nornie
09-19-2005, 11:30 PM
Hello ladies,
Not sure this is the best place to ask this question as most of you are still having periods. But of the few who still post here and are post-menopausal (Hellas, Molly, Twanger...) maybe one of you might be able to help. Sorry for the lengthy post, but I don't know how to shorten it.
In 2003 I had a short, light period (definitely a period not just bleeding) at 14 months post and my gyn said we should do a biopsy to be safe, but said he couldn't in the office because of another problem I had at the time, so he did a D&C. All was fine, but I couldn't stop bleeding after the D&C and eventually had to take BCPs for a month to get the bleeding to stop. Not a pleasant experience. I had gone to another gyn for a 2nd opinion about why I had so much bleeding afterwards and she did an ultrasound in her office and said I had a uterine polyp which was missed on the D&C and it probably got nicked during the scraping and that's why I was bleeding. It was at this time it was discovered I was severly hypothyroid and so I paid attention to getting that regulated and all was fine for 2 years.
Here we are today and I've posted before about my bouts of bloat which come and go. My last bout in early August was really bad and I got so scared I asked for another ultrasound. Of course the day of the ultrasound all the bloat had disappeared and has not returned. Nevertheless, this 2nd ultrasound showed the ovaries were normal (what I was concerned about with the bloat) but it also showed the aforementioned uterine polyp. Now my gyn wants to do another D&C. I asked him if he did a hysteroscopy during the first one (because I figured if he had done it then he would have seen the uterine polyp, removed it, and I wouldn't be facing a second D&C!) Anyway, he said he never does them on post-menopausal women because the cervix is too rigid. So without hysteroscopy, how is he going to remove the polyp now? I asked him that and he said, "well, I'll just scrape everything out." Huh? I thought that you could still "miss" a polyp on the scraping and I'm afraid I"ll end up as before with continuous bleeding after the D&C. He then said that he could see if they have a really thin scope in the O.R. that he could use. Now my confidence is not very high - if he doesn't know if they have a thin hysteroscope he's obviously never done one on a post-menopausal woman! This doc is listed in the Top Doctors book and is very well-respected around here. I don't know what to do. Has anyone heard of this - that hysteroscopy is not performed on post-menopausal women? Would a D&C without hysteroscopy remove a polyp? Should I go ahead or get another opinion? Find another doctor?
I would really appreciate any thoughts, advice. I'm so scared, worried, confused, nervous, you name it. If you've managed to read through this whole post, thank you!
Nornie
Not sure this is the best place to ask this question as most of you are still having periods. But of the few who still post here and are post-menopausal (Hellas, Molly, Twanger...) maybe one of you might be able to help. Sorry for the lengthy post, but I don't know how to shorten it.
In 2003 I had a short, light period (definitely a period not just bleeding) at 14 months post and my gyn said we should do a biopsy to be safe, but said he couldn't in the office because of another problem I had at the time, so he did a D&C. All was fine, but I couldn't stop bleeding after the D&C and eventually had to take BCPs for a month to get the bleeding to stop. Not a pleasant experience. I had gone to another gyn for a 2nd opinion about why I had so much bleeding afterwards and she did an ultrasound in her office and said I had a uterine polyp which was missed on the D&C and it probably got nicked during the scraping and that's why I was bleeding. It was at this time it was discovered I was severly hypothyroid and so I paid attention to getting that regulated and all was fine for 2 years.
Here we are today and I've posted before about my bouts of bloat which come and go. My last bout in early August was really bad and I got so scared I asked for another ultrasound. Of course the day of the ultrasound all the bloat had disappeared and has not returned. Nevertheless, this 2nd ultrasound showed the ovaries were normal (what I was concerned about with the bloat) but it also showed the aforementioned uterine polyp. Now my gyn wants to do another D&C. I asked him if he did a hysteroscopy during the first one (because I figured if he had done it then he would have seen the uterine polyp, removed it, and I wouldn't be facing a second D&C!) Anyway, he said he never does them on post-menopausal women because the cervix is too rigid. So without hysteroscopy, how is he going to remove the polyp now? I asked him that and he said, "well, I'll just scrape everything out." Huh? I thought that you could still "miss" a polyp on the scraping and I'm afraid I"ll end up as before with continuous bleeding after the D&C. He then said that he could see if they have a really thin scope in the O.R. that he could use. Now my confidence is not very high - if he doesn't know if they have a thin hysteroscope he's obviously never done one on a post-menopausal woman! This doc is listed in the Top Doctors book and is very well-respected around here. I don't know what to do. Has anyone heard of this - that hysteroscopy is not performed on post-menopausal women? Would a D&C without hysteroscopy remove a polyp? Should I go ahead or get another opinion? Find another doctor?
I would really appreciate any thoughts, advice. I'm so scared, worried, confused, nervous, you name it. If you've managed to read through this whole post, thank you!
Nornie
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LINDA505
09-20-2005, 11:57 AM
Dear Nornie,
I Am Post Menopausal For 5 Yrs. And Had Spotting . I Had Pms, Sore Breasts
And Everything Prior To The Spotting. 34 Days Later The Same Thing...sore
Breasts, Pms. Had An Endo Bx Which Showed Mild Disordered Proliferative
Endometrium. Transvaginal U.s Showed Endo Thickening Of 8mm. I Am Going
Friday For A Hysteroscopy And D And C. The Female Gyn I Go To Said She Does This Procedure Every Week On Post Meno Women Who Have Bleeding Or
Spotting. She Also Told Me That If Doesn't Matter If You Had Spotting Or
Bleeding It Is Treated The Same Way. Did You Have A Thickened Endometrial
Lining When This Was First Done? I Still Am Confused As To Why This Has
Happened To Me And I Am Hoping That She Will Find A Polyp And That Will Be
The Cause. Endo Bx's Are Not A 100% As She Said That Even Though It Did Not State That I Did Ot Have A Polyp I Could Still Have One. Also The U.s
Is Not 100% Accurate As You Can Still Have A Fibroid Or Polyp That Did Not
Show Because Of Where It Is And Also The Technician May Not Be As Experienced In This. I Do Not Understand Some Of These Doctors And Feel That They Just Don't Want To Be Bothered With Doing The Right Thing. My
Gyn Told Me That The Hysterscope Is As Small Around As A Pencil. I Would
Imagine That If A Child Could Get Through Your Cervix A Pencil Would. I Would Think That The Only Way To Get A Good Result Is For The Gyn To See
What The State Of Your Uterus Is In And That Can Only Be Done With The
Use Of A Hysterscope. Find Another Gyn Who Will Do This Procedure On You
And Save Yourself All The Worry. I Can Certainly Understand What You Are
Going Through. This Has Been For Me Since June And Here It Is Almost Oct.
And I Still Have To Wait And Wonder What God Has In Store For Me. I Pray For The Both Of Us That We Will Get Through This And Move On With Life.
If You Would Like To Email Me My Email Is Lev505@ntelos.net. Good Luck
And Let Me Know How You Are Doing
Linda
I Am Post Menopausal For 5 Yrs. And Had Spotting . I Had Pms, Sore Breasts
And Everything Prior To The Spotting. 34 Days Later The Same Thing...sore
Breasts, Pms. Had An Endo Bx Which Showed Mild Disordered Proliferative
Endometrium. Transvaginal U.s Showed Endo Thickening Of 8mm. I Am Going
Friday For A Hysteroscopy And D And C. The Female Gyn I Go To Said She Does This Procedure Every Week On Post Meno Women Who Have Bleeding Or
Spotting. She Also Told Me That If Doesn't Matter If You Had Spotting Or
Bleeding It Is Treated The Same Way. Did You Have A Thickened Endometrial
Lining When This Was First Done? I Still Am Confused As To Why This Has
Happened To Me And I Am Hoping That She Will Find A Polyp And That Will Be
The Cause. Endo Bx's Are Not A 100% As She Said That Even Though It Did Not State That I Did Ot Have A Polyp I Could Still Have One. Also The U.s
Is Not 100% Accurate As You Can Still Have A Fibroid Or Polyp That Did Not
Show Because Of Where It Is And Also The Technician May Not Be As Experienced In This. I Do Not Understand Some Of These Doctors And Feel That They Just Don't Want To Be Bothered With Doing The Right Thing. My
Gyn Told Me That The Hysterscope Is As Small Around As A Pencil. I Would
Imagine That If A Child Could Get Through Your Cervix A Pencil Would. I Would Think That The Only Way To Get A Good Result Is For The Gyn To See
What The State Of Your Uterus Is In And That Can Only Be Done With The
Use Of A Hysterscope. Find Another Gyn Who Will Do This Procedure On You
And Save Yourself All The Worry. I Can Certainly Understand What You Are
Going Through. This Has Been For Me Since June And Here It Is Almost Oct.
And I Still Have To Wait And Wonder What God Has In Store For Me. I Pray For The Both Of Us That We Will Get Through This And Move On With Life.
If You Would Like To Email Me My Email Is Lev505@ntelos.net. Good Luck
And Let Me Know How You Are Doing
Linda
nornie
09-20-2005, 12:18 PM
Linda,
Thank you so much for your reply! You have inspired me to call around to find another doctor. It's so hard to do that though, I hate going to new doctors and there just don't seem to be many good ones around here. Anyhow, I'm so sorry you are going through so much anguish. Try not to worry so much, it only makes everything worse. Since you had all those PMS symptoms, sounds like you are just having a hormonal imbalance. You can get that from an estrogen surge and it will also thicken the endometrium sine we are not regularly having periods at this stage. This seems to be a fairly common problem these days, we get estrogen from the foods we eat, the air we breathe. Do you by any chance eat alot of soy? I've heard that OD'ing on soy can give you more estrogen too. Since you didn't say whether you are on hormones - I'll assume you're not - but that could certainly induce bleeding. I'm glad you are getting your procedure done soon and it will put your mind at rest. Again, please don't worry. I know it's so easy to say as people tell me that too and yet I'm a nervous wreck. I can put it out of my mind for a bit, then the what-ifs come back full force.
I never had children, so maybe my cervix is extra-tight and that is why he won't do it. But I'm certainly going to seek another doctor anyhow. Just the fact that he didn't know whether the OR has a thin tube was very disappointing. And this doctor is chairman of the ob/gyn department! Scary.
Let us know how you are doing, too.
Nornie
Thank you so much for your reply! You have inspired me to call around to find another doctor. It's so hard to do that though, I hate going to new doctors and there just don't seem to be many good ones around here. Anyhow, I'm so sorry you are going through so much anguish. Try not to worry so much, it only makes everything worse. Since you had all those PMS symptoms, sounds like you are just having a hormonal imbalance. You can get that from an estrogen surge and it will also thicken the endometrium sine we are not regularly having periods at this stage. This seems to be a fairly common problem these days, we get estrogen from the foods we eat, the air we breathe. Do you by any chance eat alot of soy? I've heard that OD'ing on soy can give you more estrogen too. Since you didn't say whether you are on hormones - I'll assume you're not - but that could certainly induce bleeding. I'm glad you are getting your procedure done soon and it will put your mind at rest. Again, please don't worry. I know it's so easy to say as people tell me that too and yet I'm a nervous wreck. I can put it out of my mind for a bit, then the what-ifs come back full force.
I never had children, so maybe my cervix is extra-tight and that is why he won't do it. But I'm certainly going to seek another doctor anyhow. Just the fact that he didn't know whether the OR has a thin tube was very disappointing. And this doctor is chairman of the ob/gyn department! Scary.
Let us know how you are doing, too.
Nornie
LINDA505
09-20-2005, 05:58 PM
Nornie,
Thank you for your kind words as well and if you are not in any kind of hurry to get this
procedure done I would call your local hospitals and ask for the physician referral and see if they know of anyone who does this procedure on post meno women. I worked in
a hospital in Florida for 10 years and we had a referral line. You can also ask for the patient advocate in the hospital and talk with them. I know our hospital was very good
about helping patients in and out of the hospital.
Yes, I was eatting boca burgers about 3 or 4 times a week but the gyn said that would not do it. I also lost weight about 18 lbs in 3 months and I know that weight loss
can cause some estrogen to be released from the fat cells. I have discussed this with the Doctor but she still does not think it has anything to do with the spotting. I feel
it does to some extent as all this started to happen when I started to miss doses on
my Synthroid and was on a diet and had alot of stress and anxiety during that time.
I am not on hormones but will consider taking natural progesterone if my problem is
hormonal. I must have unopposed estrogen as my bx and ultra sound shows that I do.
I trust my Doc but i also know my own body and know that when I felt this surge of
Estrogen I stopped having hot flashes which I had every day for over 5 yrs.
Well enough about me........I know that there is a drug that you can take to dilate your cervix. I think it is Cytotec which was orginally prescribed for another problem but look it up and see if that is the drug they use. I agree that if this doctor is the
chairman of the ob.gyn department he should know what type of equipment is available in the OR. If you can wait I would and get it done right this time. My gyn said that is the only way to get a good scraping. Also, your thyroid can cause bloating. I had bloating for years on and off .When my thyroid was off I also experienced my eyes feeling weird and migratory bone and muscle pain. Let me know what you find out and Good Luck in your search.
Linda
Thank you for your kind words as well and if you are not in any kind of hurry to get this
procedure done I would call your local hospitals and ask for the physician referral and see if they know of anyone who does this procedure on post meno women. I worked in
a hospital in Florida for 10 years and we had a referral line. You can also ask for the patient advocate in the hospital and talk with them. I know our hospital was very good
about helping patients in and out of the hospital.
Yes, I was eatting boca burgers about 3 or 4 times a week but the gyn said that would not do it. I also lost weight about 18 lbs in 3 months and I know that weight loss
can cause some estrogen to be released from the fat cells. I have discussed this with the Doctor but she still does not think it has anything to do with the spotting. I feel
it does to some extent as all this started to happen when I started to miss doses on
my Synthroid and was on a diet and had alot of stress and anxiety during that time.
I am not on hormones but will consider taking natural progesterone if my problem is
hormonal. I must have unopposed estrogen as my bx and ultra sound shows that I do.
I trust my Doc but i also know my own body and know that when I felt this surge of
Estrogen I stopped having hot flashes which I had every day for over 5 yrs.
Well enough about me........I know that there is a drug that you can take to dilate your cervix. I think it is Cytotec which was orginally prescribed for another problem but look it up and see if that is the drug they use. I agree that if this doctor is the
chairman of the ob.gyn department he should know what type of equipment is available in the OR. If you can wait I would and get it done right this time. My gyn said that is the only way to get a good scraping. Also, your thyroid can cause bloating. I had bloating for years on and off .When my thyroid was off I also experienced my eyes feeling weird and migratory bone and muscle pain. Let me know what you find out and Good Luck in your search.
Linda
LINDA505
09-20-2005, 06:11 PM
nornie,
I just checked out Cytotec and yes they use it to dilate the cervix. It is given orally
600 mcg or 400 mcg vaginally the night before the procedure. I remember we use to give it to patients along with NSIADS so they would not get ulcers. It nice to know that they brain is still working for me. All is not lost!!!!!!!!
Hope that this helps.
I just checked out Cytotec and yes they use it to dilate the cervix. It is given orally
600 mcg or 400 mcg vaginally the night before the procedure. I remember we use to give it to patients along with NSIADS so they would not get ulcers. It nice to know that they brain is still working for me. All is not lost!!!!!!!!
Hope that this helps.
nornie
09-20-2005, 06:12 PM
Linda,
I can't believe how similar our stories are! My situation now feels just like deja vu to 2 years ago - all my symptoms are the same as when my thyroid was way hypo (TSH 44!) and I'm one of the weird ones who always loses weight when I get hypo. So I've lost a couple more pounds and I have the same nighttime muscle aches that I did back then, that same spacey feeling I felt then, so I've had my thyroid checked and it is definitely climbing again (though not out of the OLD range so can't find a dr to up my dosage) but I'm sure it will be soon as it is now 4.5 and for the past 16 months has been hovering around 1.0. So I agree there is a correlation. My hot flashes stopped as well! I've read there is a correlation between estrogen and thyroid so I don't think we're crazy that we notice this!
I called my internal medicine dr and spoke to his nurse there who is very nice. She gave me 4 gyns who patients have highly recommended. She is in the same position as well - not happy with her current one and is going to try one of the 4 she gave me as well. I called and have an appointment next week. That alone is making me feel better as the other guy only saw patients one day a week - it was always such a pain to get an appt.
I did not know about that drug - I will look it up and mention it to the new doc if he gives me the same story.
Thanks so much for your encouragement. We will get through this!
Nornie
I can't believe how similar our stories are! My situation now feels just like deja vu to 2 years ago - all my symptoms are the same as when my thyroid was way hypo (TSH 44!) and I'm one of the weird ones who always loses weight when I get hypo. So I've lost a couple more pounds and I have the same nighttime muscle aches that I did back then, that same spacey feeling I felt then, so I've had my thyroid checked and it is definitely climbing again (though not out of the OLD range so can't find a dr to up my dosage) but I'm sure it will be soon as it is now 4.5 and for the past 16 months has been hovering around 1.0. So I agree there is a correlation. My hot flashes stopped as well! I've read there is a correlation between estrogen and thyroid so I don't think we're crazy that we notice this!
I called my internal medicine dr and spoke to his nurse there who is very nice. She gave me 4 gyns who patients have highly recommended. She is in the same position as well - not happy with her current one and is going to try one of the 4 she gave me as well. I called and have an appointment next week. That alone is making me feel better as the other guy only saw patients one day a week - it was always such a pain to get an appt.
I did not know about that drug - I will look it up and mention it to the new doc if he gives me the same story.
Thanks so much for your encouragement. We will get through this!
Nornie
LINDA505
09-24-2005, 12:19 PM
Nornie,
Yesterday I Had The Hyserscopy And D & C. I Had An Epidural And Was Put To Sleep. I Woke Up Not Even Knowing I Had Anything Done. Light Spotting
And Today No Blood At All. I Feel Great And Would Never Know I Had Anything Done. The Doc Told My Husband And Daughter I Had A Clean Uterus. No Fibroids Or Polyps. Now I Wait To See If The Bx Was Negative. I Pray That I Can Put This Behind Me. I Kind Of Was Hoping That I Had A Polyp And That Would Explain The Spotting. Hopefully It Is Hormonal. Hope You Can Find A Doc That Will Do The Hysterscopy On You. Keep In Touch.
Linda
Yesterday I Had The Hyserscopy And D & C. I Had An Epidural And Was Put To Sleep. I Woke Up Not Even Knowing I Had Anything Done. Light Spotting
And Today No Blood At All. I Feel Great And Would Never Know I Had Anything Done. The Doc Told My Husband And Daughter I Had A Clean Uterus. No Fibroids Or Polyps. Now I Wait To See If The Bx Was Negative. I Pray That I Can Put This Behind Me. I Kind Of Was Hoping That I Had A Polyp And That Would Explain The Spotting. Hopefully It Is Hormonal. Hope You Can Find A Doc That Will Do The Hysterscopy On You. Keep In Touch.
Linda
nornie
09-24-2005, 01:08 PM
Nornie,
Yesterday I Had The Hyserscopy And D & C. I Had An Epidural And Was Put To Sleep. I Woke Up Not Even Knowing I Had Anything Done. Light Spotting
And Today No Blood At All. I Feel Great And Would Never Know I Had Anything Done. The Doc Told My Husband And Daughter I Had A Clean Uterus. No Fibroids Or Polyps. Now I Wait To See If The Bx Was Negative. I Pray That I Can Put This Behind Me. I Kind Of Was Hoping That I Had A Polyp And That Would Explain The Spotting. Hopefully It Is Hormonal. Hope You Can Find A Doc That Will Do The Hysterscopy On You. Keep In Touch.
Linda
Linda,
I was thinking about you yesterday and I'm so glad you wrote! So happy you are "clean"!! And no after effects too! I'm sure the bx will be fine - so very many women seem to have this and it turns out to just be hormonal.
It's great that it all went so easily for you. I am so scared to have this done because my last D&C was a nightmare. I wouldn't stop spotting afterwards and finally after a month had to take BCPs to get it to stop (never took them in my life and at age 51 to take them I was terrified of clots and stuff - my mom died of a blood clot) but anyhow after that I was fine. No bleeding. Which is why on one hand I'm wondering if I should do anything at all about this. I've had no symptoms and if I hadn't gotten so panicky about the bloating (which has totally gone away) I would never have gotten the ultrasound and wouldn't even know about the polyp/thickening whatever.
Sorry this is going on a bit, but I need to vent as I am so annoyed. I did find another doctor who was recommended by my PCPs office. Just calling for an appt gave me reservations because they were able to get me in the next day. In fact, she gave me multiple times I could come in. Does this guy have any patients? I was the only one in the waiting room. With most of these doctors you have to wait weeks - and he kept changing his story - finally ended up agreeing with the previous guy that hysteroscopy wouldn't give anymore information. I think they all agree with him because he is chairman of the dept.
I did call the hospital as you said and they don't have a good referral service. Sounds like they just go through the phone book as they knew nothing about anyone.
I found another doctor in the Top Docs book which says "specializes in hysteroscopic surgery" so that sounded great - called his office and can't get in until Dec 1! Not sure if my nerves can hold out that long.
I was just getting very angry sitting here this morning thinking about how if I want to buy a new TV I could go on the internet and read thousands of pages about brands, stores, reliability, etc. But when it comes to the most important "purchase" in our lives, finding a good doctor, you're just shooting in the dark! That is so unfair.
Anyhow.. ENOUGH about me! I am so happy that this went so smoothly for you and I am sure your bx will turn out fine. Please treat yourself to something wonderful this weekend - you've worried so much about this - you deserve some high quality TLC!
Happy hug from me.
Nornie
Yesterday I Had The Hyserscopy And D & C. I Had An Epidural And Was Put To Sleep. I Woke Up Not Even Knowing I Had Anything Done. Light Spotting
And Today No Blood At All. I Feel Great And Would Never Know I Had Anything Done. The Doc Told My Husband And Daughter I Had A Clean Uterus. No Fibroids Or Polyps. Now I Wait To See If The Bx Was Negative. I Pray That I Can Put This Behind Me. I Kind Of Was Hoping That I Had A Polyp And That Would Explain The Spotting. Hopefully It Is Hormonal. Hope You Can Find A Doc That Will Do The Hysterscopy On You. Keep In Touch.
Linda
Linda,
I was thinking about you yesterday and I'm so glad you wrote! So happy you are "clean"!! And no after effects too! I'm sure the bx will be fine - so very many women seem to have this and it turns out to just be hormonal.
It's great that it all went so easily for you. I am so scared to have this done because my last D&C was a nightmare. I wouldn't stop spotting afterwards and finally after a month had to take BCPs to get it to stop (never took them in my life and at age 51 to take them I was terrified of clots and stuff - my mom died of a blood clot) but anyhow after that I was fine. No bleeding. Which is why on one hand I'm wondering if I should do anything at all about this. I've had no symptoms and if I hadn't gotten so panicky about the bloating (which has totally gone away) I would never have gotten the ultrasound and wouldn't even know about the polyp/thickening whatever.
Sorry this is going on a bit, but I need to vent as I am so annoyed. I did find another doctor who was recommended by my PCPs office. Just calling for an appt gave me reservations because they were able to get me in the next day. In fact, she gave me multiple times I could come in. Does this guy have any patients? I was the only one in the waiting room. With most of these doctors you have to wait weeks - and he kept changing his story - finally ended up agreeing with the previous guy that hysteroscopy wouldn't give anymore information. I think they all agree with him because he is chairman of the dept.
I did call the hospital as you said and they don't have a good referral service. Sounds like they just go through the phone book as they knew nothing about anyone.
I found another doctor in the Top Docs book which says "specializes in hysteroscopic surgery" so that sounded great - called his office and can't get in until Dec 1! Not sure if my nerves can hold out that long.
I was just getting very angry sitting here this morning thinking about how if I want to buy a new TV I could go on the internet and read thousands of pages about brands, stores, reliability, etc. But when it comes to the most important "purchase" in our lives, finding a good doctor, you're just shooting in the dark! That is so unfair.
Anyhow.. ENOUGH about me! I am so happy that this went so smoothly for you and I am sure your bx will turn out fine. Please treat yourself to something wonderful this weekend - you've worried so much about this - you deserve some high quality TLC!
Happy hug from me.
Nornie
LINDA505
09-24-2005, 05:05 PM
Nornie,
So sorry to hear about your plight. I am sorry to hear about your experience with that
doctor. He sounds like he doesn't know much about anything and I think his waiting room proves it. When I go back to see my Gyn I am going to ask her about this and see what she has to say. When so many women our age have this problem and are
post menopausal I would think the likeihood of no bein able to go a hysteroscopy would be rare. Did you have endometrial thickening on the last transvaginal sono or just a polyp or both? Where do you live? We lived in South Florida for over 30 yrs. and moved to Central Virginia in the Shenandoah Valley alittle over 2 years ago. We love it here and have retired since living here. I was in the process of getting health
insurance when this happened and could not lie about it to get insurance so we are left with no insurance coverage. I pray that this is all it is but if not I will have to face
it . Our daugther who lives here with her husband are the reason we came up here. The last 5 years before coming here I had gone through alot of stress with family illness. My mom was diagnosised with Non Hodgkins Lymphoma in 2001 and then 8 months later my younger brother at 42 was diagnosised with a different kind of non
hodgkins and 2 months after that my father was dx'd with rectal Ca. With the grace of
God they all survived the cancer and my mother was cured, brother in total remission and father cured and did not even need chemo. My mother and brother had chemo though. I worked in the cancer center at the hospital and was able to get my brother
the leader in this type of cancer and he saved my brothers life. Needless to say I was
in a whirlwind of stress but everyone was doing to well that I felt we could make this move and start living our life. We were here a year when my darling mother passed away. She had a massive heart attack but I believe that her kidneys failed and that
is the reason she had a heart attack. She was the light in my life and I beleive that when she passed I just got myself deeper into depression and anxiety and then it seems all this other stuff started to happen. I am so glad that I got to see her for her
80th birthday in Dec. We were going to be there the following week in April when she
passed away, so I missed her by 1 wk. Anyway, that is life I guess and the one thing we all share as humans...the lose of those we love. I am fortunate to have a wonderful family and a good support system from them. I am a chronic worry wart and
i obscess over illness and I know I can get myself all crazy over things. I guess it is
too many years in the medical field. You see and know too many things and that puts
my mind to working overtime. I hope that you can find some peace of mind with your
new situation. Do you have any bleeding or spotting? You can leave polyps alone if they are not causing you any problems. I know that polyps have a estrogenic effect and that is why you can bleed if you have any but I don't know why you would have to go through another procedure if you can not be assured of getting rid of them.
You are so right about medical care and the availabiltiy of finding good doctors. I have
a very jaundiced view of doctors only because I have seen some of the worst but I have also seen some of the best and do know that they exist. My only other suggestion is seeing if the AMA has any suggestions in your area for a good GYN that
will do that procedure. How about webMD on the internet? Do you have insurance? Sometimes they can give you help in locating someone. Well ,Nornie I feel like I know you and I so thankful for you kindness ad support. On my original post in August you were the only one to write me and I was so appreciative. Sometimes you feel all alone in your fears and problems and it is nice to have someone reach out to you and extend themselves in kindness and support. I will keep you informed and hope that you can find the help you so deserve. Thanks again , Nornie for being there for me.
God Bless you
Linda
So sorry to hear about your plight. I am sorry to hear about your experience with that
doctor. He sounds like he doesn't know much about anything and I think his waiting room proves it. When I go back to see my Gyn I am going to ask her about this and see what she has to say. When so many women our age have this problem and are
post menopausal I would think the likeihood of no bein able to go a hysteroscopy would be rare. Did you have endometrial thickening on the last transvaginal sono or just a polyp or both? Where do you live? We lived in South Florida for over 30 yrs. and moved to Central Virginia in the Shenandoah Valley alittle over 2 years ago. We love it here and have retired since living here. I was in the process of getting health
insurance when this happened and could not lie about it to get insurance so we are left with no insurance coverage. I pray that this is all it is but if not I will have to face
it . Our daugther who lives here with her husband are the reason we came up here. The last 5 years before coming here I had gone through alot of stress with family illness. My mom was diagnosised with Non Hodgkins Lymphoma in 2001 and then 8 months later my younger brother at 42 was diagnosised with a different kind of non
hodgkins and 2 months after that my father was dx'd with rectal Ca. With the grace of
God they all survived the cancer and my mother was cured, brother in total remission and father cured and did not even need chemo. My mother and brother had chemo though. I worked in the cancer center at the hospital and was able to get my brother
the leader in this type of cancer and he saved my brothers life. Needless to say I was
in a whirlwind of stress but everyone was doing to well that I felt we could make this move and start living our life. We were here a year when my darling mother passed away. She had a massive heart attack but I believe that her kidneys failed and that
is the reason she had a heart attack. She was the light in my life and I beleive that when she passed I just got myself deeper into depression and anxiety and then it seems all this other stuff started to happen. I am so glad that I got to see her for her
80th birthday in Dec. We were going to be there the following week in April when she
passed away, so I missed her by 1 wk. Anyway, that is life I guess and the one thing we all share as humans...the lose of those we love. I am fortunate to have a wonderful family and a good support system from them. I am a chronic worry wart and
i obscess over illness and I know I can get myself all crazy over things. I guess it is
too many years in the medical field. You see and know too many things and that puts
my mind to working overtime. I hope that you can find some peace of mind with your
new situation. Do you have any bleeding or spotting? You can leave polyps alone if they are not causing you any problems. I know that polyps have a estrogenic effect and that is why you can bleed if you have any but I don't know why you would have to go through another procedure if you can not be assured of getting rid of them.
You are so right about medical care and the availabiltiy of finding good doctors. I have
a very jaundiced view of doctors only because I have seen some of the worst but I have also seen some of the best and do know that they exist. My only other suggestion is seeing if the AMA has any suggestions in your area for a good GYN that
will do that procedure. How about webMD on the internet? Do you have insurance? Sometimes they can give you help in locating someone. Well ,Nornie I feel like I know you and I so thankful for you kindness ad support. On my original post in August you were the only one to write me and I was so appreciative. Sometimes you feel all alone in your fears and problems and it is nice to have someone reach out to you and extend themselves in kindness and support. I will keep you informed and hope that you can find the help you so deserve. Thanks again , Nornie for being there for me.
God Bless you
Linda
nornie
09-25-2005, 11:53 AM
Oh gosh, Linda, no wonder you had a period with all that stress! Don't you remember when we were young how periods would go crazy whenever we had boyfriend trouble, or facing final exams, or anything stressful! After all you've been through it would be totally expected for your hormones to go nuts again, especially if you are also hypothyroid, as they are so related and both so influenced by stress. I'm so sorry about your mom's passing, but as you said, at least you got to spend that time with her at Christmas. Our memories sustain us through the sad times. I can relate to all you said, as it was shortly after my Father died and then I lost my job, that I started having my problems 2 years ago. Though I wish I had found this board back then as I probably wouldn't have gone to a doctor since it was a perfectly normal period and only 3 months past the one-year mark. There's another thread going on this board where someone also got a period after 1-year and then everyone else starts telling about others they know. Honestly, doctors have really got to put that one away. It sure seems like more women than not are having periods after they pass the one-year mark. So that's more evidence for you not to worry.
To answer some of the other questions you asked about me - when I wouldn't stop bleeding after the first D&C and only stopped after taking the BCPs, I kept asking the surgeon why that happened and his best answer was "these things happen sometimes." That didn't satisfy me, so I went to another doctor who did a trans-v ultrasound in her office and saw a polyp. She said it probably got disturbed during the D&C and that's why I had the bleeding. (If the surgeon had done the hysteroscopy the first time and removed the polyp, all would be fine now!!!) So you are very right - why should I go back to him again if he's only going to do another D&C - I'll have the same situation all over again. The latest ultrasound said it couldn't tell whether there was thickening or if it was a polyp, but since that other doc saw the polyp before, that's what I think it still is.
Why don't I go back to her? I may do that. Although I had originally found her through a recommendation from a friend. I've asked that friend whether she ever had any surgery done by this woman and she said she had an office procedure done there and my friend took a very long time to heal. But she really liked her because she kept following up, told her everything, etc. But I'm not sure now....I don't care so much about bedside manner as much as skillful surgeon.
One thing you said which is VERY interesting is about polyps having an estrogenic effect. I've always wondered about that because occasionally I do get these PMS type feelings, just that kind of pulling, aching, but then it goes away. Always felt like I was still getting some estrogen (plus I've suffered from very few hot flashes/night sweats - guess there can be some benefit to polyps?) That other "quack" doctor - the one with the empty waiting room I saw last week - he said spotting occurs with polyps because they are on a stalk and rub against the endometrium. Your explanation makes more sense.
In the meantime I've got classes to teach this week, will be very hard to be enthusiastic with all this on my mind. Hopefully maybe it will get my mind off it for a bit and I can think more clearly. Haven't been sleeping or eating well with all this mental churning.
Thanks again Linda for all your support. It is really good to talk with others who can understand.
Nornie
To answer some of the other questions you asked about me - when I wouldn't stop bleeding after the first D&C and only stopped after taking the BCPs, I kept asking the surgeon why that happened and his best answer was "these things happen sometimes." That didn't satisfy me, so I went to another doctor who did a trans-v ultrasound in her office and saw a polyp. She said it probably got disturbed during the D&C and that's why I had the bleeding. (If the surgeon had done the hysteroscopy the first time and removed the polyp, all would be fine now!!!) So you are very right - why should I go back to him again if he's only going to do another D&C - I'll have the same situation all over again. The latest ultrasound said it couldn't tell whether there was thickening or if it was a polyp, but since that other doc saw the polyp before, that's what I think it still is.
Why don't I go back to her? I may do that. Although I had originally found her through a recommendation from a friend. I've asked that friend whether she ever had any surgery done by this woman and she said she had an office procedure done there and my friend took a very long time to heal. But she really liked her because she kept following up, told her everything, etc. But I'm not sure now....I don't care so much about bedside manner as much as skillful surgeon.
One thing you said which is VERY interesting is about polyps having an estrogenic effect. I've always wondered about that because occasionally I do get these PMS type feelings, just that kind of pulling, aching, but then it goes away. Always felt like I was still getting some estrogen (plus I've suffered from very few hot flashes/night sweats - guess there can be some benefit to polyps?) That other "quack" doctor - the one with the empty waiting room I saw last week - he said spotting occurs with polyps because they are on a stalk and rub against the endometrium. Your explanation makes more sense.
In the meantime I've got classes to teach this week, will be very hard to be enthusiastic with all this on my mind. Hopefully maybe it will get my mind off it for a bit and I can think more clearly. Haven't been sleeping or eating well with all this mental churning.
Thanks again Linda for all your support. It is really good to talk with others who can understand.
Nornie
LINDA505
09-25-2005, 12:14 PM
Nornie,
Thanks for writing again. The "quack doctor" is correct that polyps can be on a stalk and they do rub the endometrium and can cause bleeding. That coupled with the fact that they can have an estrogenic effect would be enough cause for you to have spotting. I am still troubled with all the contradictions that the medical community has
in regards to this problem of post menopausal spotting or bleeding. Even though they
know that polyps and fibroids and such can cause bleeding and also hormonal imbalance they still persue it as though you have cancer and when that is ruled out they go forward with the other possiblities. Take care and I will let you know how the
bx turned out.
Linda
Thanks for writing again. The "quack doctor" is correct that polyps can be on a stalk and they do rub the endometrium and can cause bleeding. That coupled with the fact that they can have an estrogenic effect would be enough cause for you to have spotting. I am still troubled with all the contradictions that the medical community has
in regards to this problem of post menopausal spotting or bleeding. Even though they
know that polyps and fibroids and such can cause bleeding and also hormonal imbalance they still persue it as though you have cancer and when that is ruled out they go forward with the other possiblities. Take care and I will let you know how the
bx turned out.
Linda
LINDA505
09-27-2005, 08:14 PM
Nornie,
Just Wanted To Let You Know That Y Biopsy Came Back Negative From The D & C. No Hyperplasia Or Anything. I Am So Thankful And Can Finally Put My Mind At Ease For The First Time Since June. All My Prayers Have Been Answered And I Thank You For Your Support. I Hope That You Will Be Able To
Get Resolution To Your Problem As Well. I Will Keep In Touch With You And
You Can Always Email Me At My Address. [ please read and follow the posting rules - no emails ]
I Will Keep You In My Prayers
Linda
[ Please read the posting rules which explain that offering or asking off board contact is not permitted. The boards are to be used for on board sharing, only. The email and private message features are turned off so that use of the message boards remain anonymous. The only contact you may make with members is to post on the board. ]
Just Wanted To Let You Know That Y Biopsy Came Back Negative From The D & C. No Hyperplasia Or Anything. I Am So Thankful And Can Finally Put My Mind At Ease For The First Time Since June. All My Prayers Have Been Answered And I Thank You For Your Support. I Hope That You Will Be Able To
Get Resolution To Your Problem As Well. I Will Keep In Touch With You And
You Can Always Email Me At My Address. [ please read and follow the posting rules - no emails ]
I Will Keep You In My Prayers
Linda
[ Please read the posting rules which explain that offering or asking off board contact is not permitted. The boards are to be used for on board sharing, only. The email and private message features are turned off so that use of the message boards remain anonymous. The only contact you may make with members is to post on the board. ]
nornie
09-27-2005, 11:02 PM
Oh, what wonderful news!! I'm sending you a big hug!
So did the doctors have any explanation for you? Was "hormone surge" the answer? I wonder what the trigger is for that. Yet another lady posted to another thread today about getting a period 2 years after. Seems to be more and more common.
But I am so glad to hear your news!
Thank you for your support as well. I may be going for an office biopsy. I was thinking if that comes out okay, I'll have some reassurance and will feel better about taking my time finding a good surgeon who will do the hysteroscopy and remove the darn polyp. Do you think that plan makes sense? I'm just worried that bx will trigger bleeding like I had after the D&C because supposedly they "disturbed" the polyp during the scraping. BCPs finally had stopped the bleeding, but I sure would hate to have to go that route again. Would the bx disturb the polyp as well or is it just not as rough? See...I haven't had any bleeding at all since that D&C. As I mentioned, this polyp/endo thickening (they couldn't tell which on the ultrasound, but I know I have an old polyp) was found when I asked for an ultrasound because I was worried about my bouts of bloating. That's how this all started. But they said ovaries were fine (which is what I was worried about), but now they've got me all worried about the thickening/polyp.
Well anyway, I really am delighted to hear your great news! Now you can get back into enjoying your life. Thanks for letting me know and thanks for all your support. I will stay in touch.
Nornie
So did the doctors have any explanation for you? Was "hormone surge" the answer? I wonder what the trigger is for that. Yet another lady posted to another thread today about getting a period 2 years after. Seems to be more and more common.
But I am so glad to hear your news!
Thank you for your support as well. I may be going for an office biopsy. I was thinking if that comes out okay, I'll have some reassurance and will feel better about taking my time finding a good surgeon who will do the hysteroscopy and remove the darn polyp. Do you think that plan makes sense? I'm just worried that bx will trigger bleeding like I had after the D&C because supposedly they "disturbed" the polyp during the scraping. BCPs finally had stopped the bleeding, but I sure would hate to have to go that route again. Would the bx disturb the polyp as well or is it just not as rough? See...I haven't had any bleeding at all since that D&C. As I mentioned, this polyp/endo thickening (they couldn't tell which on the ultrasound, but I know I have an old polyp) was found when I asked for an ultrasound because I was worried about my bouts of bloating. That's how this all started. But they said ovaries were fine (which is what I was worried about), but now they've got me all worried about the thickening/polyp.
Well anyway, I really am delighted to hear your great news! Now you can get back into enjoying your life. Thanks for letting me know and thanks for all your support. I will stay in touch.
Nornie
LINDA505
09-28-2005, 03:55 PM
Nornie,
You are so sweet for all your support. She said that "these things happen sometimes"
that we spot or bleed for no reason. I still think it was hormonal as I had all the symptoms. Your plan does make sense. I would think that the question of endo thickening vs polyp would lean more towards them seeing the polyp than having actual thickening,especially if the thickening is only in one spot. The bx might disturb the polyp and cause bleeding. From what I have read you would have more spotting than
actual bleeding from it becoming irritated but as you know everyone is different. You can have a polypectomy but I am not sure if this is accomplished via D & C or if they use another means of doing it. Hopefully you will get the answers you need. I will keep in touch and I am here if you need anything, any time.
Thanks again my internet friend,
Linda
You are so sweet for all your support. She said that "these things happen sometimes"
that we spot or bleed for no reason. I still think it was hormonal as I had all the symptoms. Your plan does make sense. I would think that the question of endo thickening vs polyp would lean more towards them seeing the polyp than having actual thickening,especially if the thickening is only in one spot. The bx might disturb the polyp and cause bleeding. From what I have read you would have more spotting than
actual bleeding from it becoming irritated but as you know everyone is different. You can have a polypectomy but I am not sure if this is accomplished via D & C or if they use another means of doing it. Hopefully you will get the answers you need. I will keep in touch and I am here if you need anything, any time.
Thanks again my internet friend,
Linda