Hi Revcat, think I may be joining you in the ouchy procedure camp. Similarly, after two years on tamoxifen I have some breakthrough bleeding. As it isn’t heavy they aren’t going straight for hysteroscopy but have decided ona pelvic ultrasound to “get a sense of what is going on there.” Seems endometrial thickening is on the list of possibilities (as a SE tamoxifen ) along with nastier possibilities so they have to check it out. Real nuisance as tamoxifen has been fine for me other than thus and seems (fingers crossed) to have done the job for me. I would be sad to come off it and am pre-menopausal so letrazole (sp) would only be possible with Zoladex.
Hey Ho, one step at a time, will see what they conclude, whether they think it is something or nothing and what they suggest. At least I have a next appointment in diary with the BS for early Dec so can hopefuldisc cuss the resuthe and next steps then.
Hope it goes well for you and proves to be something minor xx
Hope all goes well Revcat and they can let you know asap the outcome. I had hospital on phone yesterday telling me the ouchey sample they tried to take was inconclusive so will def be going ahead with hysteroscopy, doh I thought that had already been agreed…so am still waiting for a date though again they tell me that it is classified as urgent…maybe the sort of urgent that might get seen before Christmas I hope. Got swollen painful nodes in armpit and went to docs and got referal to breast clinic , they managed to get me appointment for this Thursday, that’s more like it. Different bits at different hospital must make all the difference.
Welcome to the ouchey camp Marygrace, I didn’t find the scans too bad, we can compare endometrial thicknesses ! Mine was 19mm. Hope you get your appointments sorted out quickly too.
Sandra x
Thanks Sandra, so what do they “do” abouendometrial thickening or do they just leave it if they work out that’s what it is? Haven’t worked out that far ahead yet :-/
Thank you everyone for your kind wishes - very much appreciated and I carried them in my heart as I went off to sleep!
I am back home and in the comfort of my own living room, with my gorgeous cat acting as nurse (and phone with speed dial to friend in case of need). All went well, and apart from some cramping (fixed with OTC painkillers) mild bleeding and a bit of pain when I pee (anaesthetic side effect evidently) feel right as rain. Gyn. man said he found and removed a polyp, which will be tested along with whatever else they scraped out. Results in about four weeks - but reassuringly he said nothing that looked sinister. So a quiet afternoon in prospect as I chill and drink GALLONS of water to flush out the anaesthetic.
Glad all went as well as it could RevCat and fingers crossed for everything being all right when you get the results through. I got my bc results back in ten days post op I wonder why these take four weeks…but that sounds like the same as what goes on here . (I’m in North Wales). How long were you in the hospital for? I was told that I would be in for the morning, procedure in the afternoon and home in the evening, will be a long day as we live nearly two hours away !
Take it easy and hope you not rushing to the loo too much with all that fluid intake.
Marygrace I am not sure what they do if there is just a thickening and nothing sinister, I guess it is just something that they would monitor but possibly give you the option of coming off tamoxifen perhaps, but I think I would be happier to stay on it for the allocated time. I’m pre menopausal too but my cycle length anything from 31 to 66 days and just hoping that all this has got a lot to do with menopausal madness kicking in.
Hi Sandra, I had to be there at 8 a.m. but did not go in for anaesthetic until nearly 11 a.m, I was back in the unit just after midday and left about half past one. The procedure takes about 30 mins. They seem to like you to stay in bed for an hour back in the unit, during which time you have to eat and drink; they like you to visit the loo beofre you leave to amke sure everything is working with your bladder!!
Glad to hear you are back home and that you feel reassured by the surgeons comments.
Seems I will be following in your footsteps. Actually our experiences sound eerily similar - I am also 49 now, 47 at dx and have taken tamoxifen for around 18 or 19 months. All was fine, and not too many SEs until a couple of months back when some breakthrough bleeding and a bit of womb discomfort like when you have a period. GP referred me for a pelvic ultrasound - and I only went along because of your experiences so thank you for that, didn’t even think to mentio. It at first - which shows some pelvIc thickening. Been referred to gynae consultant this morning and likelihood is that I will also need a hysteroscopy and biopsies so that they can check what it’s going on.
I will also end up being nursed by my cats - although my teenage sons may turn out to be better at making cups of tea.
Getting a little fed up with the general anaesthetics, with a couple of recon ops this year that will take it to three this year and five in the past 20 months since dx. I think they take it out of you in themselves, but nor am I terribly keen on having a hysterectomy. Not that I need my womb, ovaries etc these days and it might well be medically safer post dx to have them gone, but it is more surgery and more scars, so it feels like a big decision. That’s if I have a choice. I guess that if there is anything sinister, it will be taken out of my hands.
*sighs*
Hope you are recoverIng well Xx
Hi all, well I was phoned by the hospital today re comimg in for hysteroscopy, could I make it on the 24th December ? !!! Eh…noooo, don’t think that is ideal, the hospital is two and half hours away, I am usually rubbish with general anaesthetic, it is my daughter’s 16th birthday the day before and Christmas day the day after…so luckily managed to wangle the 27th to go in. Will keep you posted.
Hope you are all doing well and you get your results soon Revcat.
Glad you finally got a date Sandra - they don’t exactly shift themselves do they? Hope your daughter has a lovely birthday and you are able to enjoy Chrismas withut being distracted by thoughts of hysteroscopies.
Mary Grace are you still waiting?
Still no reuslts - left a stern message on gynae man’s secretary’s phone today… I’m not concerned - surely they’d have got back to me PDQ if anything was wrong - but mildly irritated that it’s taking so long to put a letter in the post. Will get my naggy head on!!
Hi Revcat, I am making progress. I had a consultation and, as expected, they said they would have to a hysteroscopy and biopsy to find out what is going on. Ultrasound shows some thickening though he did say that is “quite usual” with tamoxifen and it would be rare for it to be anything serious. He said either a) it will need no treatment, or b) would be something that they would usually use a Mirena coil on (which my onc would need to debate as I am p+ 8/8) or c) if sinister it would be hysterectomy and ovaries removed (yikes!! Don’t need them and can even see pluses, but sounds like major surgery).
I’ve been taken off tamoxifen for the duration (boo… I would take it forever if possible) but will probably be put back on it if either a) or b) are the case. I used this to say "pretty please do this quickly) and it obviously worked as he has scheduled it for 20th Dec (two weeks from consultation) and they did the pre op there and then. So progress, and at least sort of a plan.
Just want it done now.
That sounds like an awfully long time to wait for results. Hopefully no news means good news, but it would be good for you to get the all clear so that you can breathe more easily xx
PS: Glad you have a date too Sandra, I think we will be doing this and waiting around for results the around the same time by the sounds of it. I was told results are usually 7 days but could be 2 or 3 weeks with it being Christmas. Does sound like ou are waiting a long time Revcat, hope they get a move on xx
Good luck with your op Mary Grace, we will have to compare notes. I do wish the medics would all read the same books though… my consultant said the opposite to yours ! That being on tamoxifen gives rise to a significant amount of women having endometrial thickening. I am ER and PR 8/8 and as a result as soon as I had my diagnosis I was told to get my mirena coil out asap. I also asked about coming off tamoxifen as having a general but was told to stay on it.
What did you have done at your pre op ? Mine is meant to be next Friday but if I have to drive two and a half hours just to get weighed and blood pressure taken I won’t be too happy…that and the possibilty of picking up a dose of winter vomiting disease which is rife at that hospital ! Eeeek !
FINALLY! After five and a half weeks, three continuous days of phone calls and being passed round different hospitals and secretaries, I got a call to say the results from my hysteroscopy were ‘normal’, so that’s excellent news. They will send me a letter “when they get around to it” (direct quote). Nothing was said about follow up so I will speak to my GP in the not too distant future to see what she thinks… from what I can gather this quite often recurs once it’s happened, which would prompt me to consider more radical options.
Anyway, for now I will enjoy being NEDdy at both ends!
Excellent news Revcat, I’ve been wondering how you are getting on. Phew!! Enjoy NED and hoping that we all join you xx
Sandra, sorry I have just seen this. My pre-op (and I have had several of them as this is the 5th surgery in 20 months (WLE, re-ex, 2xlipofill recon and now this… Do hospitals do nectar points I wonder…) usually consists of height, weight, blood pressure, a form full of “have you ever suffered from” various ailments, to which my answer is usually no, stick a swab inside your nose to test for MRSA, a bit of “what previous surgery have you had and are you allergic to anything.”
Sometimes, they do a blood test, but not always. Don’t even know what that is for… Not aware of seeing any results ever, so whether it is blood group testing or discounting something I’m not sure.
Quick update. Hysteroscopy scheduled for this afternoon surgery surgery. Arrangements to get home are made. This is when being single sucks. Sod’s law says I have a cold. Wasn’t sure if this counts as a “respiratory infection” It is only a head cold but no chance of them not noticing. Rang the day surgery and they said go in anyway, it will be the anaesthetists call whether or not he thinks I am well enough. I am thinking “short op and I am usually fine” so would be keen to go ahead but there is a chance they won’t let me xx
Hope they go ahead Mary Grace, it IS only a short procedure. Yes, it is a pain isn’t it when you are single and have to get someone to take you home etc. I had a friend’s husband picking me up as she had to be at a meeting and could not get out of it. He rang to see if I was ready to go and they came over to me and said “that’s hubby on the phone…” ER, nope. Nurse’s face was a picture!!!
I know, I always feel awkward asking as people have such busy lives and it means seeing someone when they aren’t exactly at their best (plus expensive parking at the hospital and getting lost if its their first time). The last few times my sisters husband - who lives 4 hours away but works less than an hour away during the week - has kindly come to pick me up.
They always assume he is my husband and it is too complicated to explain. I’ve tried BiL but each nurse repeats the same “your husband…” routine. I have the complication - nice complication of course - of a couple of teenage sons, who don’t count as old enough to “spring me” from hospitals yet but for whom I am busy leaving things to eat and messages about when / what time I’ll be back. I hate having my phone off… Goes against all maternal instincts, though I’m sure they’ll be fine.
Well tally ho, lets hope we get it over and done with xx
Hurrah for your good news Revcat, normal bits sounds very good indeed. Good luck Marygrace, really hope it all goes to plan ,and I’m sure your boys will be just fine . Fingers crossed for both of us being normal too !
xx