Hi Ladies - I am new

firecracker1

I have not been diganosed with Uterine Cancer but I have an appointment tomorrow for a uterine biopsy and just wondered if any of you ladies could answer my questions

My uterine thickness is .42 cm. Isnt that what the "ENDO Thick" means?  I am 44 and not in menopause. is that not pretty close to normal? My doctor requesting a biopsy due to this tomorrow but I am wondering if it is more due to my ovaries on the ultrasound

RT Ovary 4X4X3.2 complex cyst SEP.24cm

LT Ovary 2.2X2.2X1.5 simple cyst

there is also some readings on PSV and PGMAX i assume this is blood flow readings but i dont know what they mean and whats good and bad?

I have been having urinary urgency, irregular or "dysfunctional" uterine bleeding and muscle cramps in my feet as my only recent symptoms - I have gained about 15 pounds in the last 1 1/2 years and my sex drive is now ZERO. 

My doc is going to do the biopsy and then put me on progesterone for 6 wks and do a follow up ultrasound on the ovarian cysts. Does this all sound about normal? Should i be terribly concerned. How bad is this biopsy going to hurt??!

Thank you ladies in advance - you all seem so brave and strong - i feel like a weenie and i dont even know yet if there is anything wrong with me 

Gardena

Welcome firecracker1

I think many on this forum will echo my sentiment -- don't get too far ahead of yourself with thinking you have cancer.  There can be many reasons for your symptoms.  First things first, one step at a time, get thru your biopsy. 

As for your questions - we've all had a myriad of symptoms,  some ladies had no symptoms at all. My dx included a pap (clear, no cancer), a transvaginal ultrasound showing thickness in uterus and a biopsy/DnC.  My biopsy was done under anesthesia at a hospital and I went home the same day. Dr told me I might have cramping but I did not. I received my results/dx a few days later. My Dr (gyno) had prepared me it might be cancer so I used the days between biopsy and results to research onco gyno w surgical skills. My gyno referred me to a onco gyno but I ended going w my choice, and very glad I did.  I have had great care. 

Please keep us posted on your situation. I am sure others will chime in on your post, there are so many knowledgeable people on this forum. All the best to you, truly.

 

It happened to Me

Welcome Firecracker

Hopefully you won't need us very long.  As for your questions, I don't have any answers.  I agree with Gardena that you can't think too far ahead.  My story is that I was 51 and spotting and bleeding from Feb. 13 to May 13.  They did a pap test and two different atypical cells were found.  That led to a colposcopy which is basically a biopsy of the uterine wall.  The results came back as endometrial cancer.  My gyn referred me to an onc. gyn and he was the one who informed me that I had a rare form of enometrial cancer.  Long story shorter, I had hysterectomy, found out it had already spread.  Stage 3a  Grade 3, then had 6 rounds of chemo. .  As of this year, I am over 2 years NED. 

My suggestion to you is to write down every question you have and take the list to your doctor's appointment.  I would also suggest that you take someone who you trust to take notes for you, so you can concentrate on what the doctor's say.  After your meeting, if you want to get a 2nd opinion, get it. 

Once you get more information, you will be able to make an informed decision.  You are stronger than you think firecracker.  Some of the other ladies on the board might be able to answer some of your questions, so it might take a couple days for others to read and respond.

Keep us informed of what's going on.  Feel free to ask us whatever, this is one of the best group of ladies I've ever met and have the highest regard for.  We may not have all the answers, but we are here to listen, encourage and help each other.

Soup52

It happened to Me said:

Welcome Firecracker

Hopefully you won't need us very long.  As for your questions, I don't have any answers.  I agree with Gardena that you can't think too far ahead.  My story is that I was 51 and spotting and bleeding from Feb. 13 to May 13.  They did a pap test and two different atypical cells were found.  That led to a colposcopy which is basically a biopsy of the uterine wall.  The results came back as endometrial cancer.  My gyn referred me to an onc. gyn and he was the one who informed me that I had a rare form of enometrial cancer.  Long story shorter, I had hysterectomy, found out it had already spread.  Stage 3a  Grade 3, then had 6 rounds of chemo. .  As of this year, I am over 2 years NED. 

My suggestion to you is to write down every question you have and take the list to your doctor's appointment.  I would also suggest that you take someone who you trust to take notes for you, so you can concentrate on what the doctor's say.  After your meeting, if you want to get a 2nd opinion, get it. 

Once you get more information, you will be able to make an informed decision.  You are stronger than you think firecracker.  Some of the other ladies on the board might be able to answer some of your questions, so it might take a couple days for others to read and respond.

Keep us informed of what's going on.  Feel free to ask us whatever, this is one of the best group of ladies I've ever met and have the highest regard for.  We may not have all the answers, but we are here to listen, encourage and help each other.

My symptoms were unexplained

My symptoms were unexplained bleeding after menopause. I had a d and c and that pretty much confirmed cancer. I had to wait 2 weeks for the results which was pretty standard where I live. My gyro referred me to my oncologist and he's pretty much considered the best one where I live. He is great. I also had ct scan and then robotic surgery. Here's hoping yours doesn't confirm cancer, but if it does you have come to the right place. There are many knowledgeable gals here and you will get plenty of support. Here's hoping for the best. Keep us informed!

firecracker1

Soup52 said:

My symptoms were unexplained

My symptoms were unexplained bleeding after menopause. I had a d and c and that pretty much confirmed cancer. I had to wait 2 weeks for the results which was pretty standard where I live. My gyro referred me to my oncologist and he's pretty much considered the best one where I live. He is great. I also had ct scan and then robotic surgery. Here's hoping yours doesn't confirm cancer, but if it does you have come to the right place. There are many knowledgeable gals here and you will get plenty of support. Here's hoping for the best. Keep us informed!

Thank you ladies for

Thank you ladies for responding and  welcoming me! I'm trying to not jump to conclusions. I am very optimistic that it could be one of many many benign things that cause these problems. Mostly I am worried about the biopsy because they are doing it in the office and  told me that I should just  take some ibuprophen because it would be "very uncomfortable".  

Has anyone had the biopsy in their doctors office without anesthesia?

Lou Ann M

Welcome Firecracker

As hard as it is, try not to panic.  It is a scary situation so not feel bad about being afraid.  Wait until after you know all of th results.  Sounds like you have a proactive doctor who is trying o get to your problems.

I had a biopsy during a D&C sow I was out and didn't feel anything, afterward there may if been a litttle crampiming and achiness, but not enough to require pain med.  I had the D&C on a Friday and was able to go back to school on Tuesday.  Would have been Monday except I did something stupid and had a small bleeding problem on Monday.

hang in there. You are much stronger than you think.  Hugs and prayers, Lou Ann

EZLiving66

firecracker1 said:

Thank you ladies for

Thank you ladies for responding and  welcoming me! I'm trying to not jump to conclusions. I am very optimistic that it could be one of many many benign things that cause these problems. Mostly I am worried about the biopsy because they are doing it in the office and  told me that I should just  take some ibuprophen because it would be "very uncomfortable".  

Has anyone had the biopsy in their doctors office without anesthesia?

I had my endometrial biopsy

I had my endometrial biopsy in my gynecologist's office with minimal discomfort.  She gave me three Advil afterward and my husband drove me back to work.  That was the second one I had.  About 15 years earlier I had one and I remember having some mild cramping afterward.  I know everybody is different but, for me, it was pretty painless.

Love,

Eldri

Editgrl

firecracker1 said:

Thank you ladies for

Thank you ladies for responding and  welcoming me! I'm trying to not jump to conclusions. I am very optimistic that it could be one of many many benign things that cause these problems. Mostly I am worried about the biopsy because they are doing it in the office and  told me that I should just  take some ibuprophen because it would be "very uncomfortable".  

Has anyone had the biopsy in their doctors office without anesthesia?

Biopsy

I had two biopsies done, years apart, both in the doctor's office, and I was awake for both.  I took ibuprofen befofe the first one, because it was scheduled. The second one was not scheduled but done right after my exam, so I did not take anything for that. I would describe both of them as uncomfortable but not awful.  It seems everyone has a different experience with them, but mine was not too bad at all.

Chris

TeddyandBears_Mom

Lou Ann M said:

Welcome Firecracker

As hard as it is, try not to panic.  It is a scary situation so not feel bad about being afraid.  Wait until after you know all of th results.  Sounds like you have a proactive doctor who is trying o get to your problems.

I had a biopsy during a D&C sow I was out and didn't feel anything, afterward there may if been a litttle crampiming and achiness, but not enough to require pain med.  I had the D&C on a Friday and was able to go back to school on Tuesday.  Would have been Monday except I did something stupid and had a small bleeding problem on Monday.

hang in there. You are much stronger than you think.  Hugs and prayers, Lou Ann

Welcome Firecracker

Ditto what the other ladies have said.

I have had two biopsies in the office over the years. One hurt - caused a lot of cramping and the second one was just a bit uncomfortable. Both were done years ago. The biopsy I had during my D&C last year ended up being a removal of a polyp which ended up being cancer.

I hope yours comes back as negative! And, if it doesn't, you will have the strength to address it! You will amaze yourself on that front.

Please come back with any questions... Someone will most likely have an answer for you. (I don't have answers to your initial post, sorry!)

Love and Hugs,

Cindi

firecracker1

Thanks to you two, too - Lou

Thanks to you two, too - Lou Ann and Eldri (especially Eldri for letting me know yours wasnt too bad) I think i have myself mostly worked up right about the biopsy hurting, rather than worrying about results .

 

firecracker1

firecracker1 said:

Thanks to you two, too - Lou

Thanks to you two, too - Lou Ann and Eldri (especially Eldri for letting me know yours wasnt too bad) I think i have myself mostly worked up right about the biopsy hurting, rather than worrying about results .

 

And Cindi! Thank you all for

And Cindi! Thank you all for your kind words

Hopeful162

firecracker1 said:

Thank you ladies for

Thank you ladies for responding and  welcoming me! I'm trying to not jump to conclusions. I am very optimistic that it could be one of many many benign things that cause these problems. Mostly I am worried about the biopsy because they are doing it in the office and  told me that I should just  take some ibuprophen because it would be "very uncomfortable".  

Has anyone had the biopsy in their doctors office without anesthesia?

Office biopsy with no meds

I had an office biopsy with no prior warning, so I did not even know that a little iboprophen would have been very helpful! I had previously had a CT scan for another issue, but the scan had shown a possible uterine problem, so they sent me to my gynecologist. She said she thought it was nothing, but would do a biopsy just to make sure. Well, eventually the biopsy turned out to show UPSC, an aggressive, high grade cancer!

But back to the biopsy...it certainly did hurt (I kept saying "ow"), but it was over in about a minute. She actually had to go in twice as the first pass was clear fluid, but the second was tissue and blood. She apologized about having to do it again, but the instrument was already in place through the cervix anyway. I was post menopausal which may have made it harder to get through the cervix to begin with. There was minimal cramping afterwards, but I drove myself home and took it easy the rest of the day.

BabyCoach

firecracker1 said:

And Cindi! Thank you all for

And Cindi! Thank you all for your kind words

Piece of cake

Done in the office. I was warned that I would feel cramping like during a period (had forgotten about that!). It was similar to that and one sharp swipe for the cells. Not fun, but not horrific. I just tried to imagine myself lying in sand dunes with ocean waves sounding nearby! Tried to keep breathing deeply. Not that bad - you'll do fine. Over very quickly. Good luck!

CheeseQueen57

Biopsy

Now that I've got a lot of this behind me, here's what I would have done differently:

I think the endometrial biopsies they do in the office are a waste of time. They hurt and rarely do they get enough tissue to tell you anything. Mine came back normal when the in reality, the doctor really didn't get enough tissue for it to determine anything. If I had it to do over again, I would have skipped the in-office biopsy and fast forwarded to a D&C and hystocopy by a Gyn/oncologist.  This would be after having a transvaginal ultrasound.  

Alt my endometrial biopsy was normal, transvaginal ultrasound was suspicious and D&C confirmed uterine cancer  If I had just moved ahead with D&C I would have had answers a month ago

Good Luck Firecracker!  

 

It happened to Me

CheeseQueen57 said:

Biopsy

Now that I've got a lot of this behind me, here's what I would have done differently:

I think the endometrial biopsies they do in the office are a waste of time. They hurt and rarely do they get enough tissue to tell you anything. Mine came back normal when the in reality, the doctor really didn't get enough tissue for it to determine anything. If I had it to do over again, I would have skipped the in-office biopsy and fast forwarded to a D&C and hystocopy by a Gyn/oncologist.  This would be after having a transvaginal ultrasound.  

Alt my endometrial biopsy was normal, transvaginal ultrasound was suspicious and D&C confirmed uterine cancer  If I had just moved ahead with D&C I would have had answers a month ago

Good Luck Firecracker!  

 

My experience with Colposcopy

That was in office.  My pap was pretty painful, so for the biopsy, the doctor suggested I take 600 mg of ibuprofen take an hour before the procedure.  I had a huge number of people praying that I wouldn't have pain.  Prayer answered.  A little uncomfortable, but no pain.  Prayer and 600 mg. of ibuprofen.   That biopsy showed the cancer. 

Best Wishes.

Brighton

I had mine in the office, it

I had mine in the office, it caused cramps for about 1 minute, then it was over.  The worse part was waiting 2 weeks to have it done.  I was like you worried and scared.  I know it is a little late but dont worry, you will be fine with it.  Relax.....wishing you all the best.

Mary Ann

Sandy3185

firecracker1 said:

Thank you ladies for

Thank you ladies for responding and  welcoming me! I'm trying to not jump to conclusions. I am very optimistic that it could be one of many many benign things that cause these problems. Mostly I am worried about the biopsy because they are doing it in the office and  told me that I should just  take some ibuprophen because it would be "very uncomfortable".  

Has anyone had the biopsy in their doctors office without anesthesia?

Biopsy

I really agree with Cheesequeen! I went to my Gyn because an ultrasound had revealed a thickening of uterine wall and I had also had some vaginal bleeding. He suggested doing a d&c to get a definitive answer. It was done under anesthesia in an ambulatory care center and I had very little pain or cramping afterward. He called me into his office a few days later to give me the bad news- UPSC in both the uterus and cervix.

I have noticed that so many ladies here have had the biopsy done and then their doctors went on to do a d&c anyway. The D&C gives a more definite answer and will speed things along regardless of the outcome. If I were you I would ask the doctor if he could just skip the biopsy and do a D&C. 

Please try not to worry( easy for me to say!). There are so many other things that could be going on. Good Luck, Sandy

ConnieSW

Brighton said:

I had mine in the office, it

I had mine in the office, it caused cramps for about 1 minute, then it was over.  The worse part was waiting 2 weeks to have it done.  I was like you worried and scared.  I know it is a little late but dont worry, you will be fine with it.  Relax.....wishing you all the best.

Mary Ann

In office

I would describe it as uncomfortable but nothing like what I was expecting.

firecracker1

Well, I survived the biopsy!

Well, I survived the biopsy! Thanks for all the kind wishes. I wish I could say it didnt hurt but it was absolutely horrible! I think this was only because my cervix refused to dialate because I didnt really feel the sample itself when she took it.

 My doctor said she wasnt going to be able to do it after trying a few times, but then she got in and got the sample. I almost passed out but within about ten minutes I was fine and was able to drive home. They also took blood for a CA-125 yesterday. I should know today or tomorrow. My doctor said she fully expected my uterine biopsy to be normal but would feel negligent if she didnt do it to be sure. She is very concerned about my right ovary. I got a script for progesterone and a follow up ultrasound appointment for May 2. Unless my CA-125 comes back bad and then she said she would recommend we go ahead and schedule surgery to see...

TeddyandBears_Mom

firecracker1 said:

Well, I survived the biopsy!

Well, I survived the biopsy! Thanks for all the kind wishes. I wish I could say it didnt hurt but it was absolutely horrible! I think this was only because my cervix refused to dialate because I didnt really feel the sample itself when she took it.

 My doctor said she wasnt going to be able to do it after trying a few times, but then she got in and got the sample. I almost passed out but within about ten minutes I was fine and was able to drive home. They also took blood for a CA-125 yesterday. I should know today or tomorrow. My doctor said she fully expected my uterine biopsy to be normal but would feel negligent if she didnt do it to be sure. She is very concerned about my right ovary. I got a script for progesterone and a follow up ultrasound appointment for May 2. Unless my CA-125 comes back bad and then she said she would recommend we go ahead and schedule surgery to see...

Thanks for letting us know.

Thanks for letting us know. Glad that part is over for you. I sure hope your doctor is right about everything being normal for you.

Hopefully you can put this all behind you very soon.  Please keep in touch as you learn more.

Love and Hugs,

Cindi

CheeseQueen57

firecracker1 said:

Well, I survived the biopsy!

Well, I survived the biopsy! Thanks for all the kind wishes. I wish I could say it didnt hurt but it was absolutely horrible! I think this was only because my cervix refused to dialate because I didnt really feel the sample itself when she took it.

 My doctor said she wasnt going to be able to do it after trying a few times, but then she got in and got the sample. I almost passed out but within about ten minutes I was fine and was able to drive home. They also took blood for a CA-125 yesterday. I should know today or tomorrow. My doctor said she fully expected my uterine biopsy to be normal but would feel negligent if she didnt do it to be sure. She is very concerned about my right ovary. I got a script for progesterone and a follow up ultrasound appointment for May 2. Unless my CA-125 comes back bad and then she said she would recommend we go ahead and schedule surgery to see...

Biopsy

Glad you survived. Yes, they hurt. My cervix also did not cooperate. Which makes it really hard for the doctor to get a good sample. Did you have a transvaginal ultrasound?  I would look closely at your pathology report when it comes back (mine took over 2 weeks). You might want to ask about getting a D&C and hystoscopy just to be sure. You are put out for this procedure and I had no pain involved with it. They get a much better  and definitive sample. BTW, not trying to scare you but many of us on this forum had our endo biopsy come back normal only to have the D&C show cancer. You want to be sure.