Hysteroscopy tomorrow and scared

[hysterhorror]

I had a recent scan and there’s a very small area on my uterus that could possibly be a polyp. I’ve been referred under the cancer pathway and have my appointment tomorrow morning. I am 49 and have been on daily HRT since June. Before then I wasn’t very good at taking the progesterone and would forget so I’ve been on it consistently since then along with daily oestrogen gel (2 pumps of it matters and 1 progesterone tablet vaginally). I also take vagifem daily. I think my last period was summer 2024. I had a very period like bleed with PMT and cramps about 6 months and one week after that my last period. I’ve had a couple of episodes of been spotting if I’ve not taken the vagifem or other HRT and this used to happen with the pill too. The GP wasn’t concerned until the scan results.
It’s a nurse led clinic and hysteroscopist. I can have entonox. I’ve got no one to go with me or be with me afterwards, am autistic with ADHD, endometriosis, chronic pelvic pain since I was a teenager and suffered several sexual assaults so I’m very anxious to say the least.
I’ve heard it can be very painful and although I do have a high pain threshold it’s mainly where the pain will be that’s making me anxious. That’s before we get to the test being done on the cancer pathway.

Has anyone any tips that might help me cope? Any experience where it wasn’t awful?

It's good that you can have entonox. I wasn't offered that. I had some kind of local anesthetic into the cervix and found it painful. I think I would have found entonox helpful as I always loved it during my labours.

Didn’t want to read and run although I don’t have direct experience but I have similar with dentists. I had a traumatic accident as a child and lost teeth, so when I go to the dentist it’s as though I’m eleven years old. I always, always cry.

I’ve found the best thing to do is to tell them as soon as you walk in how you feel and, if you can bear it, why. I’m sure they will treat you with care and respect.

Very best of luck tomorrow.

Is there a reason why you can’t have a GA? I had a hysteroscopy with one as I’d have fainted without.

Thank you.
I had a mirena inserted with local anaesthetic which wasn’t pleasant but I really trusted who was doing it as it was my gynaecologist and gynaecologist nurse specialist both of whom is known a long time and built a rapport with.

Im a single parent and have literally no one to pick up my child from school or look after me for 24hrs if done under GA. They don’t even offer sedation in the women’s unit.

I’ll be needing to get back to my usual routine the same day too which involves walking several miles due to not driving. I might not take my child to their swimming lesson after school but otherwise things will be as normal. I’ve been given Jo advice other than to take some painkillers but I'm on strong painkillers every day anyway.

I have had two and both times I took paracetamol an hour before my appointment. They gave me about 9 local anaesthetic injections before removing about 3 polyps. It was ok and although I felt wobbly afterwards, recovery was very quick. It’s not pleasant but, for me, I was glad I only had a local. Good luck. Take some painkillers beforehand and try to stay relaxed (as much as possible!).

I would also like to say I was very well looked after by the nurse. She spent the whole time chatting to me and holding my hand. It was ok and I wouldn’t worry about going through it again.

I’ve had 2 hysteroscopies without any pain relief other than taking ibuprofen an hour before hand. It wasn’t a painful procedure (in my opinion) but it was an unusual sensation during it. I felt a bit tender afterwards but was able to walk the dog, cook dinner etc when I got home.

I had a hysteroscopy in 2023 and 2024 for spotting, On HRT I also had persistent bleeding, (I also discovered that I had fibroids and adenomyosis) in the first one, they also fitted a mirena. I didn't have any pain relief apart from over the counter painkillers I took paracetamol and ibuprofen. Afterwards, the pain was like really bad period pain, and I did have to walk from the hospital to the train to get home and I think that helped but I would say talk to them and tell them what's going on, both times the nurses were fantastic, sympathetic and quick! Ultimately, there was nothing wrong and higher dose of oestrogen put a stop to the bleeding. I hope it goes well tomorrow.

I've had 2 hysteroscopies in the last 6 years. Whilst they weren't fun, they were absolutely not as bad as I'd feared, & I've not got a high pain threshold. I only took ibu as that's the only option I was given.
Both times there were 2 nurses, along with the dr. They were all very respectful, kind & supportive. If you feel comfortable, it may be a good idea to share with them how you are feeling.
And when you're finished, give yourself as easy an afternoon/ evening as possible.
Best of luck xx

I had one under GA earlier this year. Is there no one you could ask to go with you? With your experience of SA and your anxiety about the procedure (totally understandable - I was terrified which is why I opted for GA) it would be good to have a friend or relative to keep you company.

Everyone is different, of course, but if it helps, I can add my voice to the others saying it was fine. I felt upset afterwards, because of my own previous experiences making anything like that difficult, but it was generally okay. There was a nurse in the room who was just lovely, really kind and supportive and took me through breathing exercises during the procedure because I’d told her I was nervous. I took ibuprofen an hour before and while the procedure wasn’t totally painless, it wasn’t really painful as such. It was also quite quick. I had what felt like period cramps for the following 24 hours or so, but I was fine to walk and drive.

are you sure they will let you leave alone? I had a local anaesthetic and I wasnt allowed to leave - they hadnt told me so I drove myself. DH then had to arrange for someone to drive him so he cohld pick both me and the car up.

Also I would have someone on hand to pick up your child as I had to wait around all day and ended up being one of the last being done at 5pm.

My appointment is 10am and there was no mention of anyone picking me up. I haven’t got anyone anyway. No friends or relatives. My referral letter stated I wanted sedation due to trauma but they don’t offer sedation.

You should have the choice, especially with your trauma.. I've had 3, all without anything other than paracetamol, including my last one where a huge fibroid was removed, and they were fine, not pleasant but not particularly painful, you'll have some cramping similar to period pain afterwards.
I was however offered sedation or ga, the surgeon was surprised I wanted to do it without.
Have to say I'm impressed with the 2 week pathway in England. We don't have that in Scotland. Wait for a hysteroscopy is up to a year or longer even when you're bleeding and in pain every day.

@Inthefuturenowthats dreadful women have to wait so long. I had no idea Scotland didn’t follow the same process.

Im getting very anxious now. I had a colonoscopy and endoscopy under sedation and despite that remember a lot of it and it being painful and traumatic. The doctor was awful when she first saw me and my heart rate was through the roof. Instead of being kind she was impatient and told me I needed to calm my heart rate down and that my prior test results were nothing to worry about as though I was wasting her time. The nurse was lying very though and I gripped her hand like my life dependent on it. So fentanyl for pain relief, midazolam for sedation and amnesia and entonox along with my usual strong painkillers and I still felt a lot of pain and remember it all. I am a redhead though and we are harder to treat for pain and anaesthesia so that could have had something to do with it. I had two home births with entonox and they were excruciating but it’s not the pain I’m worried about so much, it’s the intimate nature of this.
I really appreciate you all sharing your experiences, it’s helping knowing it’s not always horrendous.

I’m here and trying not to cry. My exH who was responsible for most of the assaults works at this hospital so I hate coming here as it is.

It’s ok. No polyp. Just the shape of my uterus. It was so quick and just two moments of pain. They were so lovely.

I'm really glad it went well OP. That's awful that your abusive ex works at the hospital. That must have added to your anxiety no end. Well done for getting through it 👏

I don’t feel as great now. Lots of cramps since late afternoon and bleeding. Coming down off the stress of it all too. It was unbelievably quick. I asked to watch but she was so quick I didn’t get to see anything of the inside of my uterus! She took a biopsy but said the lining is so thin she barely got any tissue. My uterus is heart shaped, which I knew from being pregnant with Ds, and she thinks that’s what the radiographer was seeing. No polyps or abnormality other than being heart shaped. Might explain why dd was breech!
Big thanks to you all for the handhold and I hope this thread will help others going through similar. Literally two separate instances of one second pain plus dome discomfort with the special for the biopsy but I’ve had far worse smear tests. I’ve had more painful sex too as part of having endometriosis. I’ll be glad to get in by bed tonight with a hot water bottle. I can’t remember if I said but they gave me a heat pack for during and after to help with the cramps. They were truly lovely nurses and no men in there which helped a great deal.