Uterus prolapse w/uterus polyps

Submitted by jerseygal on April 4, 2013 - 2:51pm
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It has been awhile since I last posted. I do read everyone at least once a week. I have a Cystocele - 2nd or 3rd degree. I have all the DVDs and the book, which has been my saving grace. My question for anyone who can answer is this: The doctor has advised that I get a uterine biopsy because a few polpys have shown up on a ultrasound. I am 74 years old. Thanks to Christine and everyone, I have been stablizing my cystocele for the past 2 years. I am afraid that if I get the biopsy done and the doctor goes through the cervix into the uterine cavity, it will make a disturbance enough to cause the uterus to come down as well. From what I have read about uterine polyps, there is only a 1 to 4% of malignancy after age 70. Do I risk the chance of the uterus dropping, or do I take the chance and get the biopsy to make sure I am not in the 1 to 4% category?

thanks, Jerseygal

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Surviving60

April 4, 2013 - 3:17pm

Hi Jerseygal. I know nothing about uterine polyps from personal experience. But I have read Christine's account of her uterine polyp that literally fell off after a period of natural treatment with herbs. This is also detailed in her latest DVD on vulva vaginal health.

If the statistics on percentage and age that you have quoted are accurate, it would be understandable if you weren't rushing to be biopsied at this time. But only you can make that decision, and I hope that you will get some other opinions and make the decision that's right for you.....whatever that may be. I'll find that post if I can, and come back in a minute. - Surviving

Surviving60

April 4, 2013 - 3:20pm

Here's a link to what was probably the final discussion thread on Christine's polyp, though maybe not the only one.

https://wholewoman.com/forum/node/2693

jerseygal

April 4, 2013 - 4:43pm

Thank you, Surviving, for such a quick answer. I did check the post about Christine's polyp. Apparently, she had the polyp on her uterus prolapse, as well as blood-spotting. I do not have a uterus prolapse - only a Cystocele. My uterus and cervix are well in place. Also, I do not have any blood spotting or any other symptom. I was having some bloating and stomach sensitivity, and that is why the doctor sent me for an ultrasound. He assured me that taking a biopsy would not disturb the uterus or cervix or cause it to prolapse. I didn't do it, because I remembered reading Christine's original story about how she got her prolapse to begin with. He didn't seem impressed or believing me that I have been stabilizing the Cystocele. He said I would probably get a uterus prolapse later anyway. He said it was more important to make sure that the two small polyps in my uterus are "cancer fee". I don't know whether to take my chances or not. I felt I would definitely get a lot more information from gals like you and Christine, rather than trusting a doctor. Thanks again. Jerseygal

louiseds

April 6, 2013 - 2:35am

Hi Jerseygal

It is a dilemma that you face when a doctor suggests a test which involves collecting cells from inside your uterus, which is, or should be at a right angle to your vagina, ie not a straight line. In the same breath he says that your uterus and cervix will not be disturbed when the cells are collected. I find that these two statements by the doctor do not match up, unless he intends to collect the cells laparoscopically through the wall of your vagina, which would involve piercing the uterus. I have no idea how he is going to be able to collect cells without disturbing the cervix or vagina. Maybe the word 'disturb' has a special medical meaning that is different from the way that we lay women understand 'disturb' to be used?

You don't say where you read about 1%-4% chance of malignancy of polyps after the age of 70 years. Was it an authoritative source? From what I have read, polyps are sometimes a precursor of cancerous cells, but that they certainly don't always result in cancer.

I am sorry, but I can't really help you to decide whether or not you are going to risk it. This is really a part of being responsible for your own health, seeking information, and making your own decision with the best information available. You could get another opinion if you have nagging doubts. You could also ask the doctor whether, should cancer develop, it would be slow or fast growing. That would give you the option of monitoring the polyps. If they cannot be detected on ultrasound after you have implemented all the factors you can to reduce inflammation in your body, then I guess they will be gone. If they don't disappear, then you can make another decision further down the track.

I don't think just ignoring them, and hoping they will go away is a sensible path to take. If you buy the DVD on vulval and vaginal health it will give you very good information on reducing the inflammation in your body, as a place to start.

Louise

jerseygal

April 7, 2013 - 11:34am

Thank you, Louise. I always love reading all of your comments to the gals on this forum. The only reason the doctor sent me for a vaginal ultrasound in the first place was because I was having some bloating and some discomfort - no bleeding or any other symptom. He said he sent me to be sure that I wasn't having any ovarian problems (which turned out that I don't). Two days after I saw the doctor on the first visit, I came down with a fever, chills, etc, which made me think I was merely having a virus of some sort. After the fever went away, everything else was ok. I went off eating gluten, and all the gas and bloating also cleared up. Had he not sent me for the ultrasound, he never would have discovered any polyps (two the size of a seed) in my uterus. The site I checked about uterine polyps was the Mayo Clinic, so I think it was reputable. I also found other sites that indicated that polyps in the uterus are rarely pre-cancerous, but there was always that !% chance that it could be. He told me that there wasn't any rush, because if they were, they would be very slow-growing. Since I am 74 years old, slow-growing might last until I leave this world. He said I can wait, but should come back in 6 months or sooner for the biopsy of the uterus. I mainly wanted to know if going in through the cervic and into the uterus with what looked like a very long straw, would disturb the uterus and cause it to prolapse. He said it would definitely not, and my uterus might come down anyway since I already have a Cystocele. He doesn't think I could actually stablize it. Little does he know how many times Christine makes all these doctors wrong. I will probably wait and do a little more investigation, especially since there is the fact that if I didn't have the ultrasound to check on my ovaries, I wouldn't ever have known about any polpys in the first place. Thanks again for all your kind words and time.
Jerseygal