New, Scared and full of questions

Elia111

Hi everyone -  Not loving I'm here, but it is what it is. 

Brief history: 54 , female (haha) February of '19 had a GUSHHHHING period so bad I ended up in the ER. Had a D&C w/hysteroscopy. Everything came back ok. Fast forward to June. Heavy period with massive clots lasting 40 days. Nine day break, then a 17 day period. Gyno prescribes meds to stop the bleeding but I let it stop naturally. So my last period was July 3, with nothing since. I wasn't overly concerned thinking this HAS to be peri! 

So last month (sept) started having very sharp lower pelvic pain. The dr did a TU which showed stripe of 14 cm, so she decides to do Endo biopsy 3 days ago.  Which brings me to present . After biopsy, I had very little discharge or spotting. Not really anything. Now three days later I have begun to bleed! My dilemma is this- could this be my period starting or is there an issue from the biopsy. I have read that bleeding after biopsy can be a sign of cancer. Not letting my mind go there tho. I realize no one here is a dr, but just wondered if anyone here experienced same? Also, something laying heavy on my mind is reading that an in-office biopsy doesn't always catch everything. So should I insist on further testing? 

I thank you for your inputs. Would like some reassurance while I do the wait on results game ?

 

 

Forherself

Welcome Elia

Its a good place for you to come.  Let me start off by saying 1 in 10 biopsies turn out to be cancer so your chances are very good that it is nothing right now..  If you are not confident in your doctor, we usually recommend a second opinion.  Doctors should not mind this request.  You can get copies of your charts, or the doctor can send them.  The sharp lower pelvic pain could be many things.  I would definitely seek a second opinion.  Here most of us have a cancer diagnosis so are fans of hysterectomy too after a history like yours.  There usually isn't a down side, and then you don't have to worry about all this.  Might be something else to talk to your doctor, and second opinion doctor, about.   Waiting for the biopsy report is pretty hard and scary.  

Elia111

Forherself said:

Welcome Elia

Its a good place for you to come.  Let me start off by saying 1 in 10 biopsies turn out to be cancer so your chances are very good that it is nothing right now..  If you are not confident in your doctor, we usually recommend a second opinion.  Doctors should not mind this request.  You can get copies of your charts, or the doctor can send them.  The sharp lower pelvic pain could be many things.  I would definitely seek a second opinion.  Here most of us have a cancer diagnosis so are fans of hysterectomy too after a history like yours.  There usually isn't a down side, and then you don't have to worry about all this.  Might be something else to talk to your doctor, and second opinion doctor, about.   Waiting for the biopsy report is pretty hard and scary.  

Thank you for your advice. I

Thank you for your advice. I was just considering setting up an appointment with another gyno just to get input. My dr has never once even mentioned a hysterectomy through this. Although that's a given if a cancer report should come back. I won't be confident if it returns normal finding, I'm sure. Have read too many horror stories of missed dx!

Forherself

Elia111 said:

Thank you for your advice. I

Thank you for your advice. I was just considering setting up an appointment with another gyno just to get input. My dr has never once even mentioned a hysterectomy through this. Although that's a given if a cancer report should come back. I won't be confident if it returns normal finding, I'm sure. Have read too many horror stories of missed dx!

Being your own advocate

It seems that this is the best path for us to take. Don't be afraid to let the doctors know what you expect.   Your history, your endometrial stripe, are abnormal, and you can request a hysterectomy for the pain you had in the past and blood loss.  As my sister in law used to say, the squeaky wheel gets the oil.  And I have read that a tissue biopsy is not as accurate as a D and C.  And it seems late to be having regular periods, but everyone is different.

Elia111

So just a quick question.

So just a quick question. When you get a second opinion and it differs from the dr you are currently seeing; how do you know which doctor is right?

Forherself

They will both make recommendations

And you have to decide.  You can also ask your Family doctor.  But you don't sound confident about the biopsy, but if both doctors said the biopsy was fine, then there is that.  I think you will find one of them inspires more confidence in you. And you can read and ask questions about your problems, and possible outcomes. And ask each.  You do have to decide though.  Even all of us here had to decide about out treatments.  Educate yourself about your condition, and the outcomes.  You could ask to see a gynecological oncologist.  They diagnose cancer, but you have some of the symptoms so you should be able to request this.  Low chance but enough to get you an appointment with them

 

Elia111

Forherself said:

They will both make recommendations

And you have to decide.  You can also ask your Family doctor.  But you don't sound confident about the biopsy, but if both doctors said the biopsy was fine, then there is that.  I think you will find one of them inspires more confidence in you. And you can read and ask questions about your problems, and possible outcomes. And ask each.  You do have to decide though.  Even all of us here had to decide about out treatments.  Educate yourself about your condition, and the outcomes.  You could ask to see a gynecological oncologist.  They diagnose cancer, but you have some of the symptoms so you should be able to request this.  Low chance but enough to get you an appointment with them

 

Thank you , Forherself. You

Thank you , Forherself. You have been very , very helpful to me today and I truly appreciate it!
Busy day for me tomorrow getting pro-active with my care!

Molly110

Hello, Elia

Hello, Elia,

I'm sorry you're in a position where you have to worry about uterine cancer. It may well be nothing, and it usually is nothing. But -- and this is a big but -- I woud be reluctant to accept a diagnosis that says you don't have cancer based on a biopsy. My understanding is that biopsies are not as effective in determining yes/no on uterine cancer as a D&C. So, I would want a second opinion from a doctor who will do a D&C. It's a brief surgical procedure. If possible, it would be great if you could get it done by a gynecologist who is also an oncologist. I've read on this board that some women have a hard time getting access to an gyn/oncologist until they have been diagnosed with cancer, but that is not the case where I got my care.

Fingers crossed that this is nothing. My sister had similar symptoms to yours for almost a decade, and she did not have cancer. After I was diagnosed, she decided to get the preventive hysterectomy her doctor had recommended for years, as some of those symptoms are linked to eventual development of uterine cancer. If you get a second opinion and are confident that you don't have cancer, you may want to discuss with your doctor whether your symptoms put you at risk for developing cancer down the road.

Take care,

Molly

Forherself

You are very welcome.

Keep us in the loop.  Let us know what you decide.  It helps other women who experience what you are going through too.

Elia111

Molly110 said:

Hello, Elia

Hello, Elia,

I'm sorry you're in a position where you have to worry about uterine cancer. It may well be nothing, and it usually is nothing. But -- and this is a big but -- I woud be reluctant to accept a diagnosis that says you don't have cancer based on a biopsy. My understanding is that biopsies are not as effective in determining yes/no on uterine cancer as a D&C. So, I would want a second opinion from a doctor who will do a D&C. It's a brief surgical procedure. If possible, it would be great if you could get it done by a gynecologist who is also an oncologist. I've read on this board that some women have a hard time getting access to an gyn/oncologist until they have been diagnosed with cancer, but that is not the case where I got my care.

Fingers crossed that this is nothing. My sister had similar symptoms to yours for almost a decade, and she did not have cancer. After I was diagnosed, she decided to get the preventive hysterectomy her doctor had recommended for years, as some of those symptoms are linked to eventual development of uterine cancer. If you get a second opinion and are confident that you don't have cancer, you may want to discuss with your doctor whether your symptoms put you at risk for developing cancer down the road.

Take care,

Molly

Thank you for your advice. It

Thank you for your advice. It would be so relieving to get a "normal" biopsy result, and just be able to take it as that. But, for some reason my gut is telling me to go the extra step with a second opinion and new dr. I have found one in my area that does both oncology/gyn, so fingers crossed I can get in. Trouble is it's a male and I have weird issues about that, but unfortunately we live in a small area with few options. 

Thank you and I will def leave my results and outcome here to potentially help someone else as it may relate to their situation. 

Molly110

Elia111 said:

Thank you for your advice. It

Thank you for your advice. It would be so relieving to get a "normal" biopsy result, and just be able to take it as that. But, for some reason my gut is telling me to go the extra step with a second opinion and new dr. I have found one in my area that does both oncology/gyn, so fingers crossed I can get in. Trouble is it's a male and I have weird issues about that, but unfortunately we live in a small area with few options. 

Thank you and I will def leave my results and outcome here to potentially help someone else as it may relate to their situation. 

Let's hope you only have to

Let's hope you only have to see him a couple of times. : ) My gyn/onc is young enough to be my son, but there is just something about him that makes me feel so comfortable. He makes me feel like he has my back and that we are partners in my care. I think you are smart and brave to get a second opinion when the temptation to go with a first good decision, assuming you get one, is likely to be enormous.

Fingers crossed,

Molly

NoTimeForCancer

I need a "thumbs up" emogi

I need a "thumbs up" emogi for what Forherself said - couldn't have done better!

Forherself

NoTimeForCancer said:

I need a "thumbs up" emogi

I need a "thumbs up" emogi for what Forherself said - couldn't have done better!

I like to help

I can help with the women who are beginning this journey.  There are lots of others who can take up the reins about treatment.  Thanks No Time.  

Sue

Elia111

Molly110 said:

Let's hope you only have to

Let's hope you only have to see him a couple of times. : ) My gyn/onc is young enough to be my son, but there is just something about him that makes me feel so comfortable. He makes me feel like he has my back and that we are partners in my care. I think you are smart and brave to get a second opinion when the temptation to go with a first good decision, assuming you get one, is likely to be enormous.

Fingers crossed,

Molly

Thanks, Molly. Yes, I don't

Thanks, Molly. 
Yes, I don't know why I have a weirdness with seeing a man. It's not like I'm a supermodel and he'd be attracted to me, lol. 
But one plus from this horrible pandemic is we have to wear the gawd-awful mask, so that will help a bit to hide embarrassment .