“An egg-sized lump on the side of my vulva”: I had bartholinitis, an unrecognized vulvar infection

I am lying on my bed, buttless and legs apart, a nurse injects betadine serum into my vagina. Script for a porn movie? Nightmare? None of this, I’m alone post-operative care of bartholinitis.

Bartho-what?

A bartholinite it is inflammation of the Bartholin glandsglands that are found on each side of the entrance to the vagina and that provide some of the lubrication of the vagina during sexual activity.

I am a bartholinitis veteran, I already had surgery in 2016, at 23 years old. The gynecologist warned me that one of the main risks of this operation, it is the recurrence. And, again, December 2022, I see the well-known symptoms of this inflammation that I had missed so much (no).

From the size of a pea to the size of a chicken egg

Normally, the Bartholin gland is not visible because it is the size of a pea. When a cyst or inflammation appears, it hardens and grows, and discomfort or pain may appear. Neither one nor two, I go to my general practitioner who prescribed antibiotic treatment and sitz baths.

The swelling subsides, but I still feel discomfort and a small lump that doesn’t go away and swells up after sex. The inflammation reappears a few weeks later and the pain is such that I go to the gynecological emergency room. Walking and sitting are very painfulI have a swelling the size of a chicken egg on the left side of my vulva and I am very much hoping to step on the pool table for relief.

The nurses who take care of me in the emergency room examine me (internal big up who clearly explains the gestures he is about to perform, warms the speculum with warm water, puts a sheet over my legs to cover me) but visual and ultrasound examination shows that the collection – the infected area – is not big enough and that surgery is therefore not indicated.. A vaginal swab is taken to identify the germs responsible for this infection.

So I leave with antibiotic treatment (again!) and a check-up at D+3. During this visit the swelling has slightly decreased, the doctor advises me to make an appointment in the clinic with a gynecological surgeon to perform removal of the gland (operation that cannot be done during an inflammatory period, but only “cold” away from an inflammatory episode).

“I have the sensation of being a pinball machine thrown from one interlocutor to another”

I continue and finish the antibiotic treatment, but I feel it the cyst is still present, uncomfortable and sometimes painful at best, especially after intercourse, even a non-penetrative one. Ten days after the end of the treatment, the edema increases again. I consult my doctor who prescribes local treatments with betadine (repeated antibiotics are not ideal), but without effect.

I go back to the ER a few days later walk like a cowboy, without being able to sit in the waiting room or in the consultation offices. It’s the same intern from before who takes care of me and even though the collection is a little bigger than last time, it tells me that the operation is not indicated yet and I leave on painkillers to wait until my appointment with a gynecologist at the clinic, more than 3 weeks later.

To last 3 weeks in this painful state seems unbearable to me. I call the gynecologist’s secretariat explaining my situation, if it is possible to bring forward the appointment. They advise me to call the clinic’s gynecological emergencies. I abide. I am told to contact my gynecologist’s secretary. I explain that I just did. They told me to go to the hospital emergency room. I just got back. I have the sensation of being a pinball machine thrown from one interlocutor to another and so on no one wants to take charge, despite the suffering.

I decide to methodically call all the gynecologists in the department (I’m lucky enough to live near a metropolis with a hospital and two private clinics) and luckily a consultation was opened for the next morning with a specialist in the second clinic! Just having an appointment in less than 24 hours makes me feel a little relieved.

During the appointment, the gynecologist visits me and explains that no matter the size of the collection, the edema is very large and therefore pain relief is needed. Schedule surgery 2 days later! I come back in the afternoon to consult the anesthetist. I am happy about having surgery !

Operated under spinal anesthesia

On D-Day, I am summoned at 9 am, on an empty stomach. Apart from this request related to anesthesia, there is no specific preparation for the surgery (no obligation to shave the genitals, nor take a betadine shower, just with my usual soap).

I walk into the OR around 11:30, the anesthetist adds a relaxing cocktail to my infusion and very quickly, I’m very relaxed: the lights dance on the ceiling and I laugh at nothing. He places spinal anesthesia and my lower body quickly goes numb and paralyzed. The surgeon operates and I leave the block before noon.

I stay about 2h30 in the recovery room, the time to recover the mobility of my legs, and the pain that accompanies it! The nurse adds a painkiller to the drip, and I can go to the clinic, in an individual cabin, for the snack I so much wanted in the morning! I drink warm tea and eat compote, but my appetite has not fully returned.

The surgeon comes to see me to explain the home care protocol and prescribe me painkillers and sick leave.

I can go to the bathroom, vital signs are good, so I have the right to come back!

Read also: How is a visit to the gynecologist: the definitive guide

After the operation, goodbye pain!

You must be accompanied back home (do not drive before 24 hours) and you must not spend the night alone. So I spend the night at my friend’s house, taking regular painkillers.

A nurse came the day after the operation to remove the wick that was in the wound, and came back every day to “water” the wound in order to promote proper healing.

Five days after the operation, the edema has almost completely disappeared and the pain is only temporary. I can sit up and walk around a bit again. I’m still tired, but much less than before the operation. I’m off work for 15 days and I have to wait a month before resuming sports, penetrative sex, or swimming.

A post-operative visit with the surgeon is scheduled in a few weeks to discuss the interest or otherwise of carrying out a total ablation of the gland to avoid a new recurrence.

If you experience unusual swelling on your vulva, accompanied by discomfort or pain, then I can only advise you to see a doctor. A midwife or general practitioner is perfectly capable of identifying bartholinitis, and having surgery is not inevitable nor is it the first-line treatment.

Take care of your vulvas!