Bleeding Every Week

I wonder about fibroids?

When I had problems with fibroids, at the beginning, I would get random spotting, if I remember correctly. It then progressed to essentially being on a period for 2 weeks a month, if not more.... (at first, it was a bit of break-through spotting mid-cycle, then gradually got heavier.)

If it is fibroids, the ultrasound will spot them.

That happened to me when I was 32. I bled for a few weeks. I went to my GP (I was new to the area and didn't have a GYN yet), and she ran a battery of tests. Everything came back normal. Once I stopped bleeding, she did a Pap smear. Everything was still normal. Soon after my cycle became more regular. Two years later my oldest was born.

To this day I have no idea what happened.

I'm now 42, and I haven't had a period for 9 months. Before that I was getting a period once every 3 months. My OB/GYN has done tests and an u/s, and everything still looks normal. My uterine lining is thick, but no abnormal growths.

I read some of the previous responses saying it could be fibroids or cancer. That's probably true. But it could also be nothing. Try not to worry. You will know more soon.

I remember your previous post. If your doctor is still discounting your age as being too young for peri-menopause she is wrong. I am glad she is testing you though. I went through the full battery of blood tests as well as a full pelvic ultrasound. Absolutely everything was found to be normal. All my "girlie" hormones however were all in the post-menopause levels. For a couple of years my periods were an absolute horror. I'd go months without one then bleed on and off non-stop for 3 months then go months at a time again. I think I'm on 9 months since my last period now. It hit a point where I would wear a tampon "just in case" if I was going to be swimming or out for a really long day somewhere because I just never knew what was going to happen and there were times I was glad I did because I needed it.
I am 43 now, I'll be 44 later this year. All of this started a couple years ago now. My mom was the same age when it was happening to her. I still remember her asking me what I would think of having another sibling after I was out of high school because she didn't know what was happening yet and hadn't taken a pregnancy test yet after skipping a period.
Don't let your doctor discount that you could be going through menopause at an earlier age than "average". Average only means that there are a larger amount of ladies that do it at that set age, some are before and some are after.

It's good they ran tests.
Cancer would be my first worry.
(My friends period gradually became almost continuous - turned out it was an early sign of breast cancer - she did a lumpectomy, radiation, chemo, and 5 years of chemical menopause (her type of cancer thrived on hormones) - but she's fine now and more than 15 years in remission.)
Anemia would be my second worry.
See what the ultrasound finds.
You might needs an ablation to get the bleeding under control.
If that doesn't fix it then a hysterectomy will.

PCOS? I have it, but skipped periods. Others have had constant spotting or bleeding. If so, the ultrasound will pick that up. Other symptoms are knife-stab like pains.

Good luck! Hopefully it's nothing major.

It would be extremely rare for this to be cancer. I'm sure your doctor has done a blood test to rule it out. She wouldn't have you wait a month for an US without it. When I've had pain, irregular bleeding, etc. My ob has always had me take the test. I think it's called ca21.

I do wonder why you have to wait so long for an ultrasound. I've gotten in for one in less than a week every time. It's a simple test using common low cost equipment. Having to wait for a MRI or a CAT scan could happen because the equipment is newer and more complex so that some facilities have a wait list. Perhaps the doctor is wanting to wait and see. She would not do so if there was any chance it was cancer.

BTW all my difficulties were caused by endrometriosis and fibroid tumors.

Like B's friend, my period got to be almost continuous and extremely heavy. Turned out to be uteran cancer.

I assume in that battery if tests, a biopsy was done. If not, you might consider a second opinion. Better to be on safe side.

Since you've had tests, I'm sure they've checked for cancer?

I would guess fibroids or PCOS.

What was the battery of tests? Did they do a biopsy of the uterine lining? If they didn't, you need to be getting a new GYN. Find an gynocological onocologist. I'm not trying to scare you. But you MUST face the possibility, and knowledge is power. I promise you that that you will make this gyn's day if you don't have cancer, and what I mean by that is that he/she will do the real mccoy in terms of investigating what is going on with you. That's what this specialty does. You're problem with your regular gyn is that you are young and he/she doesn't want to consider this because of your age.

Listen to Cheryl B.