Tender uterus

Signs and symptoms
1

I'm 28 and I've been suffering from a tender uterus and pain just behind my pubic bone for the last three months or so. At first, the symptoms were so mild that I thought I was imagining them. Now, although thankfully the pain is not yet severe, the symptoms are unmistakable. They disrupt my sleep, and are worse if I'm on my front or side for some reason, and on occasion I'll take pain relief for them. I've had no answers from the doctors, who think I'm a hypochondriac, and I'm at a loss.

Some background which may or may not be relevant is that I had a miscarriage in August. I found out at my 12 week scan in mid-August that the baby had died. I took misoprostol twice to expel the tissue, which failed. Some started to come out but was still attached so when they tried to yank it out with forceps it just broke off, leaving some inside.

In mid-September I had an MVA to get the rest of the tissue out. However, despite a 'clear' ultrasound afterwards, even that missed some tissue! I passed another 3x2cm lump four days later.

My HCG then took 6 weeks to drop from 18 to 2, which I thought was strangely slow.

I've had three periods since, which have come on time, though they've been quite long.

Basically (and this is where the hypochondria comes in, in my doctor's eyes) I think I could have uterine or cervical cancer. Or maybe more retained tissue.

I've had ultrasounds which can't see anything, but we know that they can miss things and definitely can't show up things in the cervix. I've had 3 clear smears in my life, most recently last December, but I know they're not reliable too. Plus, if I had cervical cancer I think it would be high up in my cervical canal so undetectable.

I just don't know what to do now sad

Sorry for the long post and I hope someone responds!

2

Pelvic pain is can be numerous of things. And its a sign of advanced cancer if you had something it would of been seen on the us. Especially because your having pains i had pains since august and ct scan 3 transvaginal us a pap and a pelvic exam and everything comes out negative. Your young for cervical cancer. I had a scare myself still kinda scared tbh but i think its normal for periods to change after a baby i know you didnt have it but i am glad im not the only one that after birth i have had heavy bleeding where i need bc to stop my periods. Its so scary. Tbh. Because everyone i know they're monthly came back fine but tjey breast fed on the other hand i didnt not cuz i didnt want too but because my boobs didnt produce milk at all. but i get you when you say endocervical cancer.. I am scared theyll miss that but its also good to know that it only accounts for 15 to 20% of cc. Still kinda high to not worry but i doubt its that. If your so worried ill try to get a colscopy

3

Also did you test for hpv? If your positive for that then i would see to get a biopsy but thats just me being a hypochondriac as well. But if your negative for hpv clean pap i say your fine

4

Thank you very much for your kind response, Erika. I've never been tested for HPV by the NHS, because my smears have always been normal.

However, I did do a home test for HPV from Let's Get Checked which was negative. I don't know how reliable that is though. You basically take a vaginal swab with a plastic stick, let it air dry for a few minutes, then post it back. But yes no idea whether that's a legitimate testing method or not!

Besides, the types of cancer I'm more worried about (i.e. in the endocervix) are less likely to be caused by HPV I understand

Or I guess it could be endometrial cancer! You'd have hoped they might have picked up on that when they were analysing all my pregnancy tissue though. But maybe they don't look out for cancer markers. I don't know!

It sounds farfetched written down, I know, but it has to happen to somebody. And I have such an awful feeling that something is wrong. They keep testing me for all these benign conditions which are negative and nobody can tell me what's wrong and I think the only remaining explanations are something serious.

5

I would ask to get tested for it. And did you see reviews on it? I never heard of a at home hpv test. Maybe its not available in America since all the healthcare system cares about is money. I asked to get tested for it but they didnt even want to do a pap on me because im 20 so i had to pay out of pocket and if i wanted a hpv test all together would of been 500. So im waiting till I'm 21 in 4 months. Really? I heard they were. Unless its a lie. Did you ever get the vaccine for hpv? I get you i am a front bleeder which makes me wonder if my cervix is high up so even if theyre was bad cells it wouldnt have been caught but i never had a dr tell me i have a high cervix or.anything. but i did have an ex tell me my vag. Was not shaped like other girls and he meant like my hole was more towards the middle than back like most girls.. Which makes me wonder if i have a high cervix cuz i do get pains around my monis pubic area and i scare myself thinking probably thats pain from a tumor thats hidden since my vag is weird. but i havent found much info on that. Maybe its your body adjusting? Pregnancy does cause a lot of estrogen so maybe your low on prostegone?

6

I say endometrial cancer is not likely since its common in older women but even that cancer sounds better than cervical tbh. They would of had noticed a thickened endometruim if it was that as well.

7

I looked at adenocarcinoma more in depth sometimes a hpv test is a great way to find it because since it hides the pap doesnt get it and hpv can indicate if its there and since it affects younger women idk why they dont include it in the pap. Also read its also affected by hormones specifically estrogen. So thats why they say bc pills increase risk of cc. Supposedly its for dysplasia but tbh i think thats the reason it aso doesnt help that im overweight cuz i heard that also increases adenocarcinomas ugh. But cases ive seen they are usually skinny which make me wonder cuz the one study i saw was basically saying fat women get no benefit from smears which made me angry.

8

Also theyre types of adenocarcinomas. Not just one type. And the mucosa kinds not caused by hpv but something to do is gastrointestinal organs idk. That one is more aggresive than the one caused by hov but its less common than regular kind also another kind is smal cell cervical cancer if your a hypochondriac like me dont look it up i did and know im scared of it

9

I did ask to get tested for it, but here in the UK they literally won't do it. They will do a smear every 3 years, and test for HPV if there's anything abnormal, but that's it. I could get a smear privately but like I said I just don't really trust them.

The company I got the home HPV test from is legit with good reviews and stuff. But idk how widely accepted their method of HPV testing is, or how accurate... or if I even took the sample correctly.

I never got the HPV vaccine because by the time it was introduced I was too old. Bummer.

Your ex sounds silly, I'm sure there's nothing wrong with your bits! Everyone is different down there.