Hello to all you wise women and your input/insight again please.
I wrote" I'm 48. Four years ago I had my last period. Last week I went for my first pap (I know, I'm kicking myself) in four yrs. Two days later I began bleeding heavily, (8 days of this and I'm still spotting) but attributed it to the exam until my doc called to say my pap was abnormal. "

Today (April 1) my g.p.'s office called with the results of my transvaginal ultrasound (done March 30) to ask if I had a GYN appt. When I told them the earliest I could get was June they got on the phone and arranged for me to be seen TODAY, telling me I had an ovarian cyst and an "endomentrial stripe". The GYN did a biopsy and said my endomentrial stripe was at 15 cm, and that over 6cm was considered a problem. She went on to say that this all could be the result of a post-menopausal "hormonal surge" in which my ovaries became stimulated and mimicked menstruation for 'one last stand'? (I can't find any information on this). She did not have thr results of my abnormal pap from my GP and will call with all results within a week. Any ideas? Any of you know about this endometrrial stripe or hormone surge business? (I don't take any kind of hormones).
Thanks. You all are great.

hi I am reletivly new to this particular board as well. my story is similar to you, in that I have been post menopausal for 3 years, and suddenly after a few weeks of feeling absolutely horrid, nauseated, very very tender breasts, (had to wear bra 24/7) I had one whopping massive 'period' Very very bright coloured flow as well. I am 54 years old. Made appt to see the doctor who sent me to the hospital for transvaginal ultra sound, and then called me last Friday to come in to see her tomorrow.

I knew I had a ovarian cyst from years ago, Back then the GYN I I was sent to did a 'in office' biopsy, nothing wrong, just a small cyst, and a fibroid. Had an ultra sound before that appt. Told me to watch out for strange things and sent me on my way, then 6 years later, this happens.

My doctor wrote 'endometrial thickening' with a question mark, but when I was called to come in tomorrow, it is for a rather large notable cyst. So I am rather nervous. I am not nor ever have been on HRT but am on medications for Hypothyroidism.

I hope you get the information you are looking for regarding your 'stripe' and I have never in my life heard of a 'hormonal surge' sort of like the LAST HURRAH? unreal.... but I am def not understanding that.....

BonBe

Hello to all you wise women and your input/insight again please.
I wrote" I'm 48. Four years ago I had my last period. Last week I went for my first pap (I know, I'm kicking myself) in four yrs. Two days later I began bleeding heavily, (8 days of this and I'm still spotting) but attributed it to the exam until my doc called to say my pap was abnormal. "

Today (April 1) my g.p.'s office called with the results of my transvaginal ultrasound (done March 30) to ask if I had a GYN appt. When I told them the earliest I could get was June they got on the phone and arranged for me to be seen TODAY, telling me I had an ovarian cyst and an "endomentrial stripe". The GYN did a biopsy and said my endomentrial stripe was at 15 cm, and that over 6cm was considered a problem. She went on to say that this all could be the result of a post-menopausal "hormonal surge" in which my ovaries became stimulated and mimicked menstruation for 'one last stand'? (I can't find any information on this). She did not have thr results of my abnormal pap from my GP and will call with all results within a week. Any ideas? Any of you know about this endometrrial stripe or hormone surge business? (I don't take any kind of hormones).
Thanks. You all are great.I can not tell you what your doctor has found, but I can tell you that some women will store estrogen in fat cells and when menopause comes, of course estrogen levels drop. However, apparently once in a while some estrogen will be released from either a sudden weighloss, or just the last dregs from the ovaries. The other reasons are not wonderful to think about. But we will not go there. Fibroid tumors are supposed to resolve when estrogen supplies are low enough to stop periods. But sometimes during the perimenopausal years, the body gets confused and we stop having periods for no apparent reason. I had four periods last year and none since May 2003. I am at menopause age. I am hoping this is over for good. Good luck to you.

Bonbe
Thank you so much for responding! (As misery loves company) I had the biopsy on 4/1 (April Fools Day) and have not heard back yet. I began bleeding again yesterday and it continues though not heavy like before, and darker now. I should hear something about the results in the next few days and am anxious to know of yours. Please keep in touch, and I hope your news is good.

Marimac
Thank you for responding. (I didn't see your post when I replied to Bonbe). I'm not trying to sound like Mother Terera here, but my biggest concern is not with possibly having cancer, it's how my beautiful daughters, 28,16, and 14, will respond if I do. Especially since they lost their (paternal) grandmother to cancer at my same age of 48.

I hope this is a false alarm for you. Your daughters need their mom and you need to see them grow up as well. Take Care.

Hi Jeopardymom & Marimac

Thanks for YOUR response. I am not sure that I even should be posting on this board as I have not really even thought about the worse case scenerio. How neat that you have three daughters.... I have two children, son 28 and a daughter 24...and a strong marriage for 35 years now. Those are my strengths as well as God. I am going into this with a very positive attitude. The only thing I can recall from the phone call from my doctors office regarding the ovarian scan, was there was no mass...not being too familiar with those terms.

Thankyou Marimac for clearing that bit of the fibroid tumour, I did not know they could go, when menopause hits for sure. It was diagnosed and found there, before I officially became menopause! ( think that is when you have 12 months straight without a period) I have had 3 years minus any sort of period until now.

Meant also to say, my last pap smear apparently was not sucessful, from lack of cells that made it from me? to the smear! I recall that papsmear hurt like the dickens causing me to holler out ( :o :o making my poor daughter who was in the waiting room jump a mile up.!

Having hypothyroidism as well, is cause enuff for me to go batty, let alone this now..... I will def keep you posted, when I get back from my appointment today. But like I said, I am not sure I should be here bothering folks on this particular board..... I did not seem to find a place that fits my 'iffy thing' though the cyst is not an iffy thing, it is really there.... just the other......

You also must keep posting....My prayers are with you and your family. no female in my family has had cancer. But my father, uncle, and brother have prostate cancer, and my father has since deceased, my uncle is mid 80's and on the 'down' and my dear brother who is only 58 has been diagnosed now since age 52 (his cancer has spread to his bone (spine) but I am not sure how that all relates to the female portion of my family.

Bonnie :angel:

Beebo
My 16 year old daughter is also hypothyroid, diagnosed after turning blue in the pool at age 6, and has been on synthyroid for ten yrs now. But she is healthy and strong, although she has always enjoyed the drama of telling people that w/o her little pills, she would grow fat and die.
Good luck to you too, and we'll let one other now our results this week.

well, I am back from my appointment. The cyst is of no concern, it has not changed its size or shape (on my ovary) Now I am am not sure at all what your endometrial stripe is....

the results of the tranvag ultra sound exam I had, showed a 'endometrial thickness of 1cm.' what ever that is.... Doctor told me it is the lining of the uterous and the point of concern is upwards of 5mm (math tells me I think that 1CM is larger than 5MM but hey what do I know...(even though I am from Canada, I will never get used to metric measures.....


Did you find out what your endometrial stripe is? 15mm? thick? gee this is all so very new to me. maybe a 15mm wide band going around your uterous? I hope you find out.... and do please let me know.

I am being sent on to a Gynocologist (only went to one, for babies birthing haha (c sections) my family doctor does all the yearly exams and pap smears and stuff so I have never had the need to go to another doctor, and I have had my same lady doctor now for 40 years, and am not keen at all in seeing another one....but she recommends him and said he is very good and gentle and to stop worrying.....

This guy will I guess determine what happens next. I have already had a 'biopsy done' (several years ago, on a fibroid thingy) and this new one now will get the files from the other doctor, (who has since passed away) so I do not know....

I hope yours goes well for you, and you get some good news, and most of all know we are all thinking of you.....

Bonnie

Hi. I'm new to the boards and I'm learning a lot. My mom died in January from ovarian cancer at age 68. I've seen some of you mention that you have hypothyroidism. My mom did as well and had taken synthroid for years, but then stopped taking it about 7 years ago because she was told she no longer needed it. I often wonder if her thyroid problems caused the ovarian cancer, but whenever I asked her doctors about it, they told me that was crazy and there was no connection. I just think it's strange that some of you are having problems down there so it makes me think there is a connection. Have any of you ever been told that there could be a connection? Thanks.

Oh I am so very sorry about your Mom. I have often thought about thyroid and 'female' stuff as well. I do not know if there are any connections on that thread, but..... ( and these are just my own personal thoughts)

I believe as the thyroid is the 'hormone centre' and it dictates what and where and when to do things, that of course hormonal changes in our bodies must have some sort of connection. My doctor would throw up her hands with me, if I ever suggested I stop taking the medication. (same as synthroid, but diff name)

No matter what, I will be taking this medication forever I would imagine.... but to say stopping it would cause a cancer I would not even guess at. Please post on the thyroid board, I am sure someone would be able to advise you for your own sake.

there are so many knowledgeable members who know full well what you are thinking. and could help you with the connections I hope.

When I jokingly said to my doctor, that "I bet the nasty thyroid is at the bottom of all this..."she smiled, and said well it is all hormonal.

How did your mom feel after stopping taking the synthroid meds? I would have been dragging my self around and just been unable to function if I were to stop the meds.

Again, I am so sorry for your loss. Bless you

Bonnie

HI Bonnie, Thanks for your kind words. Even if there is a connection between the thyroid and ovarian cancer, it's not like it would matter for my mom now...it's too late. I'm just annoyed that the doctors never took my concerns seriously.

I agree with you that these things are all hormonal and I believe caused by excess estrogen in the system.

To answer your question: when she was on synthroid she was on a very low dose. When she stopped taking it, she felt fine. She always had a lot of energy and had always been healthy.

Hello again from D.C.,
Crescent - I don't know if there has ever been an established link between hypothyroidism and any type of cancer. My daughter is young, only 16 now, and was seen by a pediatric endocrinologist for several yrs when we were in Atrlanta 6 yrs ago priomarioy because she was so young at her onset of the disease No mention was ever made of a cancer threat, and none of her dcotors 9we have moved a lot) have ever mentioned it nor have I have seen anything about it in the literature. I do know that the condition is not uncommon amopng women of post-menopausal age and beyond. I am so sorry you lost your Mom at such a relatively young age. If I see anything on the subject of interest I will pass it on.

Bonbe - As for the endomentrial stripe, I found the following in my google search:
"The ultrasound measures the thickness of that endometrial lining, what is called the endometrial stripe. In a postmenopausal woman, a stripe that's thicker than 5-mm to 8-mm is abnormal and needs to be evaluated."

So your is at 1 cm, mine approximately 1 1/2 cm, and we both have ovarian cysts. I am curious to see how out doctors will proceed once they have thr results of the biopsy, given you're in Canada and I'm in the states. We should hear soon, and that will be a relief.

Please keep in touch. This is helping me cope big time. :)

yes I agree this thread is helping me cope as well. But I am still not too sure this is the correct place for me to be, as I am def not thinking along the lines of cancer, and I do not wish to be where I am not suppose to be....

You are more ahead than I in your treatment/diagnosis. The biopsy I had was way before this endometrial thing emmerged. I had a snippet taken of a fibroid (I thought) and I know I will have to have this latest doctor do the same thing. I have yet to get an appt with the doctor. one thing about thyroid is that 'brain fog' I remember the secretary telling me something about these referrals (I have two doctors I must see, one GYN and the other I dunno (about a mole on my neck that changed)

She (the secretary) said.... either for ME to phone them, or they will phone me...I will phone my GP office today and find out for sure. I do not know how long waiting lists are here for these doctors.... and from what I have read of proceedures it is a long 'evaluation' time unless it is dire emergency.

I also thought I read, that the endometrial stripe you are telling me about occurs in women of child bearing age.... (probably I am wrong on that) and the 'scenario for endometrial thickness in post menopause sounds utterly horrid (the descriptions of what types of women (age, weight, etc) are more prone to having this....not very flattering hmmmm.

I have a keen imagination (I am a writer/storyteller) for kids in our Church, so I am seeing this stripe as a band holding us in! but my doctor did not mention the word stripe to me.... maybe you have stripe, and I have a full wall hahah. I took a second glance at this thread and see you made a small typo error in your first post... you mentioned 15cm and the normal was 6cm! I had to do a double take, then quickly realized you mean't 15mm .

Whew, I was scared for you thinking you had a eight inch (whatever) stripe running around your interior walls of your uterous. :D :D

I am looking forward to hearing about your results, and yes I will keep on posting here, unless you guys tell me not too. I am really not sure where I should be posting.

Bonnie

well....here is an added bonus. I am bleeding yet again 2nd time in over 3 years...hmmmmm must call the doctor yet again (to also find out if I am suppose to call the OBGYN or what... (mix up ysterday in one of my 'brain fog moments' any advice?????? bummer!!!!

Bonnie

Bonnie
I am bleeding again as well - did I mention that? 4 days not but spotting and darker, not heavy like before.

Yes, I DID make an error in using cm rather than mm. I'm a total idiot when it comes to the metric system.

As to the "stripe" - as I understand it, this is simply a medical/gynecological term to descibe the thickness of the endomentrial wall i.e. medical slang as it were. There are pages of responses to a google search inquiry for "endometrial stripe" which is where I gathered this information, as well as from my Dorlands medical encyclopedia. But having said that, I will also say that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, and while I am eager to learn all i can, I will not jump to any conclusions about whats going on, but will wait for the doctors to tell me, which hopefuly will happen TODAY!

On a happier note, I see we have a bit more in common than post menipausal bleeding, overly large linings and a cyst. I too am a writer, quitting my day job two yrs ago to work on a novel.

Keep in touch. I will think of you.

ha we are twins separated at birth (well a time span of prob 6 years haha) Yes I sort of understood a bit, when I did your suggestion and googled away.

I am so happy you are doing a novel. One day I will be published *childrens stories) but since they are Christian of nature, tis harder me thinks.... Good luck to you

I am phoning my doctor now, to 1...find out if I was suppose to set up the appt with the GYN doc, or they would call me (brain fog) and 2 tell them about this bit of bother now...not like two weeks ago for sure..... yet, but the day is early.

I guess I could not even get to see the doctor if I am 'on' as that sort of defeats the exam I would think.. though I do not know. I feel lousy though, and I was lucky all my life, with no bad periods, or any PMS stuff just normal, as was (I thought) menopause and the perimenopause portion....ah shucks.

Bonnie

I Promise this is the last post for a bit.

just wanted to tell you Jeopardymom etal that my appt is set for April 26th so I will have more questions and stuff after that.

It is so nice to know I am not alone in this.

Thanks Heaps Guys

Bonnie
April 26? I'd go nuts waiting that long - but i suppose the good news is that they feel no need for urgency. This makes me happy for you.
As for brain fog, don't feel bad. I've always had it! Thus I keep a running list in my day-calendar with every phone call and appt made to keep me on track.
And hey, there is a huge market for Christian literature these days. Have you looked at writersmarket on the web? Much info there. Take care.