Hi All,
Well I had my hysteroscopy on Monday and as I expected it was all clear, although he struggled to get the hysteroscope through my cervix and it was very painful. The letter from my consultant informing me that they had decided to do a hysteroscopy rather than a colposcopy stated the cervix would be examined and any area of erosion cauterised. However the doctor performing my hysteroscopy said he doesn't 'do' the cervix or colposcopy because it isn't very interesting! He also seemed surprised that a colposcopy hasn't been arranged.
He did look at my cervix (with the naked eye) and said he couldn't see any abnormalities or areas of erosion but there was some blood coming from it. As he couldn't see any erosion he said he didn't know why this could be. So now I have to wait until 20th March for a follow up appointment with my consultant. I feel incredibly frustrated and don't know where to go from here. I know the chances of any further CIN or worse are slim but it's playing on my mind and I just feel they should rule it out fully. Should I/can I push for a colposcopy? I'm even considering having a colposcopy done privately but don't know how this would effect my current treatment under the NHS. Any advice?
Thanks
Rachel
Hi Rachel,
I am not surprised you're frustrated - communication and the NHS often don't go together very well and it's so annoying to be told one thing, only to have something completely different happen!! It can make you feel like you're not being listened to I think, which isn't a great feeling when you're trying to sort out your health!
First of all, it's great news that you've had clear smears for almost two years after having early stage CIN removed. It sounds like that's been well and truly dealt with, which is exactly what the screening programme is designed to do, so it's nice to hear! :-) I want to reassure you that although it does pick up other things as well, a smear test is specifically designed to detect CIN, so the fact that you've had clear smears for so long makes it unsurprising to me that they haven't done a colposcopy because as far as they're concerned, there is no reason to do one unless you have cell abnormalities in your cervix, which you don't seem to. They have ruled out CIN with clear smear tests over a long period of time.
There are lots of reasons why you could be bleeding abnormally and obviously you really want to get this sorted and get to the bottom of it. Just out of interest, have they ruled out the following:
- endometriosis.
-polysystic ovaries.
- Fibroids.
I just wondered because a lot of your symptoms are consistent with these and, along with having clear smears (so nothing going on CIN-wise) I wonder if that could be something for them to consider? Also, I hope you don't mind me asking but, do you have a coil fitted? I know a few people who have had a coil and have experienced abnormal bleeding because it just didn't suit them. If you don't want to wait until 20th March to speak to someone about it, then I see no harm in going to see your GP before you see your consultant again, just to talk things through and see what he/she thinks about everything.
I hope that helps in some way. Good luck!
Annabel. x
Thank you for your reply Annabel. It's very reassuring. I think the fact that I keep being told different things by different doctors has made me lose confidence. I was initially told because of my history I would have to have a colposcopy and this would be done quickly, only to then receive a letter from the consultant to say they felt it was unnecessary.
My ultrasound indicated that my ovaries are polycystic. When I received this news I thought I had the answer. However both my GP and the hospital have ruled this out as a cause.
I don't have fibroids or polyps this was confirmed at last weeks hysteroscopy.My consultant is also recommending the coil, yet the doctor who did the hysteroscopy told me this can cause bleeding and said he wouldnt recommend it. So as you can imagine I don't have the greatest confidence in anything I am being told.
I have also wondered about endo as there is a family history of it, however i feel this has been brushed over.
Gosh, you really have been told completely different things by different people! It's so unhelpful when they do that but don't give you any detailed reason. It's hard to have confidence in what they tell you medically then, isn't it, because you find it difficult to trust them.
There are lots of different types of coil and, as far as I understand it, some can cause abnormal bleeding, whereas some can reduce it if you're prone to that. I'm not 100% sure about that though, so it would probably be a good idea to check that out with your GP in more detail.
If you've got a history of endometriosis in your family, then perhaps it could be worth asking them why they haven't investigated this as a possibility. Apart from anything else, it would just be interesting to know why they think it's not a necesary possibility to explore. Or perhaps they will now that you've had clear smears?
Annabel. x
