I need some reassurance. I am a nervous wreck and if you have had similar experiences it would help a great deal.
I'm 50 and first started missing 4 months of periods..great , I thought...easy! Then a mild period, followed by spotting, spotting, spotting, a few days off and then on again for two months.. Then I got a "regular period" but I started to hemmorhage, 1 huge pad every 1/2 hr or less. By the second day they told me to go to the ER. I did, my hemoglobin was surprisingly normal ( taking iron pills ) so the Doctor there put me on Provera. It really helped the bleeding but in tapering to a lower dosage, I flooded and gushed for another 8 days with clots galore.
Now for the scary part. I went to see a new Doc as mine was out due to major health problems. She came highly recommended but her bluntness terrified me ( I am a nervous type anyway). She said, "NO, this is definitely NOT normal for perimenopause", "We have to check to see if something HORRIBLE" is going on in there" and when she examined me she found one of my fibroids that was in an "unusual spot" and said, "Oh no, this is just what I was afraid of!". Turns out the fibroid, as large as a huge chicken egg, was totally blocking the entrance to the uterus and pushing the uterus into the bladder ( which is why I probably have been getting urge incontinence lately).

• She said that she could not do an endometrial biopsy as she could not get in there.
• Sent me for a transvaginal ultrasound yesterday. It was not clear due to fibroids and they could not see the condition and thickness of the endometrial lining.
• The only options she had left was to attempt a D&C, which I am waiting for them to set up, to get in there for a sample for biopsy. She said she may not even be able to get into the uterus due to the fibroid.
• I asked about a hysterectomy, which she said the insurance company would object to at first unless lesser measures have been tried, like the D&C.
• If the D&C gets some tissue and it is okay, we will continue on Progesterone to slow down the bleeding until menopause is done, a short term thing.
• If not, I have no choice but to get a hysterectomy which would have to be the major surgery kind due to them being unable to pull it through the vaginal opening, because of the fibroid. It would take 2 months of down time, and maybe more due to my ample belly fat!

I really thought, that most women get "abnormal bleeding, heavy bleeding,cramping, spotting, and very irregular bleeding during perimenopause.My mother did and I told her so but she ignored that as if it was not the least important. She made it sound as if it is VERY unusual and abnormal as if some severe pathological state is going on. I am TERRIFIED of cancer as my husband already has incurable prostate cancer and yet needs an operation this summer. We have no family nearby. They are 1,000 miles away and have busy lives. MY family is mostly gone, many deaths, even young members the past 10 years. I rely on him and he on me.
I do want to be sure it is nothing bad but sheesh, do I have to be scared to death? Where are the reassurances, the compassionate words, the hope?
Needless to say, I am worn out with stress and worry.
Your thoughts and experiences would be most appreciated! I am really frightened and worried!

Tropical....................oh I feel for you honey! Sounds like the reason she needs to get in "there" and do a D&C is because of the position of the fibroid. All you need to do is go to the heavy bleeding section of these posts and you will see women describe very, very, heavy bleeding. I had a very similar situation several months ago. I had very heavy bleeding, clots, soaking through pads, etc. This went on for 22 days. Finally my doctor had me come in and they had to put a chucks pad down underneath me for the exam because of all the bleeding. He was able to do an endometrial biopsy that same day. I had to come back for a transvaginal ultrasound so that they could measure my uterine lining. All of this was going on while I was bleeding so heavily! I was like you............scared to death, and thinking the worst. Don't do this to yourself. The chances are that everything is fine. My ultrasound showed that I had a fibroid and a simple ovarian cyst. My biopsy came back normal. They want to watch my fibroid as it is not in a bad place and for now it's small. They just need to make sure that the lining in your uterus is fine. If that darn fibroid wasn't in the way, they would have been able to do the biopsy in the office. Sounds to me like she's being thorough..............but don't make any more out of that. She is doing what needs to be done to make sure nothing is wrong. Keep reading other posts and you will see that this is not an unusual procedure. I just feel so badly for you because of the anxiety. I had myself so worked up when all of this happened to me. Please keep posting and let us know how things are going. I'm sure others will chime in here because what you are going through is so very common. Lots of hugs and prayers for you today Tropical. Please don't imagine the worst. Kaydee

Thanks Kaydee!

I read most of the Bleeding posts. I guess the Doc scared me and her manner is quite blunt. I can always ditch her after all the tests and or operations, as she is suppossed to be good. My other Doctor, not there anymore, was a good Dr. but he was too laid back!
I'll try not to worry. I would be more worried NOT getting it done. Darn Fibroid, yes they hardly do D&Cs anymore but the other ways were impossible.
I will keep you posted . I have to go in on June 4th.

I had a hysterectomy, a rectocele repair, and a cystocele repair with a transvaginal sling all done at the same surgery in January. The surgery was long (about 5 hours) but the surgeon was able to do everything at once, so I was glad about that. Yes, it takes about 6-8 weeks to recover, but some people do bouce back sooner than others.

The main thing is to find a good surgeon. Not every gyn is a skilled surgeon. I sought out a urogynecologist because they specialize in pelvic floor surgeries (hysterectomies and prolapse repairs).

I think I'd try to get a second opinion if they tell you you need a hysterectomy. From what I've read fibroids do not always preclude a vaginal hysterectomy. But whether you have a vaginal hysterectomy or an abdominal one, the recovery period is about the same...I just think with the vaginal hysterectomy, you don't have to stay in the hospital as long, you don't have as much post op pain and no scar on your abdomen.

Just checking in Tropical, to see how you are doing today. I know the waiting game isn't helping your anxiety! Just try to hang in there and take it one day at a time. I feel sure that the heavy bleeding isn't something serious. Just think, you are getting closer to finding out what is wrong and what can be done about it. Don't suffer in silence! Let us know how things are going for you today and what is on your mind. Kaydee

I am hanging in there today, although my period started and I am bleeding heavily. Hope I don't hemmorhage this time. I have scheduled some work to be done on our home, tub reglazing, carpet cleaning, and a few other things for next week just to get them done finally and to keep my mind busy.
Not too bad today emotionally/anxiety wise. Thanks for your support. I love these forums...I don't feel so alone!