Scared of Colon/Bowel Cancer

[SianP100]

Can anyone help - I have had some issued over the last 18 months, blood in my stool, Weight Loss, Tiredness, Right handed stomach pain, Severe diarrhea ( 8-10 times a day) and nausea. I have had bloods which are all Ok bar low Folate levels & a Sigmoidoscopy which was ok. This led to a IBS diagnosis

I have been referred to Gastro but it is up to 9-10 months waiting list and i am a little worried that there is something more sinister going on over in my right side, where a sigmoidoscopy does not reach.

I guess my question is, can you have a clear sigmoidoscopy & still have a cancer or something further up your bowel? Is that possible?

Thanks

SianP

[bantam12]

You need a colonoscopy and assuming you are in the UK your Dr can make a 2 week urgent referral to Gastro if he/she thinks necessary. If you are still having problems I would get back to your GP and ask for the appt to be bought forward as 9-10 months is not ideal.

[SianP100 in reply to bantam12]

Thank you - I had requested this, he advised that he would not refer me via the 2 week urgent as a, I am too young & b, I have had a sigmoidoscopy. They are just so busy with COVID backlogs that it is almost impossible to get a Gastro appointment & they say even then the Gastro Dr may not let me have one

[bantam12 in reply to SianP100]

Being "to young" is a stupid comment from a Dr ! Hospital appts are a problem at the moment but they are happening, you could try calling one of the Gastro secretaries to see if they can help push you up the list a bit or at least get one of the consultants to look at your referral for advice.Other option if possible is to go private, initial consultations are usually around £150-£200 but any tests will be on top of that and the costs can mount up.

[SianP100 in reply to bantam12]

Thank you - hopefully I will see a Gastro sooner rather than later. Thank you for your advice, i was a little perplexed as i am 36 & if i was 40 + i would be on the 2WW referral

[bantam12 in reply to SianP100]

Good luck !

[Clydeiknowyou69 in reply to SianP100]

Not true if you're 40+ you'd be on the two week pathway. I'll be sixty next week, positive FIT test, just need to wait for my colonoscopy I'm told.

[mondlee6248 in reply to SianP100]

So currently do you still have all the symptoms??

[Derron256]

I have been experiencing blood in my stool on and of for at lease every four months Just today i was at work i see blood in my stool so I visited my doctor and says that i should fo a colonoscopy as quickly as possible im gonna do it tomorrow My previous blood test show a high CEA level of 6.6 which he says might be cancer but not 100% accurate hopefully it’s nothing serious because im a bit worried im just 22 years old.

[Dia89]

I have a very similar situation here.. I had a flexi sygmoidoscopy 2 years ago but now my bloods showed an anaemia and I was referred to have colonoscopy and gastroscopy with 2 weeks referral. I’m having a procedure done next Wednesday and will let you know how it goes

[AnxiousDude10 in reply to Dia89]

how did it go?

[Cm81]

Silly isn’t it.

Going for my colonoscopy next week; am 40 but the doctor said also I could not go on the 2 week list, so I had to go private, still 6 weeks but better than 6 months. Silly really because I have all the clinical symptoms for some time and it’s only the ‘it’s very unlikely at your age’ rubbish that is stopping the nhs referral.Obviously hoping for the best but I’m going to be so annoyed if the worst occurs, it’s about darn time screening age reduced with the rates of younger people rising so quickly. Sadly I think the gps have their hands tied a bit with the nhs under so much pressure.

[Clydeiknowyou69]

I had a positive FIT test weeks ago, been told I just need to wait for my colonoscopy because my bloods came back ok.