Seen Dr....a bit worried now:(

[jellybean43]

Hi
After getting a letter at the the weekend re my scan results I went down to see one of the Drs at the practice yesterday! (see my last few posts!!)
She explained that the lining of my womb is thicker than they would like it to be and there are generalized fibroids so they want me to see the gynaecologist next week for a biopsy just to check everything is ok!!She read the report to me(even said I can read it but I didn't cos I wouldn't really understand it all) and said that it is very NORMAL for them to request a biopsy and that she refers many many ladies each week after scan results!! I am obviously really panicking now!! I only had a scan last Jan which was fine but I am a year behind with my smear as every time I booked one this year I started with a period:((( I am 49 and in the perimenopause years!
I haven't googled this last few days after reading some horror stories!! Has anyone else had to have a biopsy for the same thing??
My health anxiety is going through the roof :weep:

[emlica]

They'll just be doing the biopsy to be on the safe side - they have to, really. Fibroids are really common, as is thickened womb lining when you're perimenopausal as far as I understand it. It's just that they have to be certain that it is 'just' fibroids. It's like if you go to the doctors with a slightly odd-looking mole - even if the doc is fairly sure it's harmless, they're going to suggest you get it removed or checked just because of the *chance* that it isn't. The fact that you have thickened womb lining and fibroids would completely explain the bleeding, honest. And both are harmless except that if the bleeding carries on you get anaemic.

[Fishmanpa]

Hi Jellybean,

I posted in response before saying your doctor is being a good doctor and doing what he/she should be doing to insure your well being.

I guess with HA it's like a "Catch 22". You're stressed because they're making sure everything is fine but if they had told you about your situation and had not arranged follow-up, you'd be stressed that they hadn't and worried anyway.

I'm not a doctor but it sounds perfectly normal. My gf is going through all this stuff too (she's 49) so I can tell you it's normal and the tests and follow-ups are standard procedure :)

Good Luck!

[jellybean43]

Aww thank you both of you for taking the time to reply! How I hate having HEALTH ANXIETY....grrrr x

[debs71]

My Mum had several HUGE fibroids, the size of grapefruits in her womb.

None were sinister, all were benign, as most fibroids are. They are just excess growths of tissue. As already said, they always do biopsies on tissue as standard. I had a polyp removed from my womb in March. It was tiny, but they still biopsied it and it was fine, as are fibroids 99.9% of the time. My consultant told me that fibroids are one of the most common things women have womb-wise. Many women walk around not knowing they have them, as they give no problems at all. It is only if they disturb your cycle or cause other issues that they need sorting out.

I would take comfort and confidence from what your GP said hun, having done this many times over. x

[jellybean43]

Thanks Debs:) I think my biggest worry is the thickening of the lining of the womb as when I "googled" it last week it all comes back to the "C" word and there were some horror stories:((( Not good with HA.....thought I had seen the last of it as it was back in 2008 when I had CBT and I managed to get myself "sorted"!! But it seems to be rearing its ugly head again this time :mad:

[Annie0904]

I had thickening of the womb and fibroids and they automatically do a biopsy. I had the fibroids removed. It is VERY common in woman of menopause age. My sister in law has just had the same and she also panicked when they mentioned a biopsy but that is just routine. I am sure you will be fine.

[debs71]

No worries JB.

Please try not to worry about the thickening. I think I might have mentioned on another thread, I had thickening of the womb too, prior to being diagnosed with polycystic ovaries. It is very common, especially if:

1. Your hormones are all over the place.
2. You are having erratic periods.

The womb gets out of sync, thickens beyond its norm, so you either end up with long running periods, or (in my case) them not showing up when they should do. The hormones that trigger the shedding are cocking it all up basically, nothing more, nothing sinister.

I too made the mistake of Googling after I had my scan, and like you JB, I scared myself stupid, even after the nurse told me that the lining should be back to normal once I get my next period (which she reckoned would happen soon) and it did.

I sometmes curse being a woman, and all these period things are a nightmare and a big worry, but in the vast.vast majority of cases it is simply down to erratic hormones and nothing really bad.xx:hugs:

[jellybean43]

Thank you both:)
I have had 4 years of hassle with my periods...since I was 45......
Sent for my first scan when I changed to a female Dr at the beginning of 2012 and all was fine then.....
But my periods have become worse this year in the sense that they just basically don't stop ....have to take norethisterone to make that happen!!The last one was 8 weeks:scared15: and I think cos I have been backwards and forwards and she knows I freak out about things she sent me for another scan!!

[debs71]

I do feel for you, jellybean.

I think that once we get into our forty's, it does tend to kick off problems in one shape or form, at the least slightly erratic cycles, at the more unfortunate, long periods like yours hun.

I never had whacky stuff with my cycles until I hit my forties - long cycles, intermittent bleeding, polyp, thickening, etc.

Oh the joys of womanhood! :mad:

[Annie0904]

I had regular periods with no problems all the time until I reached late 40's then they were all over the place, heavier bleeding sometimes lasting 3 weeks then one week with no bleeding and it would all start again. I have had fibroids twice. Now thankfully I haven't had a period for 16 months.

[emlica]

Honestly you sound *just* like my mum when she was approaching the menopause, and the same thing is now happening to her sister. Thickening womb lining at your 'time of life' is unlikely to be anything to worry about - most likely just as someone else said, basically your hormones and stuff that control the build up and shedding of the lining have gone a bit bonkers so nothing's working quite as it should!

[jellybean43]

Thanks all of you for being so supportive:)
Annie when I say 8 week period to be fair it was 4 weeks with a ten day break then it started all over again for 4 weeks.....that's when I went back to see my Dr!!! :huh:

[Annie0904]

Thanks all of you for being so supportive:)
Annie when I say 8 week period to be fair it was 4 weeks with a ten day break then it started all over again for 4 weeks.....that's when I went back to see my Dr!!! :huh:

It sounds very much like the menopause to me...us poor women :(

[Fishmanpa]

It sounds very much like the menopause to me...us poor women :(

Us poor men who live with menopausal women! ;)

[Annie0904]

Us poor men who live with menopausal women! ;)

:roflmao: You just have to learn that we are always right :winks:

[rubynoodles]

Hi Jellybean.

I've had the same thing as you.

Had a scan in August and they said the lining was thicker than normal. Was called in be gp she told me the upper limit for normal is 16mm and mine was 19mm!! I went home and googled it-BIG MISTAKE!! then had a meltdown.

Went to see a gynaecologist (he didn't seem at all concerned about the thickening) and said he needed to take a biopsy. The results came back a couple of weeks later all normal.

I really do think its all fairly common once you hit your 40's (I'm 40).

Take care.

PS Fibriods are very common.

[jellybean43]

Hi Ruby:) aww thanks for replying hun!! I will send you a private message if that ok xxxx