Looking for some advise

Tee_riffic2014

Hello Everyone!

I would like to start by saying I have not been diagnosed with any type of cancer, however I am looking for some feedback from Ya'll and who better to ask then those that have first hand experience with this subject. I think you are all brave women btw. I have read some of the posts and your strength is admirable. I will try to make this short, haha, but probably won't succeed. So here we go... I am 38, married with 3 children. About a year ago I started spotting a bit between periods and it gradually became more and more frequent as well as the amount also increased. I am sorry if it is graphic... The spotting ranges from gushing bloody water, normal looking blood, to a very thick brown discharge. I constantly have to wear a pad as I never know when it will happen. I was once at one of my daughter's practices and wasn't prepared and it completely soaked through my jeans and started down my legs, talk about embarrasing. My periods have also become extremely heavy. I have almost constant cramp like pain and lower pelvic/back pain that sometime radiates up my side. I am usually really good about maintaning my weight, but I have recently put on about 12 lbs in a couple of months and it all seems to be in my mid section.

I finally worked up the courage to go see a gynocologist who immediatly wanted to put me on birth control to see if that would help. He also kept insisting that he screen for STD's. Ok, I can understand that he wanted to cover all the bases but I insisted that they were not nessasary but he did them anyways. They came back negative. I do not like taking medication or anything that is not necessary, which I explained to him so he sent me for an transvaginal ultrasound. The ultrasound revealed a very thick endometrial lining and what looked like a solid ovarian cyst. When I finally got in touch with his office almost 2 weeks later to ask about the results, his assistant said he wanted to schedule me for an endometrial biopsy. I had no idea why at the time as I didn't see the doctor. When I went in for the biopsy he said that my endometrial lining was a bit thicker than it should be and that is why he was doing the biopsy. He never even mentioned the cyst, and to be honest I'm not sure he even looked at the actual ultrasound as he had to read the computer screen in the room to remind himself why I was there. After the biopsy he said if it comes back positive for hyperplasia we would talk about treating it with hormones. 

Once again I had to call the office to get the results after 11 days and once again I did not speak with the doctor. The great news is that the biopsy came back negative for hyperplasia, cancer and atypia. I was a bit angry that he let me stress for 11 days for nothing. His assistant said he wanted to call in a prescription for birth control pills and see me back in 6 months and I should track any bleeding. Sorry for being so long winded but I was wondering if anyone had a similar experience during their journey of finding a diagnosis? Can a hormonal imbalance cause this pain and should I look for another Doctor or just play his wait and see game?  Any advise or shared experience is greatly appreciated. 

 

T.

Hybridspirits

what to do

the mere fact you are asking if you should seek another doctors opinion is enough to do that.  I went through the same thing, not as intense with my first dr and one year later it reappeared more consistently and found to have stage 1A cancer nonly after changing dr's.  If i had gone with my instincts one year earlier i might have found it in precancer or something else.

it is your body, the dr is treating you through his job not through your life.

unless you really can think of a good reason not to have a second opinion than do it.  You might also ask around to some of your feamale friends for a reference.  That is how i found my second Dr and was thrilled with her approach. 

 

good luck and put yourself first

 

Tee_riffic2014

Hybridspirits said:

what to do

the mere fact you are asking if you should seek another doctors opinion is enough to do that.  I went through the same thing, not as intense with my first dr and one year later it reappeared more consistently and found to have stage 1A cancer nonly after changing dr's.  If i had gone with my instincts one year earlier i might have found it in precancer or something else.

it is your body, the dr is treating you through his job not through your life.

unless you really can think of a good reason not to have a second opinion than do it.  You might also ask around to some of your feamale friends for a reference.  That is how i found my second Dr and was thrilled with her approach. 

 

good luck and put yourself first

 

Thank you

Thank you for your reply. You are right, I don't know why we sometimes need validation through others. Great idea about asking around for references. I had done that before I saw this doctor, however the one that was suggested had a 6 month waiting. I should have waited and saved myself some grief. Oh well, whats done is done. Time to move forward and find a new doctor.

Thanks again,

Kaleena

Go for second opinion

If you are still experiencing pain and such, go for a second opinion but go to a different location to get one.   If not, sometimes they just look at the records and come up with the same conclusion.   If you are not feeling right, keep asking questions.  Also, when getting results and such demand seeing the doctor.  Also, if you feel they are just giving you medication or asking you to take pills you have the right to ask why, what for, etc.

I was experiencing pain, etc. for over a year and going to doctors to find out why.  I was told it couldn't be cancer, but it was.  If you cannot live daily without worrying about being embarrassed because of leakage, etc., then you need to seek another opinion.  A good physician will give you scenarios and options and would let you make the decision on whether to play the wait and see game.

Of course, this is just my opinion.  I hope you find your answers.

My best to you.

Kathy

NoTimeForCancer

If you were my friend I would

If you were my friend I would ask you, "Do you trust this doctor?"  If you told me "yes" I would encourage you to push harder.  If you said "no" I would ask if you would like to see mine (I LOVE her!!! she saved my life) or help you look for a new one. 

This is your life.  It might not be serious, but someone should be able to find out what it is. 

IMO.

Sandy3185

NoTimeForCancer said:

If you were my friend I would

If you were my friend I would ask you, "Do you trust this doctor?"  If you told me "yes" I would encourage you to push harder.  If you said "no" I would ask if you would like to see mine (I LOVE her!!! she saved my life) or help you look for a new one. 

This is your life.  It might not be serious, but someone should be able to find out what it is. 

IMO.

2nd opinion

I would definitely look for another doctor and get another opinion! It is definitely not normal to have spotting, especially such heavy bleeding. When my granddaughter was 16 she started having extremely heavy periods and excruciating cramps. Then she started spotting between periods. After months of dr visits and unsuccessful treatments, she was diagnosed with severe endometriosis. She is now undergoing treatment with a specialist who is giving her shots to stop her periods. She also had surgery to remove the endometriosis. In all, she has now gone thru two years of treatment and is still suffering severe cramps as the endometriosis has grown back. The doctor is confident that one her period stops, the endometriosis will gradually disappear. Meanwhile, she has missed so much school because of the pain, that it has affected her GPA. She is graduating from high school this spring but was unable to get into the school of her choice.

your symptoms are similar to hers and might be worth checking out. When I was diagnosed with UPSC, my only symptoms were bleeding and a vaginal discharge. Breakthrough bleeding and pain should not be ignored or treated so lightly. My primary care dr had sent me for an ultrasound when I first reported my symptoms but did not want to do anything else, saying he would do the ultrasound again in 6 months. I insisted on a referral to a gyn, who immediately scheduled a D&C, which revealed the cancer. So please get a second opinion!

Good Luck, Sandy

txtrisha55

My gyn onc dr would be so

My gyn onc dr would be so pissed. She hates when patients tell her things like this. She is also a teaching xr and getz upzet when drs call her that they just found uterine cancer in one of.their patients.  I referred a woman to as a second opinion.  She said her drz were  men and did not.seam to concerned.  Get a second opinion to be on the safe side. Best of luck. Trish

 

 

pinky104

Endometrial thickening

I had abnormal bleeding which started three months after I hit menopause.  I had a D&C for a benign endometrial polyp at that point.  I'd also had cervical polyps about 6 times before this which had caused bleeding.  Each time, I'd had them removed and they were benign.  Ten years later, I had bleeding again.  I had another D&C with a different doctor because of an endometrial polyp, and it turned out I had UPSC.  So keep a close watch on your endometrial thickening with follow ups. 

Incidentally, my husband's cousin took me aside and asked me if I'd had endometrial thickening because she knew I'd had uterine cancer and she'd recently been diagnosed with endometrial thickening.  Her doctor had recommended periodic follow ups.  A few months later, she was found to have breast cancer.  At some point, her doctor had commented on the size of her abdomen but wouldn't tell her what she thought might be wrong.  I told her it was my guess that the doctor thought she had malignant ascites, a fluid collection caused by cancer.  I would assume the endometrial thickening was coincidental to her (possible) ascites, if that's what it was, but I thought it was strange that she was worried about cancer in one place and then found it in another place.    

NoTimeForCancer

Hybridspirits said:

what to do

the mere fact you are asking if you should seek another doctors opinion is enough to do that.  I went through the same thing, not as intense with my first dr and one year later it reappeared more consistently and found to have stage 1A cancer nonly after changing dr's.  If i had gone with my instincts one year earlier i might have found it in precancer or something else.

it is your body, the dr is treating you through his job not through your life.

unless you really can think of a good reason not to have a second opinion than do it.  You might also ask around to some of your feamale friends for a reference.  That is how i found my second Dr and was thrilled with her approach. 

 

good luck and put yourself first

 

Totally agree with

Totally agree with Hybridspirits.  Ask your friends for the name of thier gyn.  When I moved to the city I live in I asked my friend for the name of someone and she said "my sisters love her".  THAT is what you want.  Someone you love because you are putting your life in their hands. 

I am on quarterly check ups and my gyn onc asked if I wanted to see the radiologist and I said "no, I didn't care for him".  He NEVER gave me all the information and I am only mad I didn't ask for a new one when I was going thru treatment.  He then asked if I wanted to see my reg gyn for one of the quarters and I said "Yes, she saved my life!"  When I saw her this past January we hugged so many times. 

Good luck and don't quit until you find some answers for yourself.