Ask Me Help Desk - Gynecological cancers

Hope someone can advise me what may be up. I do not have much faith in my GP (new doctor after shifting to new town).

I am 52 blood tests tell me I am now in menopause, I didn't know per se! For 2012 I had two periods or what I thought were periods but both were like hemorrhage bleeds which I had never experienced in my life before. Filled with large clots daily and pad changing every 30-60 minutes the heavy bleeds lasted for days on end but subsided.

1st December 2012 was what I thought was a third period which started watery, pink, light blood tinged then got darker and large giant size clots again. Now here I am 18th January 2013 and still bleeding! I went to my GP and told her all about it, she said not to worry just that "menopausal stage" and what about the dark brown unusual discharge I asked her? Oh that's completely normal for your age too she tells me.

So 3 weeks ago she put me on a course of Cyklokapron to stop the bleeding, guess what it wouldn't work! It helped lessen the amount of blood flow but I'm still bleeding.

Back to the doctor I went, as I had ran out of tablets. She put me on another week Cyklokapron and booked a vaginal ultrasound appt at the hospital which will be in about two weeks time.

I have had blood tests which ruled out thyroid issues and a vaginal swab which ruled out infection, I already knew I didn't have an infection or a sexually transmitted disease, in fact I was horrified that she even tested me for one!

Apart from not having weight loss as a gynecological cancer symptom I have several other symptoms such as the continued abnormal bleeding, foul odor, dark brown discharge is all the time, this brown discharge is something I have never seen in 40+ years of my life and definitely not like the normal brownish discharge that is considered old blood normal. I have back ache, cramping 24.7, discomfort in my abdomen more than pain, I am so tired I could sleep all day all night, I'm talking extreme fatigue and I'm a morning person who can usually cope with working 3 part time jobs.

I am a little worried but would rather be forearmed with info than be thinking this is nothing! I am not convinced my GP is taking notice of all my symptoms...

Should I be concerned about cervical cancer/uterine cancer/ovarian cancer ?

My last Pap smear was a year ago and was normal, but we know how many women have normal paps just months from diagnosis of a cervical cancer

The problem with self-diagnosis online is that you usually get the worst diagnosis. You can classify a common cold to colon cancer if you want. Your mind will automatically go to the worst possible outcome, it is just what happens naturally. So you can't really trust what you see on the internet, not because it may or may not be correct, but because you can't really interpret it and your symptoms. The internet is good once the diagnosis is made so that you can get more information about the problem.

Is there another doctor in this town? Maybe a second opinion would help you.

Don't be insulted by the STI tests. Every woman with issues down there will given STI tests. The problem with a good number of STIs is that they don't present as STIs. It is a matter of ruling out possibilities. Hell, my ex-wife got a STI test for food poisoning.

Looking up, heavy flow is a symptom of peri-menopause. Which is the stage you describe yourself to be in.

I honestly think you're getting yourself worked up about nothing. Let the doctor do what he spent 10+ years training to do. If you're not satisfied, get a referral to a obygyn. That is about all we can give you.

I can see how all this would be disconcerting for you. I hope you get some answers when you have the ultra-sound. The weakness and fatigue could well be from all the blood loss and your stress over this. In the meanwhile, as you wait for your imaging, eat blood building foods. (I'll leave it to you to look those up). I wish you the best. Please let us know how you are. :)

I would not get real worked up but I do think you need to be presistant until you are satisfied that you are dx right. You need to contact your doctor and tell him/her you want a uterine biopsy done asap. As for your pap smear too, you are do for your yearly pap smear now. Pap smears are for dx of cervical ca not uterine ca. What I am going to tell you is not to scare you. I had some of the same syptoms as you are experiencing,(not exactly just some). I had a ct scan and ultra sound at the ER because I was concerned with heavy bleeding. They told me everything was fine, I was just "getting ready to start menapause,(I was 45). I ended up going to my daughters ob/gyn because I didn't have insurance or money at the time and she agreed to see me. She did a uterine biopsy and within 3 day she dx me with uterine ca. That was in 2005 and I am blessed to say because I was persistent I am still here. They were able to catch it early. That is why it is important for you to be persistent. I have told you my story not to scare you but to let you see how important it is to not be passive. If you are not comfortable with the care you are getting then insist on getting answers. Please let me know how you do.

If I had the flu and drummed up colon cancer symptoms I'd more than likely need a HEAD SHRINK or a new head (lol)

I am NOT assuming the worst I am GATHERING as much advice and researching as much as possible to prepare myself for what ever the news may be.

I can tell you are not a woman!

Thank you Wonderling, I also guessed the fatigue could be from the blood loss all this time.

I live a very healthy raw diet :)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wonderling

I can see how all this would be disconcerting for you. I hope you get some answers when you have the ultra-sound. The weakness and fatigue could well be from all the blood loss and your stress over this. In the meanwhile, as you wait for your imaging, eat blood building foods. (I'll leave it to you to look those up). I wish you the best. Please let us know how you are. :)

Hi krafteame, thank you for your story and best wishes on your journey

Please understand that I am not worked up but rather investigating and asking many questions as two weeks is a long time to wait for appts and seeing and reading other peoples experiences helps me understand a lot.

I'm just frustrated with this new doctor and my pharmacist also does not have faith in the doctor and was asking me if the doctor was doing her job properly. It was the pharmacist who first alerted / alarmed me! Consequently my research started and that's how I ended up here on this website

I have read hundreds of stories like yours where women have not been diagnosed or "missed"... It is very sad and yes you are quite right I will be demanding a new PAP and a biopsy at my gynae appt :)))

I hope they will do the tests for me as this is all getting done in a public hospital.

Quote:

Originally Posted by krafteame

I would not get real worked up but I do think you need to be presistant until you are satisfied that you are dx right. You need to contact your doctor and tell him/her you want a uterine biopsy done asap. As for your pap smear too, you are do for your yearly pap smear now. Pap smears are for dx of cervical ca not uterine ca. What I am going to tell you is not to scare you. I had some of the same syptoms as you are experiencing,(not exactly just some). I had a ct scan and ultra sound at the ER because I was concerned with heavy bleeding. They told me everything was fine, I was just "getting ready to start menapause,(I was 45). I ended up going to my daughters ob/gyn because I didnt have insurance or money at the time and she agreed to see me. She did a uterine biopsy and within 3 day she dx me with uterine ca. That was in 2005 and I am blessed to say because I was persistant I am still here. They were able to catch it early. That is why it is important for you to be persistant. I have told you my story not to scare you but to let you see how important it is to not be passive. If you are not comfortable with the care you are getting then insist on getting answers. Please let me know how you do.