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[Pip16]

Hello ladies. I’ve not posted for a long time as been so busy plus my mum passed away last year so been awful few years. Anyway I’m type 2 diabetic and control it quite well. On my yearly bloods in October my cholesterol was quite high but also high ferritin and high something else I can’t remember. A gp who I didn’t know called me and asked if I felt ok and if I had any bleeding/pain etc as the high something else? Could indicate a hidden cancer. This literally scared the life out of me but she wanted me to have a chest X-ray and to do a bowel screening. Both these came back clear. I also sent in a urine sample and this was clear also but I was having the uti symptoms now and then but as it was clear I put it down to the VA. I got call from reception saying my tests were all clear and and someone had written in notes that I likely have fatty liver. I was relieved. Jump forward to end of January I needed to have more blood tests as I had missed the diabetic review. (We all caught covid for Christmas) during this time I also had a couple of episodes of dark pee. Then one time I wiped and saw pink blood. I took in a urine sample and got a call from nurse saying yes for blood but nothing else showed. However as I felt as though I had a uti she gave me a 3 day course of nitrofurantoin and requested another sample in a couple of weeks. I had my bloods taken Then I got call from gp as high ferritin again. She requested a blood test for iron. I went for the blood test and dropped another urine sample off. Still feeling as though I had a uti but had eased a bit. Another call from nurse saying it showed trace of blood so she was sending it off for testing and gave me another 5 day course of nitrofurantoin advising the infection? Maybe hadn’t gone. A week later another call from from a male gp saying no infection. He said he was referring me to hospital for tests in the 2 week frame as otherwise I would be waiting months to be seen. My iron work up was normal. I have an appt for ultrasound on 16th and cystoscopy on 18th. I am absolutely petrified I have cancer and cannot think of anything else. I try to occupy myself doing things but it’s all I’m thinking about. We’ve all seen the ads of blood in pee etc. I’ve always had bad health anxiety but this is on another level. I’ve googled and googled but dr Google has scared me so much. It’s as though I’m hearing the dr telling me I have it.

[Ayesha]

What a horrible time you are having, not surprised your anxiety levels are through the roof, but at least you are being well investigated which can only be a good thing. The NHS is all about preventative medicine, the only problem being it can put the fear of God into you!

Have you been offered VA treatment because it seems to me that's what is needed here?

[Pip16]

Hi ayesha thank you for replying. Yes I’m in ovestin cream.  I lapsed a bit and didn’t take it for a while but since this episode I’m using each night for past week. Things have eased up down there although at times I still feel the urge to pee. I quite understand the preventive approach from gp’s bit think they’re all so blunt these days and don’t realise they scare people

[Flossieteacake]

I am so sorry the GP was so alarmist. Anybody told that would be worried. I remember once getting a call from a GP I had never spoken to who said I likely have cancer. She was wrong but hearing those words made me feel so cold out of shock. That GP who called you clearly has no bedside manner.

Please try not to google as googling anything medical always seems to point to cancer. It is very likely the symptoms are VA related especially as you stopped using Ovestin. VA is a very painful condition and the dryness can cause bleeding through friction.

I can totally understand your anxious as the GP handled this so badly.

[Ayesha]

Hi ayesha thank you for replying. Yes I’m in ovestin cream.  I lapsed a bit and didn’t take it for a while but since this episode I’m using each night for past week.

Unfortunately that's the one thing you can't do is to take a break from treatment of VA because the symptoms will get progressively worse, hopefully things will improve with regular use and ease some of your other symptoms.

As for thoughtless doctors, they do have a habit of using the word cancer as if its the common cold they are discussing, their language can be brutal to us ordinary mortals 

[CLKD]

Don't GOOGLE!

Do begin using the VA treatment: every night for at least 3 weeks.  Some ladies require it every night, others can manage on a maintenance dose of every 3rd and every 5/6th nights. 

When I feel the need2P I swallow 2 Nurofen capsules 3 times a day until symptoms ease. 

[Pip16]

Don't GOOGLE!

Do begin using the VA treatment: every night for at least 3 weeks.  Some ladies require it every night, others can manage on a maintenance dose of every 3rd and every 5/6th nights. 

When I feel the need2P I swallow 2 Nurofen capsules 3 times a day until symptoms ease. 

Thankyou clkd - I have been using every night for the past week just in case it is/was blood from the va. I’ll continue using every night now though.
I’ve not seen anymore blood since the initial time and my pee has been normal colour. It was microscopic blood on the 2nd test. I am drinking a lot more and not holding my pee in as before. I could go twice a day before all this morning and night. I never drank enough!!

Ayesha and flossieteacake - the male dr who referred me just seemed to shrug it off when I mentioned what the first dr told me with the high blood count. From the way he spoke he did seem mystified as to the blood in the pee and did say he was referring me in the 2 week frame as I could be waiting months for a normal appt. My appts are 3 wks from being referred.

[CLKD]

Blood tests are reliably un-reliable 

[Flossieteacake]

Don't GOOGLE!

Do begin using the VA treatment: every night for at least 3 weeks.  Some ladies require it every night, others can manage on a maintenance dose of every 3rd and every 5/6th nights. 

When I feel the need2P I swallow 2 Nurofen capsules 3 times a day until symptoms ease. 

Thankyou clkd - I have been using every night for the past week just in case it is/was blood from the va. I’ll continue using every night now though.
I’ve not seen anymore blood since the initial time and my pee has been normal colour. It was microscopic blood on the 2nd test. I am drinking a lot more and not holding my pee in as before. I could go twice a day before all this morning and night. I never drank enough!!

Ayesha and flossieteacake - the male dr who referred me just seemed to shrug it off when I mentioned what the first dr told me with the high blood count. From the way he spoke he did seem mystified as to the blood in the pee and did say he was referring me in the 2 week frame as I could be waiting months for a normal appt. My appts are 3 wks from being referred.

From the male Drs response he does not sound like he thinks it is anything to worry about. Pity he did not at least try and reassure you though. It is good you are drinking more water now and not holding it in when you need to go. I think now that you are using the Ovestin daily things will improve for you.

[CLKD]

I've worked with medics who know what they are diagnosing, however, they often forgot to impart that to the patients.  As a med sec I spent hours explaining .........

[losttheplot]

The blood may not necessarily be from your bladder, it could just be vaginal atrophy....I say 'just' but I'm not dismissing your symptoms or your anxiety. Both are horrible for you. The investigation is quite normal, and referring under the 2 week rule is standard. However, at the moment (post pandemic) most referrals are a little delayed while the NHS try to catch up. So don't be too concerned if it's more than two weeks, equally if you haven't heard in 3 to 4 weeks you can always phone the hospital.
Let us know how you get on.

[CLKD]

How R U this morning?

[Pip16]

How R U this morning?

Hi clkd sorry I’ve just logged on and seen this. I’m ok. Still panicking about what they’ll find but just trying to keep busy. I’m dreading Thursday with the scan and even worse for the cystoscopy on Saturday. I know it needs to be done. Thank you for asking though. I’m still using the ovestin nightly and have another ready to collect.

The blood may not necessarily be from your bladder, it could just be vaginal atrophy....I say 'just' but I'm not dismissing your symptoms or your anxiety. Both are horrible for you. The investigation is quite normal, and referring under the 2 week rule is standard. However, at the moment (post pandemic) most referrals are a little delayed while the NHS try to catch up. So don't be too concerned if it's more than two weeks, equally if you haven't heard in 3 to 4 weeks you can always phone the hospital.
Let us know how you get on.

Thankyou losttheplot
I understand all you’re saying. The GP did say he was doing the 2 week referral otherwise I could be waiting months to be seen. I’m quite sure the blood was from the bladder. I did check ‘down there’ straight after seeing the pink tissue and there was nothing. I’ve not had any urine tests since taking the 2nd course of antibiotics so it may have cleared any infection if that’s what it was. I’ve not seen anymore blood since the first. My pee does look normal but it’s whether there’s microscopic blood still. I’m definitely drinking a lot more now though so I’m peeing more 😳.

[Pip16]

Hello ladies just wanted to let you know that I had my scan on Thursday and all normal and cystoscopy today. All normal. The urologist who was lovely did say I probably had a uti which the ab’s cleared, even though it didn’t show up in urine tests or I had burst a little blood vessel. She also said to continue with the ovestin. I’m so relieved but dam* this health anxiety. Does it ever pass?

[Taz2]

That's great news. Thanks for updating us. As for whether the health anxiety ever fades I think it comes and goes depending on how stressful life is in other ways.

Taz x