I am 61 in August 2024 both myself and hubby are retired mental health nurse's I have lived with my forever suffering husband of 30+ years we have a very clever and game designer 27 year old daughter who now lives in Southampton with her partner.
Now the gritty stuff as unfortunately it hasn't been all plain sailing and still isn't.
Around May 2022 I became unwell with Gastroenteritis but due to being on insulin and feeling like death and being sick several times as well as diarrhea my husband decided to contact out of hour services, he was told that they would make an appointment for Monklands Hospital, Coatbridge NORTH LANARKSHIRE although my regional hospital is St Johns Hospital WEST LOTHIAN got to A&E for my appointment with family sickness bowel in hand unfortunately the hospital was supposed to find me a bed in General Medical Ward but was unable to.
After 8/9 hours of being sick and frequent toilet visits and being hooked up to an IV with fluids and antibiotics I eventually got to see the A&E Consultant I explained everything to him then decided to inform him about my bleeding and large clots, I asked him " Is my heavy bleeding due to having a gastroenteritis bug and being stressed due to pain plus worried about my sugar levels" the consultants straight answer was " NO and I needed to go straight back to my GPs straight away to get checked out as they had no beds at that precise time within the hospital at Coatbridge, North Lanarkshire ".
Personally I had always thought my bleeding came on when I was stressed as I had bee to the GP around my early 40's with heavy bleeding massive clots and a few small hemorrhages for example driving home from work I stopped to get bread milk and our daughter's favourite Galaxy chocolate. I was getting ready to open the car door to get out I got a terrible pain in my right ovary and the pit of my stomach and all of a sudden a heavy bleed just came away it was all over my seat and soaked through my trousers, I felt really unwell but managed to drive the ten minutes home.i sat in the toilet (as you do)called the child minder, hubby at work then the GP's for an emergency appointment which was a couple days later.
During the appointment I asked about early menopause as my mum and her mum went through it in there 40's but that idea was dismissed by the GP due to never having regular periods as I have PCOS and endometriosis plus aided fertility with Alysha the only thing was when I did take periods it was like a massacre lol. But apparently the idea of stress was also dismissed, the mini hemorrhages happened a few times after that first one which was so embarrassing and debilitating as I was always worried it might happen in work.
Around 2 weeks later after my visit to Coatbridge Hospital and the appointment with my GP and having a scan of my womb detailing my lining was 22/24mm and the radiologist was putting my scan through as urgent, within a week and half I am sitting in Out Patients 3 (Gynae) at St Johns Hospital Livingston waiting to see the consultant, when in the Consultant's room 7 and going through my history and how I have had heavy bleeds with clots when I am feeling stressed he asked me if it was ok for him to do the Hysteroscopic procedure there and then if I didn't mind a little bit of discomfort, me being me and gun ho said "let's get on with it", it took ages probably 20/30min and with my stomach cramps I wondered what the point was as he was unable to get any biopsy from my womb lining, but he did mentioned that another colleague a Doctor Rose was more successful with obese women than he was. (why the hell did he try if he new he couldn't do the job)
Two weeks later sitting once again in Out Patients 3 and one failed Hysteroscopic procedure down, i was feeling ill at ease and uncomfortable with thought of the first failure because I was an obese women, I was wondering what would happen second time around if she couldn't manage a biopsy!!! one thing for sure the second time I had taken precautions in the form of pain relief and antispasmodic's which didn't help my stress levels one bit due to the questions in my head " WHAT IF'S SHE CAN'T MANAGE BECAUSE I AM FARE TO FAT FAT" and " WHAT HAPPENS THEN". Doctor Rose explained everything again and we got on with it, her team were absolutely brilliant as she was too.
After the procedure" she informed me that she didn't see anything ominous and that I had a large polyp that look healthy as when polyps have cancer they usually crumble when trying to take the biopsy mine was quite firm. 1
10th October 2022 I was diagnosed with Endometrial Cancer with a womb lining of 22/24mm stage One low Grade in Tesco's Airdrie North Lanarkshire SCOTLAND. I was contacted by telephone whilst I was out food shopping as I really didn't think at the moment there was anything ( how wrong was I)Due to my first conversation at the Clinic after Doctor Rose took my biopsy and "said everything looks good and healthy".
Unfortunately my family history has cancer both in the male line and female line plus at 26yrs 1988 i had a colposcopy done which showed pre cancerous cells of the cervix which was managed in the out patient's department at the Southern General Hospital GLASGOW using Lasered burning the smell and feeling uncomfortable I never forgot, medical history is full of issues and misshapes if I had sued I would have been quite rich at the moment but me being me I let things slip through the net.i
I have had my wee pal Cancer buddy for 18 months as I am obese, starting weight at first meeting 160.9kg I was asked to lose weight I am also type 2 diabetic on insulin and pills for 27 years luckily my insulin is well controlled I have complex medical issues due to arthritis, fibromyalgia and degenerative discs and hips frozen shoulders.
So it was decided that I would have a general anaesthetic on 22nd December 2022 and I would be cancer free for 2023 unfortunately it was the first consultant that tried the operate and suprise surprise he couldn't get past my cervix but he sent a junior doctor to inform me as as that she didn't have a clue about weight loss and went by general guidelines which also brought me to tears when I seen hubby. Thankfully Dr Rose had taken a interest in my case and phone me at home apologizing that I still had the polyp in she said she was going to speak to her team asking if they could help to do the procedure during lunch time, by the 4th January 2023 cancer buddy was no more, the mirena coil was placed were the polyp was to reduce any cell that might have stayed.
biopsy last May 2023 showed Atypical cells with no overt signs of cancer, HAPPY DAYS KEEP TAKING THE HORMONES.
I SEEN THE ROBOTIC Consultant Doctor May around the start of December 2023 unfortunately during the consultation he wasn't happy about my weight and how high the risk factors were so he wanted me to get more updated scans MRI & CT Doctor May also wanted me to meet with the anaesthetist, that was a quick appointment as that happened the following week the anaesthetist went on about my weight at that my risk factors are at 18/19% meaning I might not make it out the hospital with the quality of life I have at present and that I would need a central line put in as well going to ICU after the operation for a couple days.
Around 14th January 2024 I had an appointment with Doctor May about my MRI & CT Scans at first he said the scans didn't show much difference from the ones done in May 2023 (big smiles) But when I asked him about bleeding everyday and the clots he said "Yes that because of the group of Cancer Cells you have in your uterus" we said so I/Williamina does have cancer and not just Atypical Cells in the Uterus, that what I said at the beginning that you have a cluster of cells were your polyp used to be the Atypical cells changed to cancer cell but really slow growing and Stage one group one. in
We arranged to meet in six weeks he wants me to lose weight from 152.8kg to 148kg /147.9KG once I lose the weight Doctor May is going to put a camera in the main portal to see if he can gain access to the womb cervix tubes and ovaries he he can then I have to go on the sawdust diet to shrink my liver for better access. So far I weighted myself on Wednesday 30th January 2024 and weighted in at £149.7
SINCE THE LAST WEIGH IN I HAVE WENT DOWN TO 141.9KG HOVERING TO 143.9KG ALYSHA'S BIRTHDAY ON THE 12th April 2024 now 142.9kelo.
My surgery date was 24th May 2024 ward 210 so in hospital for 3 to 4 days nights probably a central line and ICU , the amazing thing is RUFFLY 2 YEARS TO THE DAY I WAS TOLD IN TESCOS OVER THE PHONE.
UNFORTUNATELY MY POSTOPERATIVE CARE HAS BEEN RUBBISH. I have had urine infections my wound has bulging and bleeding so swab sent, had to go for an x-ray on my right shoulder the pain is still 10 plus as for ward 210 in the Royal infirmary Edinburgh I wouldn't send a dog there they have zero understanding of pain my morphine pump was taken away the day after my operation so I had that for a day and a half, the lister shift who came on made you weight 20 for pain control even though your sitting crying in pain , UNFORTUNATELY BASIC NURSING CARE IS NO WERE TO BE SEEN WHICH MAKES ME FEEL QUITE SAD, the pain score is a joke as they don't respond to what is happening.
Thank god I got home and my husband who like me are retired nurses and our GP understands and increased my own meds, I have had a urine and thrush infection my wound has a small bulge and bleeding from one areas my GP has given me more dressings and antibiotics plus sending a swab away.
The day after I got home my GP sent me for a X-ray on my shoulder especially as it's so soar
HOPEFULLY I GET RESULTS FOR MY OPERATION AND MY SHOULDER SOON BUT I AM HAPPY THAT ITS OVER WITH THE WORSE PART.
BUT ITS HAPPENING AND THE CANCER WILL BE AWAY THANK GOODNESS.
