I struggled with how to title this because in all honesty, my main thought through all this has been a lot of "If I hadn't...." moments.
If I hadn't thrown my back out...
If I hadn't planned an overseas vacation...
If I hadn't wanted to not deal with a period while on vacation...
If I hadn't decided to make the time (and money) for testing...
In November I'm having a hysterectomy, and here's why...
First, context. I'm a 41 y/o married mother of 1. I have PCOS and insulin resistance. I am quite overweight, however my periods have always been regular. Every 28-30 days, 5 day period and never super heavy, period. I use a period tracking app for a variety of reasons. I have never, ever, had an abnormal pap smear result.
In October 2023 I threw my back out and because of that I had to stop using my period cup and switched to pads.
In Jan and Feb my periods were super duper light and lasted around 14 days. Because I was planning a trip to Australia with the family, I didn't want to deal with a period the entire time so I decided to go to the doc to have blood test to see if I was going into peri-menopause. Figured I could get some pills, or... something to fix whatever the issue was.
So in early March I took a blood test, and at my appointment on March 15 I was told everything was normal. My doc told me the next step would be an ultrasound, if I wanted. By this time my March period had come and it was.. bad. Bleeding through a super pad in under 2 hours bad, multiple showers a day bad. Seriously considering a trip to the ER bad. It was bad enough that I decided the ultrasound was a good idea, something was wonky.
My doc referred my to a gynecologist who scheduled the ultrasound for April 16. I came back April 29 to get the results of the ultrasound which came back "abnormal". She told me I'd need testing for hyperplasia and so while there, she did a biopsy and sent it off for testing.
On May 16 I got the results of the biopsy which was "Disordered proliferative endometrium with intrastromal hemorrhage and fragments of endometrial polyp." My doc told me I'd need a hysteroscopy, polypectomy, and D&C.
June 3 was the D&C. but because of our vacation, I couldn't get in to see my doc until we got back. Meanwhile, my period started on long plane rider and it was a bad month. I had received the results through my medical portal before I left but needed to wait until I got back to discuss next steps with my doctor.
On July 19 I met with my doc who told me that she'd sent my results for a 2nd opinion and it had come back the same. "mixed endometrial/endocervical polyp with endometrial hyperplasia without atypia with squamous morular metaplasia... There was a comment of morular metaplasia noted, which can be seen in benign endometrium, hyperplasia or a low-grade adenocarcinoma. However, no definitive evidence of adenocarcinoma was seen". Because of this result the only safe choice (especially given we aren't having anymore kids) is a hysterectomy. Because of the risk of cancer, my gyno referred me to a hospital with an gynocological oncology department.
On August 22nd I met with the doctors who were doing to procedure. They told me they'll take everything except my ovaries and do a frozen biopsy while I'm under. If they find cancer at all they'll take my ovaries and 2 lymph nodes. If they don't and it's "just" hyperplasia then I'll get to keep my ovaries and move on with life (after 6 weeks off work!).
So here I sit, currently day 12 of my period and I'm counting down.
People ask me how I feel and right now it's a lot of disbelief and reminding myself we caught whatever it is early and that in a couple of months I'll have some sort of closure after MONTHS of wondering.
Mostly though, it all comes back to those what-ifs, those "if I hadn't.." thoughts. Because if I hadn't hurt my back I would still be using the cup. And if I'd used the cup I may not have noticed I was having weird cycles. If I hadn't planned the vacation I probably would have just ignored the weird cycles and assumed it was peri-menopause because, frankly, who has the time these days.