Thickened uterine lining - nauseous with worry

Hi Rawdoodles, 

As others have said, it doesn't always mean cancerous.

When I had the internal scan, the doc said it was probably fine (which indicates it usually is), but I had a hysteroscopy anyway, with no anaesthetic, where they took a sample. I was called six days later and asked to come the following day - where they told me there were some cancer cells but they looked like 1a. I had an MRI scan 7 days later, and a phone call the day after to confirm it was confined to the uterus.  I think it was about two weeks later I had a keyhole hysterectomy, and feel fine now.  I have had loads of support and accessed support through this website, support groups, Maggie's centre, oral recordings and everything. All my I didn't need anything beyond surgery returned home the following day - and I can only say the NHS have been brilliant throughout!

Love

B

Best wishes Diane40, does feel surreal when it's all so unknown, but you have the best team on your side!  The NHS really come up trumps when it comes to treatment for cancer - it seems to be their priority at the moment.  There is also Maggie's Centre opposite the Christie - they will be able to tell you where it is, if you want to visit for a cup of tea, a chat, or all sorts of activities including relaxation.  It was the first place I went following my diagnosis.

My prayers will be with you,

B

Thanks for all your msgs I’m trying to stay calm until I see the consultant on Monday to go through the next step. Still waiting on my smear results, I usually get them back within a week where I am. It’s now been nearly 2...

also worried about the next step regarding the thick lining... is the coil a contraception? What does it actually do? I’m 31 and me and my partner want children soon. I haven’t got pregnant in the 3 years we have been trying so I know something isn’t right but always put it down to my polycystic ovaries but now being told my ovaries look normal I’m confused and that’s adding to my anxiety, I’m clearly not ovulating but I guess that’s a story for another time. As you can see from the time of this post I’m wide awake and my mind won’t switch off :( 

thanks for listening again 

Nat xx

Hi Rawdoodles ,

I've come a bit late to this discussion as I've been away, and have guessed you have a coil in. That will prevent you getting pregnant! I think the Mirena coil (if that's what you have) stops cancerous cells developing. I think you need to ask about this and pregnancy at your check up.

 Also, I just wanted to add that my daughter had trouble getting pregnant. She had only one ovary, which didn't help, but after trying for 2 years sought help. They checked out the one ovary, cleared her tubes and gave her a womb scrape. They said they didn't know why, but that often helped. Sure enough she was pregnant within 2 months at the age of 39. (They won't treat you over 40) And she had a much easier and quicker birth than I had at 29 !!!!!

I was told my lining was normal, but I still had womb cancer, so as others have said I'm not sure lining thickness has much to do with it!! 

Good luck XXXXX

Hey there Nat,

As Nanny says, sometimes the lining being a bit thick can stop pregnancy from happening. 

The Mirena Coil is a type of contraception, but it can also help people get pregnant after using it. Let me explain. If your thickening of the lining is hyperplasia, atypical hyperplasia, or even early stage cancer - as mine was - then they can cure you with the Mirena Coil. The coil is covered in slow release progesterone, and the coil has a life of 5 years before it needs changed - however it can be removed at any time.

Progesterone is a hormone that naturally occurs in your body, and the levels fluctuate month by month. When the levels are high, it stops your body from producing the endometrial lining. When levels are low, your body gets ready for a ripe egg, so produces the lining. So by having the coil, it artificially keeps your levels of progesterone high. This will then make your body flush out any lining that's there - though they may do a d&c or a myosure procedure to help with that - and stop it from making more.

They usually like to give it at least a year to work, and let your body reset itself. Then, if you're wanting kids, they remove the coil and your body goes back to fluctuating levels of progesterone, so making the lining etc. This means you've got a bright and shiny new womb to try and put a baby into, and as Nanny says, they often find that people get pregnant really quickly.

After you've had a baby, you sometimes then have the decision to replace the coil, or leave it out and see how you go.

Hope that helps! Do feel free to ask if you've any other questions!

Lass

Xx

Thanks ladies, 

i don’t have any kind of coil at the moment but il wait to see the gyno on Monday and for through everything and the next steps and keep you all informed, I’m sure I will need advice from you all about my options. I’m preparing myself that il have to have a biopsy or d&c xx

Hi everyone 

sorry for the late update, the last week and half have been awful, my aunty died very sudden and left behind a disabled daughter who’s not taken it well at all and is now in hospital, Iv now come down with a bug and I’m just fed up :( 

in regards to my gyno appointment last Monday here goes.... 

so I went and it was a different doctor, he was nice and explained that they are not worried about the thicker lining as it is not abnormally thick, the lining thickens depending on where you are in your cycle and it didn’t look abnormal, nothing does, my ovaries. I explained I don’t have regular cycles he said it can be hormonal or because My BMI is high (Iv always been overweight) he suggested loosing weight over the next 6 months and seeing if my cycles become more regular and to monitor it. If not then I can go back and they can look into it more. He has suggested I get some bloods done at my GP as they can check hormones and check I’m ovulating. He said unless I get my BMI down they cannot give me anything if I do have fertility issues so the plan is to loose weight and hope everything regulates. 

I got my results back for my smear test on the Saturday before my appointment and it said they have checked for HPV and it was negative so no further testing was done. I told him I wasn’t happy with it as I was still spotting (even after having the cervical polyp removed) so he gave me another exam, had a proper feel up there, checked my cervix, took some swabs of the discharge, took some swabs of the cervix and took a swab from further up the cervix and the neck of the womb. He’s not worried though as everything looked and felt normal. I will get my results from the swabs in the post.

i told him the only time the spotting stopped completely is when I was on antibiotics for a chest infection so he prescribed me some more antibiotics to make sure there is no pelvic infection and if there is then this should clear it, I’m still taking the antibiotics and the spotting has stopped!!!

so, good news, I’m still anxious as I’m scared my lining will get thicker as my periods are not regular but I am determined to really try and loose weight and get healthy and hopefully that will help. 

Mom just all over the place at the moment with all the upset over my aunty and cousin, she has been neglected by the carers that we’re meant to be looking after her and that’s why she’s in hospital, it’s a stressful time at the mo

thanks for listening xxx

Hi Rawdoodles, what a rotten time you are having, no wonder you are fed up!  Your distress and frustration sings out from your post.  First of all I M so sorry to hear about your aunt.  It is made worse by the fact that her daughter is so upset and that this is affecting your mum, with her own struggles, all of which you seem to be shouldering the burden of.

And as if that isn't enough you have been having your own health worries and undergoing these various tests.  The bright spot is that your medical team sound to be being very thorough.  It sounds as though they are pretty sure it's not cancer from the scan you had and they have also taken some swabs to identify what is causing your problems.  

It's always a good idea to lose some weight if you need to and  I'm constantly resolving to do so and never actually doing it!  But in your case, now doesn't sound like the right time.  Eating sensibly yes, but whilst you are dealing with your aunt's death and all its repercussions, you might be better postponing any heavy duty weight loss project and just being kind to yourself.  I hope things start to get sorted out soon.  Xxxxx

Hi, Diane40.

I’m a sonographer. When ovaries can’t be found they are usually normal and small, which is why they can hide behind the bowel. Abnormal ovaries are most commonly enlarged and push bowel, etc out of the way, making them relatively easy to see, so there is unlikely to be anything much wrong with your ovaries.

Whenever the endometrium is thickened, further testing is recommended, but it doesn’t mean cancer in every case by a long way. There can be lots of other reasons for these appearances.

In the event that cancer is present, you will find loads of ladies on this site who have been treated very successfully. 

Lass, who often posts on this site, can tell you about non-surgical treatments which can be appropriate for some people pre-menopause.

So hold on in there - it’s so easy to feel overwhelmed at this stage, and many of us have been there. It’s difficult to wait for results, I know. 

You’ll probably have another biopsy and that will give them a much better idea of where things are at. In the meantime, we’re here to listen. When you have an urgent gynae referral they usually move you through the system nice and quick, although I know it never feels quick enough.

Thinking of you

Lots of love

Hi ladies! I hope your all doing ok, would love to hear how your all getting on. I’m still on my journey.... still irregular bleeding, I’ve had a polyp removed from my womb in feb which was benign and a womb biopsy done that showed thickened lining.... the cells were not abnormal though from the sample taken but wanted a hysteroscopy and a scan. I had then scan on 20th march, it was a specialist who did it, not a radiography and she wasn't concerned, she said the lining was a bit thick 17mm I was like wow that's bad isn't it she said not really as depending where you are in your cycle it can get that thick, even thicker. I told her I didn't know where I was as my cycles are not regular hence why I'm going through these investigations. She wasn't concerned as my biopsy had shown thick lining but no abnormal cells. She said it looked quite smooth, not lumpy, no polyps found and no cysts on ovaries found. I went to see the specialist on 23rd march. she booked me in for a hysteroscopy for June 1st for a look and to fit the mirena coil. She said if anything looks abnormal then another biopsy will be taken She is not concerned either as the polyp removed in Feb was benign and the biopsy taken was a substantial amount she said and it showed no abnormal cells. She did put me straight on Norethisterone 5mg 3 times a day. It's progesterone to thin the lining. I stopped spotting straight away. Now for the TMI, I’m sorry ladies 

After about 10 days me and my partner attempted to have sex (sorry tmi) I say attempted as it had been a while I was really tense and couldn't really relax so we stopped. I started spotting the day after which turned into like a period bleed. It's been 3 weeks and I'm still spotting. Still taking the pills and getting cramps, not really bad cramps. The doctor did say this could happen in just scared something is progressing. Even though I was still spotting a bit me and my partner had sex again, I was more relaxed this time but we did have to stop because I started bleeding quite bad and lost a few big clots. The next day though it went back to light spotting. This has terrified me now and I'm so scared the lining has now turned abnormal or worse still into cancer. My hysteroscopy isn't for another month and I don't know what to do. Is it possible that having sex after not having it for a while has disturbed something that caused a big bleed or am I right in fearing the worse, sorry for the tmi. I have so many thoughts going through my head, I’m annoyed the thick lining wasn’t investigated in 2018, should I have been put on progesterone then, and even though the biopsy was clear, could there still be abnormal cells in my womb. 

Nat x