Should I be worried?

kmygil
kmygil Member Posts: 876 Member
Hello, All.
Usually I'm posting on the colorectal board, but today I'm hoping you can help me worry or not worry, so here goes.

Some background. My family carries HNPCC (hereditary non-polyposis (sp?) colon cancer) which also carries rather large risks for uterine, ovarian, bladder, kidney and some brain cancers. Fun, yes? Long story short, multiple members of my family, not just immediate family, have or have had colon, uterine and bladder cancers. Two years ago, my mother was diagnosed with vulva cancer which turned out to be a seeding from an undetected colon cancer which ended up killing her. I am personally 3 months out from my last chemo for colon cancer.

Anyway, my FSH showed that I am in full menopause, and my oncology nurses said that one of the silver linings of the chemo was that I probably would never have another period. Wheeee!

However, on May 22 thru May 26 I had what appeared to be a normal period. Of course, as soon as I saw something I called and made an appointment with my gynocologist, but it is not until day after tomorrow-June 6. But on May 31 the bleeding started up again, rather heavy and it is still going strong.

My question - should I be worried? I would love to hear that I shouldn't be. Thanks all!

Kirsten

Comments

  • wyndcloud
    wyndcloud Member Posts: 6
    I'm sorry I don't know if you should be worried or not. I was looking at the messages and saw no one responded to you so I wanted you to know someone is at least thinking of you. I wish I could have helped. Good luck to you and to all!
  • Lou_rp
    Lou_rp Member Posts: 2
    I'm not sure. I went into menopause due to radiation of the pelvic area. But I did have a period a couple times after I thought I was done. What were your results?
  • kmygil
    kmygil Member Posts: 876 Member
    Lou_rp said:

    I'm not sure. I went into menopause due to radiation of the pelvic area. But I did have a period a couple times after I thought I was done. What were your results?

    Hi Lou_rp,
    Thanks for your response. I was almost in full menopause when I was diagnosed with colon cancer (Stage IIA), and was told that the chemo would put me into full menopause. The FSH seemed to confirm that, so it was not pleasant to see bleeding.

    I saw my gyno day before yesterday, and she was concerned, so she went ahead and did a biopsy. I have to wait 2 weeks for results. She did tell me not to freak, since several other things could cause the bleeding. However if it is cancer, the silver lining is that there should be no chemo involved. I really, really, really don't want to do that again! I will post results here when I get them.

    Thanks for your concern and response. What cancer was your radiation for? Are you doing better now? This whole family of disease is the devil. God Bless!

    Kirsten
  • kmygil
    kmygil Member Posts: 876 Member
    wyndcloud said:

    I'm sorry I don't know if you should be worried or not. I was looking at the messages and saw no one responded to you so I wanted you to know someone is at least thinking of you. I wish I could have helped. Good luck to you and to all!

    Hi Wyndcloud,
    Thanks for the good thoughts and your response. My gyno did a biopsy day before yesterday, and I will know more in 2 weeks. I will post results when I get them. Take care and God Bless!
    Kirsten
  • GoodHeart
    GoodHeart Member Posts: 2
    Lou_rp said:

    I'm not sure. I went into menopause due to radiation of the pelvic area. But I did have a period a couple times after I thought I was done. What were your results?

    Hi,

    My name is Nina, I am a survivor of anal cancer. i was diagnosed back in 2004, finished treat-ments in 3/2005.

    I am 46, heavy set, never had kids..the doctors told me, i would probably go into menopause after the treatments, when they radiated the anal, they also radiated the pelvic organs....well, for
    1yr and 7mths, i didnt have a period...this passed Nov 2006, i noticed, lite pink, to reddish, brown, spotting, bleeding, whatever
    you want to call it, and its been this way,
    til this day. I dont drench pads, nor do i have excessive bleeding, just lite pink at times, a little or alot, and reddish brown sometimes, or, like a dull looking brownish/yellowish looking stain.
    At times i get a pain like a period is going
    to start, but, i dont see anything on my pad.
    I have also noticed lite blood in urine, some-
    times, to the naked eye, i dont see anything
    but they also see microscopic blood in the
    urine, i have had MRI's, PET scans, rectal
    exams, colonoscopy, some of these exams, i
    have been repeating within the last mths...!! They all seem to be ok, no urinary
    infections.....the MRI and PET scans, back
    in Nov when this all started, didnt show anything, but this May, it showed, uptake in
    the uterus, on Pet scan, & the Mri, is starting to show, a slight endometrium thickening, first it went from 7-8mm, then to 5mm on MRI,
    the pelvic ultrasound, showed a 6mm up til 2 weeks ago.

    My problem is, i have been to quite a few gyno, gyno oncologists, noone, can get a biopsy of
    the uterus, they seem to think the
    abnormal bleeding is coming from there..they think the radiation, that was given to the
    pelvic organs, changed or narrowed things up there..and its making it difficult for them
    to get a biopsy, & i have been to some really
    top gynos!!!!

    Back in 2005, the radiation place, forgot to
    give me dilators, I find that negligent of
    them, plus, they never told me, of these secondary problems.

    Has anyone, on this board, who was premeno-pausal, when diagnosed with some form of
    colon or rectal or anal cancer, who
    had their pelvic radiated also, been having
    any bleeding from the front? Or did you lose
    your periods for a long time, then get them
    back? Bottom line, is anyone having these problems like i am? and has your gyno, been
    able to get either a biopsy or a D&C?

    This has been a nightmare, plus, not only, am
    i an anal cancer survivor, but im also a
    breast cancer survivor, (neither were
    related). I am so very scared and very frustrated, its been 8 mths, & no diagnoses
    for this abnormal bleeding, and all these problems due to rads.

    I hope everyone is hanging in there and well.
    I am so happy I found all of you, its going to
    take me a while to get use to knowing how to
    post and reply, i hope, i do this right lol.
    If anyone, would like to reply to me, you can reply also to my Survivor1025@aol.com name.

    Thanks so much! and God Bless everyone!!!

    Nina
  • GoodHeart
    GoodHeart Member Posts: 2
    Lou_rp said:

    I'm not sure. I went into menopause due to radiation of the pelvic area. But I did have a period a couple times after I thought I was done. What were your results?

    Hi,

    My name is Nina, I am a survivor of anal cancer. i was diagnosed back in 2004, finished treat-ments in 3/2005.

    I am 46, heavy set, never had kids..the doctors told me, i would probably go into menopause after the treatments, when they radiated the anal, they also radiated the pelvic organs....well, for
    1yr and 7mths, i didnt have a period...this passed Nov 2006, i noticed, lite pink, to reddish, brown, spotting, bleeding, whatever
    you want to call it, and its been this way,
    til this day. I dont drench pads, nor do i have excessive bleeding, just lite pink at times, a little or alot, and reddish brown sometimes, or, like a dull looking brownish/yellowish looking stain.
    At times i get a pain like a period is going
    to start, but, i dont see anything on my pad.
    I have also noticed lite blood in urine, some-
    times, to the naked eye, i dont see anything
    but they also see microscopic blood in the
    urine, i have had MRI's, PET scans, rectal
    exams, colonoscopy, some of these exams, i
    have been repeating within the last mths...!! They all seem to be ok, no urinary
    infections.....the MRI and PET scans, back
    in Nov when this all started, didnt show anything, but this May, it showed, uptake in
    the uterus, on Pet scan, & the Mri, is starting to show, a slight endometrium thickening, first it went from 7-8mm, then to 5mm on MRI,
    the pelvic ultrasound, showed a 6mm up til 2 weeks ago.

    My problem is, i have been to quite a few gyno, gyno oncologists, noone, can get a biopsy of
    the uterus, they seem to think the
    abnormal bleeding is coming from there..they think the radiation, that was given to the
    pelvic organs, changed or narrowed things up there..and its making it difficult for them
    to get a biopsy, & i have been to some really
    top gynos!!!!

    Back in 2005, the radiation place, forgot to
    give me dilators, I find that negligent of
    them, plus, they never told me, of these secondary problems.

    Has anyone, on this board, who was premeno-pausal, when diagnosed with some form of
    colon or rectal or anal cancer, who
    had their pelvic radiated also, been having
    any bleeding from the front? Or did you lose
    your periods for a long time, then get them
    back? Bottom line, is anyone having these problems like i am? and has your gyno, been
    able to get either a biopsy or a D&C?

    This has been a nightmare, plus, not only, am
    i an anal cancer survivor, but im also a
    breast cancer survivor, (neither were
    related). I am so very scared and very frustrated, its been 8 mths, & no diagnoses
    for this abnormal bleeding, and all these problems due to rads.

    I hope everyone is hanging in there and well.
    I am so happy I found all of you, its going to
    take me a while to get use to knowing how to
    post and reply, i hope, i do this right lol.
    If anyone, would like to reply to me, you can reply also to my Survivor1025@aol.com name.

    Thanks so much! and God Bless everyone!!!

    Nina
  • c_ward32
    c_ward32 Member Posts: 2
    GoodHeart said:

    Hi,

    My name is Nina, I am a survivor of anal cancer. i was diagnosed back in 2004, finished treat-ments in 3/2005.

    I am 46, heavy set, never had kids..the doctors told me, i would probably go into menopause after the treatments, when they radiated the anal, they also radiated the pelvic organs....well, for
    1yr and 7mths, i didnt have a period...this passed Nov 2006, i noticed, lite pink, to reddish, brown, spotting, bleeding, whatever
    you want to call it, and its been this way,
    til this day. I dont drench pads, nor do i have excessive bleeding, just lite pink at times, a little or alot, and reddish brown sometimes, or, like a dull looking brownish/yellowish looking stain.
    At times i get a pain like a period is going
    to start, but, i dont see anything on my pad.
    I have also noticed lite blood in urine, some-
    times, to the naked eye, i dont see anything
    but they also see microscopic blood in the
    urine, i have had MRI's, PET scans, rectal
    exams, colonoscopy, some of these exams, i
    have been repeating within the last mths...!! They all seem to be ok, no urinary
    infections.....the MRI and PET scans, back
    in Nov when this all started, didnt show anything, but this May, it showed, uptake in
    the uterus, on Pet scan, & the Mri, is starting to show, a slight endometrium thickening, first it went from 7-8mm, then to 5mm on MRI,
    the pelvic ultrasound, showed a 6mm up til 2 weeks ago.

    My problem is, i have been to quite a few gyno, gyno oncologists, noone, can get a biopsy of
    the uterus, they seem to think the
    abnormal bleeding is coming from there..they think the radiation, that was given to the
    pelvic organs, changed or narrowed things up there..and its making it difficult for them
    to get a biopsy, & i have been to some really
    top gynos!!!!

    Back in 2005, the radiation place, forgot to
    give me dilators, I find that negligent of
    them, plus, they never told me, of these secondary problems.

    Has anyone, on this board, who was premeno-pausal, when diagnosed with some form of
    colon or rectal or anal cancer, who
    had their pelvic radiated also, been having
    any bleeding from the front? Or did you lose
    your periods for a long time, then get them
    back? Bottom line, is anyone having these problems like i am? and has your gyno, been
    able to get either a biopsy or a D&C?

    This has been a nightmare, plus, not only, am
    i an anal cancer survivor, but im also a
    breast cancer survivor, (neither were
    related). I am so very scared and very frustrated, its been 8 mths, & no diagnoses
    for this abnormal bleeding, and all these problems due to rads.

    I hope everyone is hanging in there and well.
    I am so happy I found all of you, its going to
    take me a while to get use to knowing how to
    post and reply, i hope, i do this right lol.
    If anyone, would like to reply to me, you can reply also to my Survivor1025@aol.com name.

    Thanks so much! and God Bless everyone!!!

    Nina

    Hey Nina, I sure wish I had some answers for you. I will tell you that the answers part is where I'm having trouble as well. My Mom has Stage 2 anal cancer and survived her treatment that ended in Nov. 2007. CT scan and physical show no signs of cancer. She says she has these prickly feelings in her rectum mostly at night. When walking she feels something is falling out of her butt. She's having severe incontinence and is also having trouble with her vagina having sealed shut almost from the radiation. She's still so incredibley weak and now is having trouble with pain in her hip that her oncologists say is related to her cancer treatment. Has anyone had any of these experiences? None of her doctors have any answers for her because they have never seen anything like this before. It's frustrating for her and she's rather depressed from it all. Any information would be appreciated from anyone with similar isssues.

    Best of luck Nina. I will keep you in my prayers. Keep up the fight.

    Carol
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