It started in July with anemia. I’ve had a cat scan of abdomen and pelvis ( normal) , an endoscopy (some issues but no cancer) and a colonoscopy (normal). My anemia is getting better but now have very lower pelvic pain on left side with some kind of lump there. I’m 56 and have not had a period in years and today I had blood from vagina. Of course, google says that’s cancer and I’m terrified all over again! I was so much better and now can’t breathe. I’m due a Pap smear next month so I’m going to go early but I’m going on a short cruise in 9 days so I’ll make the appointment after that. I just hope I can stop worrying long enough to enjoy it.
When did you find out about the lump in your left side? The colonoscopy? Could be a polyp?
Are you sure the blood was vaginal?
I had post menopausal blood from there once - I had a whole inflamed area down there - extreme urethral - vaginal dryness.
The tissue was "friable" i.e. so dry it would just break open and bleed into my underwear or sometimes when I urinated there would be blood in the toilet.
. I, also, had pelvic pain due to an inflamed bladder - that went along with urgency and frequency of urination. I Had a cystoscope done and my bladder was all irritated and had red lines all through it.
Do you have any problems involving urinating, urgency - feeling like you have a UTI?
No , I found the lump I think cause of the pains and feeling around in that area, I can’t feel it now when I try to find it though. The pain is very low like just above the Punic hair. The blood was just on the toilet paper not in the underwear at all. Very brief and not doing it now. Have been having vaginal itching and previous blood on toilet paper I thought was from scratching cause my fingernails are often ragged. It would burn when I irritate the area after scratching or rubbing the area but not all the time. I just don’t know
For a while I went on Estrace, a hormonal replacement cream (RX) and would use an applicator (like with Tampax) - just an inch or two of the cream 3 x week for a month or so. Then I cut back to once a week for a month or so then I stopped it altogether. That was 5 years ago.
I still, sometimes, us "Emerita" a personal moisturizer, if I feel a chapping down there - in the whole "crouchal" area. One bottle lasts forever - cost like $8.00. I got it from Amazon.
I only had the blood in my undies if I had tight pants on and there was a rubbing of material or a chafing. The tissue down there would just break open from abrasion. Also, I would get it after strenuous exercise - once more the tissue rubbing would cause the chafing and then the skin would break open.
It never just occured spontaneously.
Was the lump internal or external?
I used to feel as if I had menstrual cramps - that was from my irritated, inflamed bladder/interstital cystitis.
The blood occured only when there was a chaffing - after strenuous exercise or wearing jeans that were too tight in the "crotchal" area. The tissue was so dry it just broke open.
I used to use and sometimes still do Emerita, a moisturiizer for that area. Super gentle - works like a dream. Got it from Amazon
To get over the real bad dry tissue problem (this was 7 years ago) I got a prescription for Estrace, a hormonal cream. I used an inch of the cream (with an applicator like with Tampax) 3 x a week for a month, then once a week for a month then I stopped altogether.
I understand the friable tissue is very common in post menopausal women.