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[glenys]

In Sept 2007 I had a ultrasound which showed a Cyst on my left ovary - over 3 months it shrunk, so told all was OK.

I have always been a little worried as I had a CIN3 in my late 20s, and mum had big fibroids in her late 40s, and a hysterectomy, so unsuccessfully I kept badgering for regular scans - the GP couldn't see any reason why I should be worried.

In Nov 2012 I came off the Pop pill after around 4 years on it, thinking that because I was unlikely to have unprotected sex in the future, and because I felt rubbish, I would cleanse myself of any tablets I thought I wouldn't need.

I had a heavy period in Jan 2013.  I then had no more periods until a very slight show in Jan 2014. I went for a ultrasound at last where they found a cyst on my right ovary (only small) and small subserosal fibroids.

I was told all was OK.

Then 3 weeks ago I had a big bleed, I got in quick at the GP who referred me for a ultrasound scan, which happened a day after the bleed stopped suddenly.  Very quickly the results came back to my GP, who told me that my endometrium was 8.5mm and I should have a hysteroscopy.

I am due for the hysteroscopy appt in 8 days, and I am “brickin' it” (as they say up here in Yorkshire).  The person I contacted at the clinic said it was done under local anaesthetic by default.  I have always been a wuss, and passed out during some of my colposcopies in the past, so am thinking I would like a general.

Does anyone know how I would go about requesting that I have general anaesthetic, or has anyone out there had a hysteroscopy, who can offer me advice.

I also cannot work out how this has happened so fast, and how the endometrium could still be so thick after such a heavy bleed.
Also I am not on any hormone replacement, or natural oestrogens.  I am only 3 stone overweight, so where will all the extra oestrogen be coming from - I have gathered that excess of this causes the endometrium to thicken?
 

[Taz2]

Hi glenys - a worrying time for you but you have done the right thing in going to the GP so quickly.

Different health areas have different policies on hysteroscopies but I think the option of general anaesthetic should be available to you if you ask, especially as you have been told that local is used by "default". Maybe phone the department at your hospital and explain your fears. I have had friends who have had this done without a general and found the local anaesthetic to be fine.

It could be that as you are not as post menopausal as you think. You had a slight bleed in January which could show that you are still producing enough oestrogen to thicken the womb lining but maybe not enough progesterone to then get rid of all of it. Hormones are funny things and if one stops being produced while the other carries on then everything can get out of sync.

Try not to worry too much - obviously an easy thing for me to say - and feel free to share your thoughts and feelings on here with us lot. You may like to post in Private Lives which is only viewable by members and not the whole of the internet if there are more personal feelings you want to share.

Taz x

[LaineyWinks]

I had a hysteroscopy in May, the doctor who did it said it would be uncomfortable because the last time my cervix had been opened was 23yrs ago when I had my daughter.

Anyhow, it turned out to be nothing to worry about, just a slight burning crampy pain, on a scale of 1-10, I'd say about a 4. I even had asked her the age old question "Is it in yet ?"

I know everyone is different but I would have another at the drop of a hat, not that I'll ever need to cos it's all coming out in a couple of weeks.

[glenys]

Well, it is tomorrow when I actually go in for the procedure.  It was supposed to be an appt on Thursday, but the GP referred me to the wrong clinic and the hysteroscopies are in a different wing of the hospital on a different day.  I tried to discuss the anaesthetic with the person who booked me in, but got the feeling that I could discuss this with the gynaecologist tomorrow. 

The thing I am most worried about is that I have never had children, and have had chemotherapy scarring over the whole of my cervix (which is also inverted, to top it off!!).  I reckon it will be painful, so I am taking the painkillers beforehand as suggested in my letter, but at the same time I don't want the inconvenience of a general anaesthetic, so will have to see what the surgeon says, I suppose.

I am going into work in the morning, to take my mind off it, as I work for the same NHS trust, I can get a shuttle across to that department after lunch, and my hubby is meeting me there.

XG

[Lady D]

Hi, I think I've had this if it is the camera/biopsy and yes it was painful but the nursing staff were great and once the procedure was over the pain more or less disappeared and I just felt a bit tearful.  Had gone on my own so had to drive me there/back + waiting on my own wasn't ideal.

Hope you get on okay.

[Taz2]

Thinking of you glenys - hope you get on ok.

Taz x

[LaineyWinks]

Keeping everything crossed for you. Please let us know how it went.

[Jane44]

Good luck tomorrow you will be fine keep us posted x

[glenys]

Hi Folks.
Sorry it has taken so long to get back.  The Hysteroscopy was a bit wierd, the exam was totally painless, but I nearly shot though the wall when the nurse took the biopsy. The painful bit was only around 10 seconds so was over soon enough. 

However she told me that the next stage was to move the polyp (which I saw on the screen and was joined at both ends - so it would be the same as removing 2 polyps, I suppose).  They will be offering me gas and air, which was the deal-breaker, as I wanted general because of the anticipated pain.

Now I am beginning to worry as it takes a couple of minutes for the entenox to take hold, and there will be a few minutes of cutting involved altogether. I haven't had the results of the biopsy yet, or an appointment sorted.

How do I let them know I really want a general instead?

XG

[LaineyWinks]

Glad it went well, the biopsy is horrible but thankfully quick !

I'm pretty sure someone  on here had a general for polyp removal, not so long back, but I can't remember who it was.

Wait for the results of your biopsy and ask, indeed insist on a general if that's what you want. I'm sure your GP would back you up re this.

I'm in the opposite situation over here in Merseyside, over here they'll knock you out at the drop of a hat !

Good luck anyway.

[Taz2]

glenys - glad your procedure went well. If you want to find out about polyps try searching the forum for it. If you just type polyps into the search box which is in the blue bar top left of the page it should bring up all the posts where they have been mentioned.

Taz x

[glenys]

Thanks all :-)

I think I will make an appt with my GP and ask her how to go about getting her to recommend me for a general, as the secretary in OPD says my next appt will be when I get the results of the biopsy, which will also be the appt for the repeat hysteroscopy.  When I asked the secretary at the GP if the results of the biopsy would be going to my practice, she said, no the GPs won't get a report :-(

Most of the things I found on the net seemed to lean towards people automatically being given general, so it confuses me why Sheffield Health Authority should be different?

XG

[glenys]

Hi Katsclaws.   I think I will do just that.  I have had a letter in this morning, saying the biopsy was all clear, which is good news.  However it did say that they can tell from the "healthy" state of my endometrium that I have NOT yet gone through the menopause. !!!

So, I will need to know why I was without a period for 18 months, and how come they saw nothing unusual at my US in Jan, yet they saw the thickening in July.

I am thinking of adrenal insufficiency now, as a reaction to stress in the year coming up to coming off the pop pill, then made worse with then going on Duloxetine which could have overloaded my adrenals again.

Either way I want the procedure of getting the polyp out done under general, so the GP will definitely get an ear-bending!

Thanks for all the help so far to all who have replied

[glenys]

Hi All

I got in touch with the secretaries and asked about having a general.  She said that was fine, and has booked me in for a pre-op soon.

I know it has got to be a cost-cutting exercise, but not everyone would pick the more expensive option, if they gave a choice, and it would take a lot of stress off folk who felt they were going in for the anaesthesia that didn't suit them.

XG

[Taz2]

Good news for you glenys. It would be helpful if everyone was offered the choice and that it wasn't just assumed that everyone would opt for the regional anaesthetic. It should be up to each patient to weigh up all of the pros and cons of general anaesthesia.

As for your lack of periods for eighteen months I remember one of my lady docs saying that women should never assume that their missing periods were due to menopause as there are many reasons for periods to stop and menopause was only one of them. I had fluoxetine for a while and it stopped my periods completely so maybe the duloxetine had the same effect on you as it is a known side effect?

Taz x