Introducing myself. I am 61; I first noticed post-menopausal bleeding in 12/21.

My next older sister had had endometrial adenocarcinoma FIGO 1 and total hysterectomy and bilateral oophorectomy in 5/2021. She had (understandably) waited 9 months to seek care for post-menopausal bleeding during the pandemic. Her experience sounds similar to that of others I have read here...challenging at first, but better as time went on.

I was fortunate to find a gynecology practice in my state that could get me in within two days. An ultrasound showed a thicker endometrial wall than ideal (mine was 7mm whereas 4 was the upper range of normal), and a uterine polyp was removed. Pathology lab came back within normal limits.

Sadly, an older sister with whom I had had less contact than I would have liked, died in 7/2022 of a gynecological cancer (that I do not have details about as her children seem to have been too embarrassed to ask for details and never contacted us until after she had died) that metastasized to her lungs and brain. She had had a total hysterectomy 6 years prior. My niece told me that my sister's medical team did not initially suspect that her lung symptoms were due to cancer at first, but a biopsy of her lung revealed that this was a metastasis of the original gynecological cancer. I am still grieving the loss of that sister.

A year later, in mid-December 2022, I experienced bleeding again. My gynecologist performed a hysteroscopy, D&C and polypectomy last week. She called me yesterday with the news that the polyp has adenocarcinoma FAGO 1, with atypical hyperplasia of the myometrium. I cannot follow up with local gynecological oncologists until Monday. There are two hospitals with gynecological oncology teams equidistant from me, so I may need to decide on one. I have an appointment for genetic counseling that the gynecologist referred me to, but that appointment won't take place until after the surgery, so I can't use that information to inform my treatment choices. I am very comforted to find this group, however, which makes me wish that Minnesota were closer to me.

I, too, have read too much already, including about weight gain, loss of ovarian hormones if I have an oophorectomy, loss of sexual function, possible consequences of the loss of nerves, tendons, blood supply and structural separation between bladder and rectum due to loss of the uterus and other structures. My gynecologist suggested that there are potential negative health consequences related to removing the ovaries before age 65 (4 years from now). Other websites I read state that ovarian contribution to hormones is life-long and loss of them can be quite significant for cardiovascular and mental health. Whew! I worked way too hard in my life to create a healthy body capable of experiencing sexual pleasure, satisfaction and joy, and feel quite concerned and sad about the prospect of losing all of that. I need accurate information, but also hope. I have some other diagnoses that can make cancer especially difficult to beat, so feel afraid on that level.
I also need support around informing my young adult daughter, as there is now too much information about familial gynecological cancers...the ratio is way too high among myself and my sisters. She will need to know at some point for her own health monitoring, and she will need to hear that I am facing cancer, even if at a very early stage. My daughter experiences a lot of generalized anxiety any way. I wrestled with whether to tell her about the hysteroscopy ahead of time and decided to wait to hear if there was anything significant. Bummer. Now I know I have to tell her but need guidance as to how.

I am grateful to this group for a place where I can say what's so for me, without feeling that I am causing my friends and family to worry. Thank you.