Hi Padine - you are definitely not a wuss
![hug :hug:](https://www.menopausematters.co.uk/forum/Smileys/extended/hug.gif)
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These procedures can indeed be painful at this stage of life. I've had no kids & am small (size 6 hips). I've had 3 hysteroscopies, 2 in fertile years & 1 well postmenopause. The first was under GA as an inpatient as they did laparoscopy & D&C at same time. 2nd was also done in theatre but under local as a day case, which was perfectly adequate & caused no pain, stress or distress, BUT I was not yet perimenopausal so the various bits were robust enough to make things easy. An anaesthetist was there throughout the procedure & I was told I could request GA if I needed it. But I didn't & in fact found watching the action on screen interesting!
The last was done in my mid-50s without any sedation or pain relief, with poorly controlled VA & though it only took a few mins inc biopsy, it's not something I would want to repeat au naturel. It was standard procedure for that hospital to do it on a walk in, walk out basis in the consulting room (not in theatre) & I was not given any other option. The perennial problem of overloaded clinics & inadequate resources means there is pressure to get as many patients seen as quickly as poss & of course this approach is far quicker than using a theatre slot & for some women will pose no problem. I do think they should take account of the fact that it may not be so easy for menopausal women though.
So if you have to go back for more, do push for whatever you feel you need to make the procedure bearable. The issue of swift throughput aside, it's in the hospital's interests as well as yours that it should take place with ease. The lovely nursing staff present for my last hysteroscopy were visibly uncomfortable with mine having to be done without any pain relief & when I apologised for being a wimp they said with feeling, you are NOT a wimp - we know how uncomfortable this is. Uncomfortable was understatement of the year to my mind but I appreciated their empathy!
I believe there was actually a campaign ongoing some time ago for women to be given a choice of how hysteroscopy is carried out.
Wx