Hi all!
I am brand new to this forum and this is my very first post. I am very worried that no one will respond so please know that I would appreciate any input very very much!!
So a little background..I am currently 29 years old and I started my first period at a very young age (the summer after 4th grade), and they were very heavy and painful from the get-go. I can’t remember for sure, but I don’t think they lasted a ridiculous amount of time back then. Maybe 5 days or so.
Here in the last several years, my periods have become extremelyyyyyy prolonged and last 8 or 9 days. 3 days of spotting brown blood, 3 days of heavy bleeding, and then another 2-3 days of spotting brown blood. On top of that, I started getting urinary issues as well. I need to pee a lot more than average, and I have a hard time holding it in. I even have some leakage/incontinence. This all started when I was probably 23 or 24.
Fast forward 5 or 6 more years, and things have only gotten worse. I guess my periods aren’t that much worse, but my urinary issues sure are. I seriously have to pee every few minutes and never feel like my bladder is empty. I also have a constant (mild) pelvic pain. I saw a urologist and she diagnosed me with pelvic floor dysfunction after several different tests, but I can’t help but feel like there’s more to it. I also have pain during intercourse.
A few weeks ago, I had a rather large vaginal inclusion cyst removed, and I was hoping it would be the answer to all of my problems because it was basically pushing against my urethra. Well, it wasn’t the answer I was looking for. In fact, it has caused MORE problems as of so far. No improvement on my urinary issues, and on top of that, I’ve been bleeding ever since the surgery. Of course it was my luck that I was scheduled to start my actual period a few days after the surgery, but the surgery itself ended up making me start early (right after the surgery) and I have been spotting old blood and brownish discharge ever since the heavy bleeding portion stopped. There was even one night in particular that I randomly started bleeding A LOT again pretty much out of no where, and it stopped just as quickly as it began (when I say “stopped” I mean I went back to spotting).
I had my 2 week follow up with my gyno the next day, and I explained the situation. She didn’t seem concerned what so ever and said that this was probably just a “stress reaction by my body to the surgery”. I don’t really buy that because I’ve been stressed out for the last year or so and have NEVER bleed for 3 weeks before..EVER!!
So of course I get online, type in all of my symptoms, and endometrial cancer is the first thing to pop up. Why has no gyno ever tested me for this before??? (I’ve seen a zillion of them, believe me)
So now, needless to say, I’m terrified. I’ve already had to demand every test I’ve had done other than a Pap and tests for infections, which always come back clear. I’ve had an ultrasound, transvaginal ultra sound, and a pelvic MRI already, and those have also come back clear. But of course, from what I’m reading, a biopsy is the only way to rule this out.
The only positives I have to look at right now are the fact that my other tests have come back fine (my endometrium measured 6mm in thickness on the MRI), and also the fact that I’ve read that people who experience such extreme symptoms like I have are usually in the later stages of the disease, so surely it would have spread and shown up on at least one of these tests?! I assume I’d be at a pretty advanced stage considering my symptoms started 5 years ago, other than the bleeding after my surgery.
I’m not looking forward to having to demand another test. It’s really frustrating that it feels as though no one is interested in ruling serious things out for me just because of my age. I understand that it’s not exactly likely, but it is still possible and I deserve the peace of mind if nothing else.
Anyway, sorry that this was so long and I really would appreciate any input/advice. Thank you!!