Drs not taking us seriously due to age

[MissIndifference]

In March of this year I started having severe abdominal cramping at random, this was followed by changes in bowel movement and most recently blood.

I tried to get an appointment with the Dr for months but they weren't seeing people. About 3 weeks ago after more pain and blood I got an emergency appointment. They did a Fit test (clear) and ran few bloods. They mentioned again and again that I'm "too young" for cancer.

I'm still having pain, still bleeding and still worried. What is the NHS'S obsession with age? I was told I was too young to get shingles but I got them!

[bantam12]

Unfortunately it now seems the only way to get anywhere is to go private at least for an initial Gastro consult and tests, then if needs be revert to NHS.

There is a lot of gender and age bias within the medical profession and being female both young and old is a good excuse for them to dismiss us, we are instantly labelled “hormonal, anxious, neurotic” so imagining whatever symptoms we have 😠

[LinC1]

I’d agree. I have experienced abdominal discomfort and changes in stool. Couple weeks ago, blood on wiping. Numerous GP visits and told anxiety (partner with serious illness) + age (perimenopausal). Ended up paying for a qFIT and CT (thankfully both clear) and now waiting for private colonoscopy! Pretty sure I’m labelled neurotic, hopefully they are right, but surely serious conditions should be ruled out before assumptions are made! If I wasn’t anxious to get answers, I wouldn’t be using savings to pay for tests.

[GCCA-Survivor Administrator in reply to LinC1]

Hi LinC1,

I like this "surely serious conditions should be ruled out before assumptions are made" and it's very true.👍🧡

[GCCA-Survivor Administrator]

Hi MissIndifference,

Thank you for posting on Colon Cancer Connected. Unfortunately your issue and concerns are spot on with this issue of age. You've already obtained some good info on this thread. Although there can be many reasons for what's going on, the fact is you are never too young for cancer. The percentages are low and I hate to see a diagnosis based on 'grouping by age' first and then making assumptions based on that. Things need to be ruled out by test results. You are not too young to get a colonoscopy if the path leads you to need that.

I am proud of you for taking action to get some answers. This is very disconcerting ... "I tried to get an appointment with the Dr for months but they weren't seeing people." When you have symptoms and are seeking answers for them, that should be the last thing you should be running into.

I do see more and more answers being obtained in a private consult. I hate to see patients placed in a certain category and then needed resources are determined from that. Probably not the best way🤔. Since my cancer fight, I see more and more positive ways to screen and catch things early. I absolutely love what genomics is able to do in this area.

You still need to push to get your answers. You still have pain and bleeding that needs to be addressed. You'll probably get some more good information from this site as to the best way to navigate your way to them.

As far as getting peace of mind, there is a thing called a Galleri test which can detect cancer cells in the blood and actually tell exactly where they are coming from in the body. Currently it can detect over 50 kinds of cancers many of which don't have a screening test at all. This type of test can prove to be beneficial in catching things early.

We do wish you the very best in finding those answers. I hope you can navigate the NHS and get them. If you have to go private, it's definitely worth it to find answers get on the path to wellness. Please let us know what you end up doing and the results you find. That information can definitely be helpful to others as well.

Thank You,

~Tom, GCCA Survivor - Colon Cancer Connected Site Administrator.

Just a reminder - this group is here to offer support, share experiences, and offer our thoughts - but this is not medical advice, and you should always consult your medical professional(s). Additionally, for all emergencies, seek urgent medical care, never delay.

Is there a family history of these issues?

[Alloagirl]

So terrible what is happening to our NHS. You should be taken seriously. No matter what age. If there is blood present and not haemorrhoids then push for the colonoscopy, I hope you do not have to find the money for private health care.

[MissIndifference]

Alloagirl GCCA-Survivor LinC1 bantam12 An update for you.

I had an initial round of bloods done before Christmas and then a request from the doctors for a further full blood panel. Multiple comments about my weight and age later I get told to ring after Christmas for results.

I saw a male doctor yesterday who read through everything quickly - bloods are fine. He asked if I was still having issues, when I said yes he smiled and said I'm referring you to the specialist. His exact words "I personally don't think it's the C word but I would rather we rule it out like this and I'm sure you would too"

I'm being referred for a colonoscopy and I'm so happy I could have cried. I finally got a doctor that listened and didn't fixate on my age.

Now I wait for an NHS letter...

[GCCA-Survivor Administrator in reply to MissIndifference]

Yeah!!! That is great news. The colonoscopy will go a long way in determining what's going on and you won't have to guess and speculate all the time. I'm glad you found somebody that is taking the situation seriously and not just looking at your age. Really glad this is happening for you.👍🧡

Please keep us up to speed on how it goes. I hope this happens quickly after the new year .

All the best & have a Happy and safe New Year.

Tom

[pinkpineapple26]

im exactly the same, i’m in my teens so whenever i’ve been to the gp with large amounts of mucus, blood in stool im just told ‘your too young to have to worry about anything else, it’s ibs’ . with my mum and grandma both having a history of bowel cancer / polyps i don’t think its an out of this world suggestion that a colonoscopy might be worthy due to my extremely dodgy bowels and blood after wiping. this has been a problem for over a year now and all i want is a colonoscopy. ironically i also had shingles, at 14 years of age!