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[Foggy]

Hello all, just looking for some advice or reassurance.

I'm having an awful time, the last few years I've struggled with heavy irregular periods, along with lots of pink watery discharge and I'm now anaemic with an hb of 8.9 and feeling nauseous and pretty rotten with tachycardia.

Ive also suffered from lots of blood in my urine and since the beginning of the month blood and discharge from my urethra that three lots of antibiotics haven't rtouched, no infection in cultures.

I saw the practice nurse on Friday and I've been referred to a gynaecologist, but after another heavy urethral bleed this evening I'm worried that it's the wrong referral and I need to see an urologist instead, I think I might try to get seen tomorrow, but I'm worried I'm going to be seen as a hypochondriac, as I went to the walk in centre over the weekend as I had a slight temperature and felt terrible.

Will a gynaecologist be able to help with the urine issues do you think?  I'm 50, almost 51 years old.

[CLKD]

If your urine isn't growing a bug - I assume that the GP has sent your samples to a Lab. for checking as dip sticks don't show infections  . 

Ask if vaginal atrophy treatment is appropriate until you have seen a Consultant? 

[Foggy]

Thanks for the replies, I'm terrified that I have bladder cancer, and that any diagnosis will be delayed if I don't see a urologist . If the gynaecologist works with them then perhaps I'll not pester for a referral. The urine samples were sent off to the lab, although the nurse said it doesn't mean that there isn't infection if it comes back clear 

I simply can't cope with everything that's going wrong, I do have the symptoms of burning and a stinging cervix and vagina, added to the bloodbath periods and all the symptoms that go along with that and the anaemia I honestly feel like a wreck.  Anxiety is making things much worse too.

I'm hoping that the referral is an urgent one, but I've no idea.  I think I may have fibroids as I have all the symptoms, so I think a mirena might be recommended, it's something I always said I wouldnt have, but I'm getting desperate to get everything resolved and to feel normal again, the vaginal atrophy, if it is that, is a terrible thing, I had no idea menopause could be so horrid. 

[CLKD]

Make a list of symptoms to take with you to prioritise?

If urine has been sent to a Lab. what chance is there of it not being an infection if it doesn't show 'growth'?  However. 

Check with your GP as to if the appt. needs to be 'urgent' and you could ring the Consultant's Secretary to see what chance there is of getting a cancellation appt.? 

Your GP should be able to give you medication to help any long, heavy bleeds. 

Try not to worry too much, easy to say from here but by taking charge of the above, you will feel more in control.

[Foggy]

Thanks CLKD,. I think I might just hang on and wait for the referral, I know you are right about taking control, but I stupidly feel that I'm totally incompetent at the moment. I've been stressing about getting an emergency appointment in the morning as it is.

I'm okay until I pee a load of blood, and then the panic kicks in again.  I hope I can look back at how ridiculous all the worrying is, but worse case scenarios are all I can think of at the moment.

I think half the trouble is that I haven't been able to talk to a doctor properly about it, I saw the practice nurse who rang me at five to six when the surgery closes at six, to say that I needed to see a doctor about my blood test as the hb was so low, that was the reason I was referred, so I don't know if he was even aware of the urinary issues as it was all such a rush!

 It's three years since I've seen a gp, and I haven't seen my own gp for over twenty years, he was popular and so I could never get in to see him, so I feel a bit out of the system if that makes sense!  I was also given iron tablets, but no instruction on how long to take them for or when I need another blood test, who to see or make an appointment with next.   I just feel a bit lost with it all.

Sparkle - did your referral to a urologist take a while after seeing the gynaecologist?
.

[CLKD]

No wonder you feel lost!  If the Nurse had decided to ring shortly be 'closing' time then she should have made sure that you were understanding the gist of the conversation   

I think that being unable to make decisions comes with The Change, i.e. I couldn't decide between 2 packs of bread rolls earlier …….

What advice did the Walk-in Clinic give?

[Foggy]

Hello again, the walk in clinic couldn't understand why I'd been referred to a gynaecologist  instead of urologist and gave me more antibiotics and told me to go for a check the following day because my blood pressure was very high.   the next day they literally checked my blood pressure and told me not to worry and that was that, so no further forwards really.

I've decided o wait to see the gynaecologist and hope he is more proactive about things, I had the same trouble when my daughter was very ill as a two year old and was jokingly called a neurotic mother. She turned out to have leukaemia and I very nearly lost her because of their delays, so I think that's making me more anxious.

I don't mind waiting as long as it's being sorted, it's the fact that no one seems to listen and I think I'm just been seen as a silly menopausal woman.

[Scampi]

Just a word about the Mirena - I had one fitted in December due to very heavy, painful periods (I have several fibroids).  I wasn't sure about it (made the mistake of Googling it - remember it tends to be the few people who have bad experiences who post on-line), but it's the best thing I ever did!  I bled for almost 2 weeks after I'd had it put in, and was very close to going to the doctor to beg for it removing - then it stopped.  Since then, I've had 4 bleeds, only one of which needed anything more than panty-liners (and then only the smallest size of sanitary towel), and none have lasted more than 4 days.  Considering I was soaking a super-plus tampon and night-time size towel in less than 2 hours for at least 3 days, and bleeding for over a week every month, these last 8 months have been heaven.  No pain now either 

I hope you find some relief and reassurance quickly.

[Foggy]

Thank you Scampi

[Foggy]

Hi Sparkle, I initially saw the nurse practitioner on the morning who took bloods and said I'd need a pelvic exam.  I was having a smear the following Tuesday, so she said she'd sorganise one for then. 
She randg five minutes before closing to say my bloods were very low and I had to dash to the surgery to see the doctor.  He had a quick feel of my tummy, gave me a script for iron tablets and said he'd refer me because of the bleeding.
the Tuesday came and no one was there to do an exam, so I think I might as well wait until the referral comes through now.

Because the surgery was closing everything was rushed.

I think I might make another appointment with the gp I saw, I'm getting quite a bit of pelvic pain now too, although I expect they'll just say to wait for the referral. The problem is that it can takes weeks to see a particular gp, so there's no continuity of care. I think he'll be the one to see about my anaemia, and yes I have tachycardia but I think that's starting to improve slowly.  Apparently if it was 8 instead of 8.9 I would have had to have a transfusion, which I think might have been the better option for resolving things more quickly.

I've just watched the news about a poor woman who's had her hysterectomy op cancelled four times at the last minute, she was so fed up she'd walked into her local radio station in her hospital gown and surgical stockings!  It doesn't inspire confidence!

On the plus side my daughter is now a wonderful adult thankfully!