AIBU to not turn up? Not sure what else I could have done.

[TenTenEleven]

I have a hysteroscopy booked first thing Monday morning. Part of the reason I'm having it is to investigate erratic bleeding and irregular periods.

They told me when they confirmed the appointment that if I was bleeding they wouldn't be able to do the procedure so I'd have to ring and reschedule.

Of course, today I came on my period (a week late). Brilliant. I've been at work all day and my phone has to stay in my locker. So the only chance I had to call them to reschedule was on my lunch hour. I spent most of that hour hitting redial trying to get through. But it was either engaged or kept ringing and ringing until I was automatically disconnected. I had to give up in the end so that I could grab some food and eat it before my lunch break was over.

I don't know what to do. Obviously I won't be able to have the procedure on Monday morning. WIBU to just not turn up and ring them after my scheduled appointment time? Or should I still attend anyway even though it can't go ahead? It's about an hour round trip could really do without wasting the petrol tbh.

It can still go ahead while you’re bleeding, you should go. If you miss the appointment without contacting them first they’ll bump you back to the bottom of the list, or discharge you back to your GP where you’ll need to start the process all over again. Surely your health is more important than the cost of petrol…

Do they have an appointments department at the hospital? Mine does, I go through to them when I have to change or cancel an appointment.

Can you tell them the issue and that you can't get through?

I've also had the procedure while bleeding (menopause), if they wouldn't do it whilst bleeding, no woman who has irregular bleeding would ever have it. I'd turn up because whoever told you that they wouldn't do it, might have got it wrong.

Just coming to say I’ve also had it done whilst I was bleeding so I would also be going along and seeing what they say

I was in this situation. They still did the procedure. I think they scraped the uterine lining out first. They did tell me that they might not be able to get a clear view and if that was the case I'd have to come back but they managed to do it.

If you can't get through I'd definitely still turn up as the gynae teams I've dealt with (for a fibroid and infertility) will do it whilst bleeding. If you're being seen for excessive periods it's very likely you'll be bleeding anyway so most doctors would expect that (in my experience, obviously others may be different).
Good luck OP and I hope you get the answers you need.

Oh gosh. Did they do this under GA or were you awake for it? That sounds painful.

It's interesting to hear how many of you have had this procedure while bleeding.

When I went to see my consultant to arrange the hysteroscopy she told me they couldn't do it if I was bleeding. And then when I spoke to the receptionist nurse person on the desk to make the appointment, she reiterated that I'd have to reschedule if I was bleeding that day. (Which seems so weird to me because if I need the hysteroscopy to investigate irregular bleeding then how on earth will I know?!)

Maybe it's down to the particular hospital and their own procedures?

If you’ve got the nhs app then you can change appts on there or if they have sent you a reminder text sometimes you can cancel by replying ?

Something similar happened to me (different procedure). I actually managed to contact the hospital in time and the phone adviser was pretty much in shock at my question…loads of long pauses and “ummmmms”. Very awkward, presumably the gynae dept deals with periods regularly but this person acted like I was being zany. They ended up keeping the operation and it went fine