Saying hello as a newbie with post menopausal bleeding ***NEW SYMPTOMS!!**

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Hi there, 

thought I would pop a post on here as, other than my husband, I do not have anyone else I would share such intimate info with. So a nice group of complete strangers is better lol.

So I am a couple of months away from my 53rd birthday. I have been on HRT (Everil Conti) for 18 months. No spotting whatsoever until recently.

Around 18th February I har spotting, then it turned to more like the end of a period, not really a lot but warranted a pad. I did notice a couple of fresh drops of blood in the toilet as i stood up. This lasted for around 10 days. 

GP surgery contacted on 21st February and it took 2 weeks to get an appointment which was on 5th March 24. Lovely doctor. He did not examine me at all, said he will do an immediate 2 week referral. He said it is not fibroids or polyps as he said there is not enough bleeding. He of course mentioned the possibility of Endometrial cancer and basically said it’s about 10% chance of this. He said I will probably need to have a hysteroscopy to rule out endometrial pathology. 

I am very fortunate as I have private healthcare through work which I pay for. I have managed to secure an appointment for 7 days time with a Consultant Gyno Oncologist.

I am trying to focus on the 90% of everything being ok but of course it is not that simple. 

So for now I am going to do my very best  to remain positive, and to wish those of you who are going through the same thing good luck. 

***NEW SYMPTOMS UPDATE 10/03/24
So since my referral last Thursday I am now getting bouts of cramping. They are like early period pains. Late at night, in the morning, lasting an hour or so. Spotting has stopped though. I am also having pain in my right hip which was sufficiently bad I needed paracetamol and mild pain in my left hip.  I do have arthritis in my right hip but don’t usually have any pain.

So, the spotting has stopped but now these new symptoms. I’ve been reading through loads of posts on here and cramping definitely seems to be another symptom of EC. It is very hard to try and not to worry and my mind keeps going down some darker places. I am reassured by the vast amount of posts that show their EC was graded as 1a etc etc. 
still hoping for a good result but I am now beginning to feel the inevitable is about to happen.

How can new symptoms start so fast? It was only Tuesday that I saw my GP and only 3 weeks since the spotting started. Should i be preparing for the worst? 

  • Really hope the Dr is right and you don't get a cancer diagnosis; fingers crossed they find answers for you.

  • Hello  

    It is good to reach out like you have. It is a very supportive forum here. 

    I had a total hysterectomy last September and I required 27 sessions of pelvic radiotherapy which finished in February.

    We all have unique and slightly different experiences. I'm pleased that you are getting treatment quickly. I hope that you have positive results. 

    Wishing you all the very best.

  • Well, sorry, the doctor is wrong I had very slight PMB on 2 occasions and both times they found polyps! First time all clear after biopsy, second time atypical hyperplasia (precancerous cells) found in one polyp…hysterectomy recommended and I had that done last September…histology all clear, no cancer, no hyperplasia so it was literally in that one polyp.  They also found a fibroid..so you can have both polyps and fibroids with just a small amount of bleeding.

    Hope you get all the scans, hysteroscopies etc done soon and that you results are all good x

  • thank you. wishing you well

  • hi, that’s very interesting. I did think it odd that he immediately ruled fibroids and polyps out. Let’s hope it is one of those. 

    Pleased you got there in the end with everything. Wishing you well

  • They can never be ruled out without an ultrasound and/or hysteroscopy so the GP was silly to even say it, should know better! 

  • it certainly sounds that way 

  • I agree with Duffers Mum, How can a GP say that even without doing an examination!  I only had one occasion of light PMB and my GP immediately referred me to hospital for an internal scan then I had a hysteroscopy which showed 2 polyps. The smaller one was removed on the day and came back as benign but 2 weeks later the larger polyp was removed which was cancerous, I had my full hysterectomy at the end of January so well on the road to recovery now. Luckily with my GP's swift action and 2 week referral my cancer was contained in the womb, caught early and no further treatment is required.

    I hope your GP if right and all is OK but glad you have the private health care if you need any treatment as this can be undertaken quickly. I wish you well but do get fully checked out. 

  • Hi, thanks. pleased yours was caught nice and quick and you are now recovered. 

    My insurance only covers cancer up to the point of diagnosis, I would then be referred back into the NHS.

    Anyway, still remaining optimistic it is something less sinister.