Question for the women in their 40's

**caseysmom** · 10-07-2007, 03:46 PM

Hugs Rachel. I hope everything is fine with you.

**Logan** · 10-08-2007, 08:44 AM

Caseysmom, my sister (who is 48) had similar symptoms to yours for months and months at a time. She also had significant pain. Finally, she gave in, went to her OB/GYN and had the endometrial biopsy done, also a D&C (I may be getting this out of order). She had fibroids, which they tested for cancer, but did not expect them to be cancerous. They were. She had a radical, vaginal hysterectomy in January, including laproscopic removal of 25 lymph nodes to find out if it had spread. She required no chemo or radiation as the lymph nodes tested clean. Thank goodness!

She had some post surgical issues (not cancer related) and actually required additional surgery. But saying that, she had none of the "normal" symptoms of endometrial cancer. The surgeon/oncologist told her that this type of cancer "normally" hits women who are over 60 years of age and obese. She was neither of those. You just never know and you have to be careful!

When I went for my annual OB/GYN appt in April, they asked that same question they always ask, "when was the first day of your last period". I couldn't remember. I realized it had probably been at least 5 months. Based on what my sister had just gone through, and the fact that I was 44 years old at the time and having no menopausal symptoms, other than my period stopping, he decided to put me on Progesterone for 12 days, see if it started back, and if it didn't he wanted to do a biopsy, vaginal ultrasound and fasting bloodwork. I found the biopsy to be painful, while he was doing it, but I was fine as soon as it was over. The bloodwork ended up showing that I was truly in menopause. Several months later, I started bleeding again, for almost 2 weeks. They did another endometrial biopsy, not expecting to see anything, but just to be on the safe side. Again, no cancer, but I did experience more bleeding and cramping as a result of that one, but it did subside eventually. Since then, I have had one short occurence of bleeding (Sept), but nothing since then. He says my body is confused about whether it is truly in menopause or not. I hope it will stay in menopause, frankly. My only symptom, periodically, is that i have hot flashes during the night. It is not nearly significant enough to even consider hormone replacement, though.

I am 45 now and it seems like it is too soon to be menopausal, but my sister and my mother were forced into menopause in their 40s by radical hysterectomy. I'm glad I'm not dealing with that! And at least I have been tested, inside and out, and know that there is no issue of cancer for me at this point.

I hope you will follow through, stay positive, and whatever it takes, get to the bottom of the problem. We'll be here to support you!!

Logan

**caseysmom** · 10-08-2007, 10:15 AM

I think the reason mostly for the pain during the test was because she said my uteris was flipped so she had to dialate it or something like that when I had my IUD changed 2 years ago I remember him mentioning this and it was quite uncomfortable.

Logan it sounds like your sister caught her cancer in time, thank goodness.

**jazzcat** · 10-08-2007, 10:36 AM

Well I'm about a week short of 40 *cough cough* I can't believe I'm saying that

. Anyway I had a hysterectomy last year for endometriosis and in the process the dr. discovered a small fibroid. I had both my ovaries removed also so I went into surgical menopause. I started hormones but with that came horrible groin pain and after months of trying different kinds of hormones I gave up when my dr. said the estrogen in the hormones must be causing my endo to grow back and cause pain. That was why they took my ovaries - to stop the endo from growing. Let me tell you, hot flashes and night sweats are no way to spend the last year of your 30s!

I just went through a cat scan and xrays to see if my groin pain is being caused by something else but they came back normal so it's looking like I can either be mostly pain free but in full blown menopause or take hormones and suffer the bad groin pain. Either way stinks and either way I've gained about 20 pounds over the past year since the hsyt.

For the first time since the surgery I've actually started thinking maybe I was better off having 2 week periods every 21 days and pain so bad I was bed bound for at least two days a month.

It's true what they say 'when one door closes another one opens'. I closed the door on horrilbe periods just to open another to menopause and groin pain.