What is the difference between a fibroid and a polyp?

[KatyMac]

And what are the different treatment?

Feeling a bit lost after my hysteroscopy went in with a 3cm fibroid, thickened womb lining and a patch/pool of fluid

Came out with a removed polyp (no discussion of size), a (version of a ) D&C and no-one knows anything about the pool of liquid at all

So all my pre-procedure research is not on the right topic and my head is all wooly now

when is your next consultation with the dr planned? (The one who did this?)
They ought to have discussed this with you after the procedure.

They don't treat fibroids that size- loads of women have them. I've had one for years and years. They are quite normal.

I'm not due to have one - I'll get a letter in 2-4 weeks with the results (unless there is a problem with the biopsy)

I took a while coming round so the surgeon went on to the next patient - I was told I would be spoken to on the ward but no-one came - so when I was being discharged i asked to be spoken to by a doctor - who only had the notes (which was what I typed - I made notes at the time)

I had the hysteroscopy because of post menopause bleeding, pain & change in bowel movements

They should have explained everything they did, why they did it and what else they found.

Really bad form.

What do you discharge papers say?

I haven't got them yet - DH has to wait for a phone call and go back and get them today

Your GP will be copied into all correspondence- they are the ones who referred you, presumably.
Contact your surgery and make an appt or phone appt with your GP.
You should always have a follow up appt after an investigation or be told at the time. It's negligence for the consultant not to come and speak to you, not to say slightly unheard of.

Polyps and fibroids- loads of info online on this. Have you had a google? :)

I generally ask here first

NHS is very brief, and after that I have to start deciding which websites to look at believe; before finding peer reviewed stuff to send to my brother to interpret

Have you got an appt with your GP or the hospital? usually you would have a follow up appt to discuss all of this.

Fibroids and polyps are not serious. 50% women have fibroids.
Polyps are just dangly bits of flesh.
Loads online- not just NHS- you don't need peer reviewed research for these two things.

I have an appointment with neither (yet - I can get a GP appointment but I guess I need to wait a bit)

Yes but if the fluid wasn't addressed and polyp is nothing, I may still have bleeding? I might not?
The pain and the bowel stuff will still need addressing

DH is off to pick up the discharge letter & some Amitriptyline which may help the pain - the pain might be adhesions again according to the doctor who did my consent form

I had a hysteroscopy this week too. I had one polyp removed but have to go back to have another one under GA due to the size of the polyp they found. Anyway, they said that they would send the samples and polyp they removed off for testing and then I would hear back then once they have the results. Maybe they are doing similar for you. They said it would be 2-3 weeks

How did it go @Toomuchgoingon? I went straight for the GA as I'm a wuss!

are you still on your HRt @katymac?
It's normal to get spotting for the few first few months on conti.

I went on Conti in Feb last year

I had a horrific episode of pain in August which was put down to a symptom-less UTI and a back spasm (despite being like no previous back pain and it being more like my ectopic pain)

Gradually since then my pain has increased; then in November it got much worse, my bowels changed and I started spotting late December

I’ve had both op. The polyp was about 5 years ago which I had to have removed under ga as it was huge (the surgeon was amazed at how big, and explained why my periods were so very heavy).
I now have fibroids, not sure if they were there when they scanned for the polyps, or if they have grown to the size they are in about 5 years (about 5cm).
Anyway, link below describes the difference between them.

fibroids.com/blog/health-information/what-is-the-difference-between-uterine-polyps-vs-fibroids/

@KatyMac it was ok. I was somewhat concerned when she kept repeatedly telling me that if it all became too much, they would stop.....and when I told them that I hadn't children, they all looked at each other.

I found it really interesting though watching it on the screen. Standing up afterwards with all that water though was an interesting experience.

I have to go back again with GA though to the size of one of the polyps.....that will be joyous, I'm still bleeding from the last one

It's difficult isn't it, when everyone has some many responses to stimuli

I know mine is out of kilter because I have fibromyalgia - but enough women have problems with this procedure that it's thought to be relatively 'normal' - hence their surprise at you abilities to deal. We are possibly opposite ends of the spectrum