Ovarian cyst, adeonmyosis and irregular bleeding..now colposcopy.

[purplerain44]

I wonder if anyone has any words of support/ experience and advice. I had put this in General Health, but I have put this here in case I get some more replies.

I was diagnosed with a 2cm Hemorrhagic ovarian cyst in October after an ultrasound. They also diagnosed me with adenymyosis. I am 46 and have had 2 DC - 11 and 8 - and originally went to the GP with mid-cycle bleeding over the last year. The CA125 blood test came back normal. The GP then referred me to see a gynaecologist but this referral was subsequently refused - the GP thinks because of covid - and they suggested I have a re-scan in 4 months, which is now booked in.

Fast-forward to yesterday, the GP wanted to examine my cervix and take some swabs for infection etc. to see if there was any more idea about the bleeding. After I had done this, she said she was going to refer me to the colposcopy clinic - which she hadn't mentioned before. I asked her if my cervix looked normal, and she said yes, but I am now having severe anxiety attacks that she saw something and didn't tell me. I had a clear smear in July 2019, although in 2001 had a loop cone biopsy with CINII.

I'm also wondering if I even described the "mid-cycle bleeding" correctly. She didn't actually ask me about it - but I wonder if what i've been experiencing is irregular periods? Could someone tell me how we know what the difference is...I've been under a lot of stress recently - my husband has been having chemo for lymphoma and my daughter has severe anxiety and referred for ASD assessment, so I wondered if this has a part to play. The GP said stress absolutely wouldn't. Over the last few years, my cycle had changed anyway, from being spot on every 28 days to being much shorter - maybe 3 weeks and a couple of days or sometimes longer. Maybe the bleeding in-between have been periods rather than bleeding? I don't know about bleeding after sex as my husband and I haven't exactly been feeling that romantic recently... but that's another story!!!!

I know a clear smear isn't always foolproof. Could I have cervical cancer? would the GP have referred me anyway or would it have been because she could see something on my cervix. I find it hard to control my anxiety, so any advice would be so gratefully received. Thank you.

I had a polyp removed from my cervix a month ago & my period started three days ago. Day one was only a couple of drops, day two it was light till the end of the day and the flow was medium, today day 3, I am HEAVILY bleeding & heavily is an understatement. Is this normal ? Maybe because first two days were light flow wise ? & it had been a month since the surgery or is this a bad sign ?

Take a breath and calm down. Your experience is quite common to women in your age group, your GP seems to have little experience in the area.
For starters you could have started perimenopause, which is also the time where your body does not produce much progesterone so you start having spotting 3-7 days before your period. If you have a 3 week cycle , a 7 day spotting feels like mid cycle bleed which then merges into your period. Changes to your cycle length from 28 to 21-24 days is also indicative of perimenopause.
Two - adenomyosis also causes irregular bleeds and spotting before period so having spotting from mid cycle to your first day of your period is common.
Third - the cyst itself is an indication you are having anovulatory cycles. Anovulatory cycles are common in your age and a missed ovulation also causes a drop in progesterone and hence spotting.
As for your cyst, I don't understand why the GP referred you to Gynaecologist for a 2cm cyst as standard procedure is to repeat scan after 6 weeks to 3 months. A Gynaecologist is not interested in cyst of less than 5 cm unless they are complex cyst. If a Gynaecologist has refused referral then there is a high chance that your cyst is simple and only needs a rescan to see if it has gone away which in most cases it does.
If your period is unexceptionally heavy or painful then a mirena might help you. Try to find your mum' menopausal age , read about perimenopause and see if the symptoms fit you. Do have a discussion with your GP if you think it could be perimenopause.

Thank you, all these things ring true with me @Literallyfedup.

I have been having lots of acne/ congestion on my chin, which I think is an indication of hormonal imbalance, but also, my husband was diagnosed with lymphoma in May after being misdiagnosed a year ago. My daughter suffers from severe anxiety and is waiting for an ASD assessment. We've been having a very difficult time as a family during the pandemic.

I wondered if the amount of stress I've been under could also contribute to this. Both GPs I spoke to were absolutely adamant that stress cannot contribute to mid-cycle bleeding, and that if it was perimenopause, my periods would be getting heavier and further apart, rather than what I am experiencing.

I don't know why the GP referred me for the cyst either - perhaps it was for the adenoymysis, but I don't suffer from it - no heavy periods etc. She said she was dotting the i's and crossing the t's.

Thanks very much for the practical info and advice.

I think it was the fact she referred me to the colposcopy clinic after examining my cervix that freaked me out. I wasn't sure if it was because she suspected something - even though when I asked her if it looked normal, she said yes.

From my personal experience, my friends, women in my family, women on on Mumsnet- perimenopause begins with cycles getting closer and not further, and spotting is very common too.
It is just when you progress much further into perimenopause the cycles become longer.
Some women have 15 day bleed , some have 2 periods in a month , some start period 7 days after 15 day bleeder. I would suggest going on menopause board on Mumsnet-health- menopause and you will find a lot of women with a range of issues.
Let the GP do the investigation suggested, it will only make you feel better when everything is normal.

Is your dd 11? I remember when my DD was that age her anxiety was through the roof and she also had this rage. She didn't say anything but like she was a whole other personality. My gp said it could be hormonal as she might be starting her period anytime soon which she did. She settled a few months after she started.
Or it could be that she is stressed because of her dad.
I hope things work out for you very soon.

hi there, I'm slightly more anxious now and wonder if anyone's got any advice.

I've asked for a referral letter so i can use my private health insurance to get seen quickly. The letter has come back today saying that my cervix was very red and very friable with a black hard lesion felt. Even though at the time, the GP said it looked normal. This is clearly not normal and why she has referred me to the colposcopy clinic. I'm obviously panicking it could be cancerous - is there anything else it could be. or do i need to prepare myself for this.

Thanks, I would be so grateful for a reply.

Can you have a call with your GP? It is very unprofessional that she said it looked normal yet has said something other than that in a letter. That is not treating you as an equal and it sounds patronising. she can't 'feel' a black hard lesion- she would see it. not feel it.

You could have a cervical erosion - nothing to do with cancer- where the cells from inside the cervix grow outside and they bleed easily. the black stuff could be old or dry blood.

can you get an appt privately with a gynae to have a look at it, but also go with the referral for the nhs colposcopy and run the two alongside and see what happens - depending how fast you can see one or the other?

I agree with the PP that it's odd to refer you for a 2cm cyst so soon as they come and go.

Your stress levels can absolutely affect your periods- she's a bit bonkers not to know this- and it can be hard to know if it's mid cycle bleeding or an early period or even if the bleeding is from the (possible) cervical erosion (which sometimes goes away and might not need treating.) at 46 you are also likely to be in peri meno and the spots/ acne are adult acne that often coincides with peri meno.

Have you had HPV tests with your smears?
if you had and it was clear, it's likely your are ok.

How soon can you see a gynae privately?

Thanks you very much @JinglingHellsBells, I appreciate your reply.

I think you have hit the nail on the head. I have seen the private gynaecologist this afternoon. She couldn't actually see a hard black lesion (in fact, the GP had spelt it legion, so it could have been region). I asked her to double check and she was sure. She said I had cervical erosion - exactly as you said - possibly due to hormonal imbalances, and thought the GP had seen some old blood (although nothing has come out since my examination), which looked bl. She did a smear test and will re-do the ultrasound to look at the cyst. My last smear was July 2019 and came back HPV negative, although in all my googling, I could see that some cervical cancers aren't picked up by smear tests and you can still be negative and have abnormal cells so I'm still anxious about what this will bring up.

She did reassure me, but if I'm honest, I'm still suspicious. I think this is because my husband was diagnosed with lymphoma in May - but it had been misdiagnosed 18 months previously, so I have that hanging over me. Also, the GP who originally told me it looked normal, but then wrote about seeing a black hard lesion and a very red friable cervix, which wasn't even correct, as well as poo-pooing my question about stress affecting hormones makes me cross and even less trusting.

But anyway, I'm far less anxious than I was this morning, so thank you for reading and replying.

Pleased you have got somewhere so soon- that's great @purplerain44.

I'd try not to worry. Easier said than done!

I can understand how you are worried when you have had your DH misdiagnosed. I hope he'll be okay.

I guess you will get the result of the smear test soon-ish and hopefully all will be well.

Fingers crossed for you!

Thank you so much. I must admit I am still incredibly anxious. I am scared that the gynaecologist didn’t want to worry me and so didn’t tell me what she saw. Would she have referred me for a colposcopy if that was the case?

I think she is just being cautious. I don't know but my guess is the erosion might makes smear difficult so she wants a better look.
Try not to worry. Although people worry over smears, there are actually very few cancer cases each year compared to a lot of other cancers.

Thank you. She didn’t refer me on to the colposcopy- she did the smear easily enough. I’m just really anxious that she could also see the black area but didn’t tell me.

'She could see the black area but didn't tell me.' Unlikely. If she was worried you'd have had a coloscopy straight off.

Yes, yes. I am getting fixated on what the GP thought she saw that was so unusual due couldn’t even tell me. The gynaecologist would have taken further action straight away if she suspected anything sinister. There is no denying the state it has left me in though.
Thank you for your support, I appreciate it.

“She” not “due”