Worrying call from doctor's receptionist. Recent biopsy.

[trickydickie]

I had a hysteroscopy with a polysectomy last Tuesday. Consultant thought there was nothing sinister looking though he couldn't manage to take away all of the polyp. Although he kept referring to it as a fibroid but my discharge letter said polysectomy so I presumed he meant polyp.

He told me that the biopsy of my womb taken a few weeks before had come back all clear.

He said he had sent a biopsy of the polyp/fibroid away for testing but all looked ok. He said he would discharge me and I could just keep on taking the medication I was taking to stop the bleeding.

I had a phone call from someone in my doctors (think she was a receptionist or secretary at 7pm). She said they had received a letter from the hospital I attended last Tuesday asking that the referring doctor read this letter to me. (or explain this letter to me, or give me the results on this letter). I just panicked so haven't taken in everything she said on the phone to me.

She asked me what gp referred me? She then said did I want a phone appointment with her or a face to face appointment. I asked her when would be the first available date I could see the doctor and she looked and then said 10th May. I explained I could be getting told I have cancer so could I speak to someone before that. So she said she would ask her if she could call me tomorrow.

The biopsy taken on 13/3/18 of the lining of my womb has came back all clear. This biopsy only taken a week ago has went straight to my gp and I am now being asked to go in and see them.

This isn't good news is it? Does anybody think it could be anything other than cancer? Sorry if this doesn't make sense.

I don't know how I am going to sleep tonight. Why would my gp practice phone me at 7pm at night!

They probably save up the outgoing calls they have to make til the end of the day when all the patients have left so I wouldn't read too much into the timing.

Also if it was bad news like cancer she wouldn't have offered an appointment on May 10th surely? Doctor would want to see you straight away face to face.

This is almost certainly not to tell you that you have cancer. If that's what the biopsies had shown the hospital would be arranging follow up for you themselves, not asking someone to ask a GP to read their letter to you.

I would have thought if it was a cancer diagnosis the hospital would have been the ones to call you. It's easy for me to say try not to worry but please try not to read too much in to it

Thanks so much everyone. Dh is trying to reassure me but failing miserably. You have all put my mind at ease.

I will try to sleep tonight and wait without panicking tomorrow. I will update tomorrow night. Thanks again everyone.

My ob only rang me at 7 pm to put me on antibiotics for a kidney infection im sure there is a simple explanation and you will be given the all clear or told you need an antibiotic for something don’t worry

Thanks love. I am altering between being calm and worrying.

Thanks everyone for taking the time to reply. Much appreciated.

Try not to worry, difficult as that is . I've had phone calls late on. One time we were out for dinner and I got a call about blood results and they wanted me to see a GP the next day. In the end it wan't serious but I was worried sick. The doctor might want to speak to you about medication. Hopefully it's something simple.

I had something similar happening. I was awaiting for tests that were making anxious. Saw my GP, told everything was ok. Then I got a call from the receptionist a week later to say that the doctor wanted to talk to me and asking me when was a good time. When I asked why and if something new at turned out, she said she didn't know.

I'd got myself totally worked up, but it turned out the doctor who called me (not my normal doctor) hadn't known I had seem my GP and just wanted to discuss some results that were borderline and just said that I would need another blood test in 3 months.

Any concerns as a result of the biopsy would almost inevitably have resulted in a call from the hospital directly rather than your GP.

How are you doing OP?

Thanks everyone.

Update. My referring gp phoned me today to discuss the discharge letter from the consultant last week.

I had seen the practice nurse on Monday to get a progesterone injection. She had read the discharge letter to me and said she was surprised the consultant had discharged me. Anyhow, she said she would ask my gp to refer me back again. I agreed.

The GP wanted to ask me why I wanted to be referred again. GP phoned me at 10.15am so she was prompt, asked me why I wanted to be referred again. Then agreed she would refer me back. She said she hadn't had any results from the biopsy yet.

Thanks everyone. I just panicked as that was exactly a week ago the biopsy was taken and then the doctor phoned me.

You all put my mind at such ease that I managed to sleep without any problems and wasn't even panicking this morning. Thanks again.

I don't understand OP. Sorry :(

Can you explain again what has happened?

It sounds as if your biopsy was clear and the gynae dept discharged you.

Now you are saying a letter has gone to your GP ( can't work out why and what this is about.)

Is the letter not telling your GP that all is well? That's the usual way these things work.

If the biopsy showed anything, they hospital would ask you to go back, quickly, for treatment.

I'm really confused by what's going on.
But you mustn't worry because if there was any treatment needed, you'd be called back asap.

She said they had received a letter from the hospital I attended last Tuesday asking that the referring doctor read this letter to me. (or explain this letter to me, or give me the results on this letter).

^ This

I assume that the letter is from the gynae giving your GP the results of your tests.

The usual practise is to send a letter to the patient as well and copy in their GP.

All this is about, is that your GP has been asked to confirm to you - now it's in writing- that you have the all clear.
You had it verbally from the dr in hospital, this is just the letter to your GP who referred you. There is no need for you to go back to the consultant- they have not asked you to do that.

sorry- getting to grips with your letter.

A nurse can't override a consultant! If she read the discharge letter and misinterpreted it, that's really bad.

She has no right to do that.

The letter was for your GP and you. She's out of order.

@trickydickie

Have you got any further with this?

The nurse you saw...

She had read the discharge letter to me and said she was surprised the consultant had discharged me

What I find really odd is that a nurse read the letter to you with your results. This is not her role- it's for your GP to do.

Next, she suggested you were referred back via your consultant.
Again, above her rank I'd have thought.
If she read you the letter, what did it say? why did she think you ought to see the consultant again?

I had a hysteroscopy 11 (working days) ago. And I still haven't received any results. I am worried sick, when I had it done I had a small Polyp removed and the nurse took a biopsy of my endo wall as she said everything looked fine after the procedure just that my endo looked 'scatty' but she would expect that, as I was at the back end of my period. I've contacted my GP but they haven't had the results and I am petrified of calling the hospital direct. I suffer with immense health anxiety so anything like this sends me off the scale :-(

A biopsy takes at least 7-10 days for all the proper testing so that’s well within normal range. If everything looked ok it could be a few more weeks before you hear the good news. How do you manage your health anxiety?

Hi,

I hope so keeping everything crossed 🤞.

The health anxiety, I do yoga and meditation it has helped me a lot I still have the odd little meltdown when I get anxious but I’m not suffering with panic attacks as often as I used to. Do you suffer with anxiety?