Update: My Ganglion Cyst Journey

Over the weekend, I told you about the sudden appearance of a ganglion cyst on the side of my left wrist. I promised an update as soon as I had one to give. [Balancing Work and Health: a New Concern Arises]

What Luck

I should play the lotto because my luck seems to be on fire. I called the orthopedic office after work on Monday.

Receptionist: I can get you in on the 19th.

Me: Of July?

Her: June.

Me: Day after tomorrow?

Her: That’s correct.

Me: I’ll take it.

The appointment

After my intake, they started my appointment off with X-rays. I guess it’s important to make sure there is no bone involvement, which there is not. X-rays completed I returned to the exam room.

First, I met with the doctor’s PA student. She’s finishing up her internship. Soon after she left she returned with the doctor. After a quick examination, the doctor was ready to discuss treatment options.

The treatment options

The first option she offered was to stick a needle into it, drain it, then inject it with cortisone. This is the most common first line of treatment. The ganglion cyst has a 50% chance of coming back. She warned that if nothing came out of it during the procedure, proving it to be a solid mass, then it should be removed and tested.

My second option, less desirable than the first, is to have it surgically removed. She explained that if the cyst is in a joint then they could probably remove it all, but if it runs along a tendon then they might not be able to get it all. If after it’s drained it grows back then surgical removal may become necessary.

The doctor also said that we could choose to wait and see. This option is generally preferred by those who aren’t in pain or impaired by their cyst. For me, there’s been constant pain in the surrounding areas, and it is causing my flexor tendon to my ring finger to snap and tug my finger down. That fascinated both the doctor and her intern.

Let’s do this

As I said, my pain is constant and at times worsens. Work exacerbates the situation. With all of this in mind, I chose to have it drained. She was able to do it right then and there.

The doctor sprayed it with numbing spray before inserting a nice-sized needle into the cyst. I won’t pretend I didn’t feel it. She drew back on the plunger until she was satisfied with what she saw in the syringe. She withdrew the needle from my wrist and re-sprayed it with numbing spray before administering the cortisone directly into the cyst. Afterward, she ejected the jelly-like fluid she’d removed from the cyst onto the paper procedure mat. It was the consistency of ultrasound gel.

A day to recuperate

The doctor covered the cyst with a regular bandage. She told me that if it grows back, or if my pain isn’t relieved, or if it worsens, then I should come back. Otherwise, I’m all set. She’s keeping me home tomorrow, at which time I’m told that the cortisone may prove painful. She also wants me to continue to wear the brace just a while longer while it heals.

Overall, the procedure was quick, and the pain level of it was tolerable. It’s an experience I’d prefer to be able to say Been there, done that, bought the t-shirt, sent it back! rather than experience it again. I’m glad it’s over. I’ll give y’all another update this weekend. Please, feel free to drop your healing vibes in the comments section below.

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