undergo surgery.
One of her ovaries was removed, together with
a fallopian tube, on the recommendation of Dr. David Fisherman. This was so as
to eliminate any chances of microscopic cancerous cells spreading to other
parts of her reproductive system.
Given the fact
that there is an almost 90% recovery rate in cases where ovarian cancer is
detected early, her chances of a full recovery are good.
To show their support, Valisa LeKae's fellow cast members created and sang the song: I AM
HERE, just to remind her that she wasn’t alone. This is the song:
38 year old Sherilyn Hurdle walked into a physician's office thinking that she was pregnant. To her surprise, she found out that her pregnancy was "fake". Instead of a baby, she was to undergo a surgery for the removal of a basketball-sized
ovarian cyst.
“It has made
me look like I am nine months pregnant, but I am not,” she said.
The cyst had grown since October, from the size of a golf ball. This was why doctors recommended
a surgical process for the removal of the giant cyst.
Giant cysts pose numerous dangers to
affected women. They may permanently render a woman virile or unable to carry
pregnancy to full term. Also, the pain experienced by the victim is
excruciating.
For Hurdle,
money is what stood in her way. To save her life, she required immediate
surgery. However, reports emerged that Hurdle did not qualify for medical
insurance, and for Medicad – as she could not work because of the pain.
Although she
earned about $11,000 last year, this was not enough to qualify her for the
needed medical cover.
According to
Texas Health and Human Services Commission, the limit for an adult with neither
disabilities nor children is $163 in a month for a family of two. The $163
allowed by the authorities was not sufficient to fund a surgical removal of the
cyst.
Hurdle was
not the only one to experience this type of cyst. In 2010, it was reported that Susie Stringer had the exact same size of cyst. She appealed for help,
and her surgery was paid for.
On Facebook,
Mindy Rowland said she had a 25 pound cystic growth close to a year ago. This is a
remarkably similar situation to Hurdle.
The video below explains the surgical process of removing cysts, and a live example is given for the case of sebaceous cyst removal. The processes involved is similar to all types of cystic growths.
Ovarian cysts are common among women. While most occurrences
of cysts are not dangerous, there are types of these growths which develop
complications and lead to rupturing of the cyst within the ovary.
Ovarian cyst rupture is triggered by a number of factors.
The most prominent cause of cystic ruptures is physical trauma on the part of
the patient, especially in cases where the cysts are large in size. In all
cases of ovarian cyst rupture, regardless of what caused the rupture, immediate
medical attention is required. A qualified medical practitioner is required to
asses the extent of injury within the ovary, and possibly forestall future
dangers which may arise from a ruptured cyst. Such dangers include the
inability of the ovary to produce egg follicles into the uterus for
fertilization, and the destruction of the womb through the washing away of the
endometrial wall within the uterus.
A rupture is characterized by sharp pelvic pain, as well
as the continual dull ache in the affected ovary. It is common for women to
experience nausea, giddiness, vomiting, fainting, and weakness in the body
structure. These symptoms may continuous or intermittent, depending on the
extent of the rupture and extent of the injury inflicted on the ovary.
After an ovarian cyst rupture, most of the fluid contained
within the cyst membranes is released out of the body through the reproductive
organs of the woman. A woman may therefore, experience vaginal bleeding or other
types vaginal discharges of a fluidly nature. Such bleeding, where it occurs,
is often not within the normal menstrual cycle of a woman.
The type of an ovarian cyst, its size, and the stage of
growth of such a cyst affect the color and thickness of vaginal discharges. Through
modern medicine, we are able to understand a cyst by studying the composition
of a vaginal discharge.
picture of the female reproductive system
Seeking immediate medical attention is advised for women
with cysts, who experience sudden changes in the ovaries. When left unattended,
a cyst burst can cause serious health complications.
