easy way to differentiate between fibroids and cysts?

[jackdiamond.livejournal.com]

Is there, besides the obvious "go to the doctor"? Being without insurance and not made of money, I'd rather not, or if I have to, I'd like an idea of what to budget for the bill.

I have a recurrent (seems to start swelling right before ovulation and moves to throbbing until it dissipates mid-way through my period) mass in the lower right quadrant of my pelvis. I have had what I know to be ovarian cysts, and one that did pop- the pop was unmistakeable.

This has been going on for about 6 months, like cyclical clockwork- there's the mass, but not the pop at the end. I have a Mirena IUD, so I don't have the clue of increased or not menstrual bleeding, or any bleeding at all. Have backaches and some cramps and increased need to pee, but these are normal premenstrual symptoms for me, and nothing feels askew there. The mass feels about ping-pong ball sized, and I notice it when I move my pelvis- ie, sit/stand/stride. It is there, and throbs a bit, but doesn't really hurt, more an annoyance. And no, no weightloss or other alarming very abnormal things.

Ideas? I've gotten fibroids and cysts, because of the hormonal nature.

Comments

[http://users.livejournal.com/_economy/]

Mirena IUD's use no estrogen which does not help with cysts. The most common "cure" for cysts is a birth control with high levels of estrogen. So I don't know what you can do there. Usually cysts grow on the ovaries and a fibroid grows inside of the uterus. A fibroid generally has no symptoms unless it is unusually large and presses up against your insides.
If it is a cyst it's probably just a hemorrhagic cyst which filled with blood instead of going away. It will probably go away in a couple of cycles. Which might give you time to save up for a doctor if it doesn't... and if it does well then you just saved some money.

[fireaphid.livejournal.com]

If you're in the US, have you considered Planned Parenthood? They supposedly can take care of things like this, and many sites have a sliding scale which means you don't pay much of anything unless you have insurance. Also, if you get a day off, you can go to a free clinic kind of thing; they have them in most major cities, just you have to show up at the crack of dawn and wait all day to be seen, but at least they're free. . .