EARLY SIGNS

2 minute read time.

Could I have caught this earlier? I can’t help asking the question. Were there signs and symptoms that I missed? I’ve always trusted my body to know what it’s doing. I didn’t get freaked out by menopause. Changes are what we women live with - hormone cycles, pregnancies, menopause. So when I started having slight discharge at the age of 64, I didn’t pay it much attention. Just another change, I thought. But then I developed a heavier watery discharge. Doctor Google kept saying it was normal. If there’s no odor or color to it, it’s nothing to worry about. And then I woke up to a small amount of blood on my sheets. That did worry me and I called my GP surgery, but with Covid 19 protocols, I was out of luck. Same day phone consultations only on a first come basis. It took two days to get to speak to a doctor, who said come in immediately. She confirmed that there was a lot of blood and took a smear swab. And she referred me to the Post Menopausal Bleeding Clinic. She mentioned cancer and said in 9 out of 10 cases it turns out to be nothing. It’s probably vaginal atrophy, she said. But I can tell the difference between bleeding from a vaginal tear and an unusual bloody discharge from the uterus. I’m sure most women can. So I was not reassured. And I was terrified when she said the PMB clinic would take a biopsy by pushing a tube through the cervix and suctioning out a sample of the lining. Take some ibuprofen before you go, she said. I panicked.

In my panic and turmoil, I paid a lot of money for an appointment with a private consultant. If I had to have a biopsy, I wanted it under general anesthetic. I have never been in hospital, I’ve never had surgery, I’m terrified of all types of pain, surgical instruments, hospitals in general. The consultant was a truly lovely man. And he said it’s probably nothing. Of the 1 in 10 women from the PMB who do have endometrial cancer, 9 out of 10 of those are obese he said. You are slim and fit, he said, it’s probably vaginal atrophy where the skin tears easily. But I knew it wasn’t that.

I went for my vaginal scan a few days later. They said that if the endometrium is more than 4mm thick, they do a biopsy. The nurse said your womb is pretty solid, it looks like cancer. Pretty solid! She tried to persuade me to have the instant biopsy but I couldn’t do it. You’ll get a period type cramping she said, for about 20 minutes. I couldn’t do it. I just couldn’t do it. 

Anonymous
  • I am slim and fit and was diagnosed in mid November. Fortunately perhaps the consultant examining me did the biopsy there and then. A bit of a shock but really not as bad as anticipated. I was discovered to have quite a high grade cancer but at an early stage. I had a robotic assisted hysterectomy in early December. I am now recovering well. No cancer was discovered in samples taken but chemo and radiotherapy have been recommended just to make sure. Every so often I like you think and have thought I can’t do it but I can and you can. You and I can and will get through it and get better. Take care.

  • Thanks for sharing your journey - I'm thinking of you JWO. just had hysteroscopy yesterday & waiting for biopsy results to come back. Can I ask how long before you got biopsy results after hysteroscopy? 

  • Hi Inpain2021 - good to connect and thanks you for your thoughts. I got my biopsy results after 10 days, but that was in a private consultation. I have found that two weeks seems to be the norm with the NHS. It’s an anxious time waiting. Perhaps the worst time of everything. I hope you are doing OK with the not knowing. Fingers crossed for you! I am now 6 weeks post surgery, Grade 1 Stage 3, and planning my next stage. I’m not sure that I’m going to go down the chemo road as recommended. Let us know your results and what the next step is for you. You will find lots of support on here. Take care

  • Thanks and keep writing X you have a talent! No results yet...