I recently attended my 30 month follow up for my Cancer Bowel Operation. It reminded me of the importance of the NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme. I possibly would not be here today if I hadn't sent my sample in. I didn't have any obvious symptoms! An abnormal finding resulted in a Colonoscopy within a couple of weeks & an operation within four weeks. The Cancer was picked up before it reached the very dangerous stage. I know people who don't bother with this screening test! Believe me it's worth every inconvenience! Hope all who qualify for the test send their's back. ATB.
Always Send That Sample Back.: I recently attended... - PMRGCAuk
Always Send That Sample Back.
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41 Replies
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Totally agree.
I always look at your postings cos I know there will be another pic of your lovely garden to lift my spirits. Well done.
I agree whole heartedly - get the testing carried out - I didn't have an abnormal finding like you but 7 polyps removed, which undetected do turn cancerous, the following year only, but still a threat, 2 - the following year 1, so hope that was the countdown and out....I hate the prep for colonsocopy but 'like' the instant results, they don't mess about....
Love the garden!
in reply to Telian
Ahh the prep!! " Searching". for the right words on that one. My advice is to not book any appointments for that day! And don't answer the door!! 2 polyps removed 12 months on for myself. It's interesting TV as it's happening as well! With a live commentary!
Telian in reply to
You're not wrong there - disgusting I call it - the taste - I drank hot bovril to take the taste away - afraid I didn't watch the TV as they put me to sleep - recall being in a lot of pain and the next thing I woke up...
I’ve done my twice now with negative results but husband refuses to do it and has now signed the form refusing any more. 😠 It’s a man thing. He doesn’t want to handle his poo. He used to change nappies , reluctantly. Ah well, on his head be it.. disappointing though.
Love your garden.
Yes it is a man thing! Mine wouldn’t do it either! Said he had enough with coronary problems - so although I didn’t agree with him, I didn’t push him!
Funnily, mine has done his tests but never changed a nappy in his life! He and his mother tried once when I had gone back to work - and between them scored a major fail! It was on back to front...
I had a colonoscopy a few years ago and they said "See you in 7 years" - not entirely sure about that (the prep was utter hell) but will do the stool test this year now I'm just about out of their "window" for not needing to.
Yes, that’s true, also for breast screening. Perhaps with people living longer they should review 70 being top age limit. Cost too much I guess!
Our fault again, and of course no one “knew” about the post war baby boomers did they? Only 60 odd years to prepare!
Bit like David - his first cancer was 24 years ago but he was never told any of the potential long term consequences of the chemo/surgery/radiotherapy he had at the time. They are all emerging slowly here - having one lung always results in pulmonary hypertension and right heart failure and other things cause bronchiectasis. He's just spent over a week in hospital because of build up in fluid in his lung - because even here they didn't think about the relevant problems. I said a few months ago I was concerned about his diuretic - I know that too long on one variety results in it being less effective. If I know that - why didn't it occur to the GP when he was so breathless?
We assume they never expected him to survive so long! And now we are baby boomers - though here we are very young, people regularly live to their late 80s and 90s here.
Yes they reckon living to 100 is going to be more and more common in years to come. Which is all very well, but if you haven’t got the quality of life and the health care to go alongside it’s a bit of a double edged sword.
Hope David’s on the mend now.
Back home now! On 2 diuretics - which seems to work rather more efficiently! Lost 1kg overnight - mostly fluid we'd assume since he is eating for pred now! Had to tighten his belt - literally - so I hope the 2 pairs of trousers we bought last week don't fall down!
Hope so too😊
Tough when you're having such a trying time, yet you always seem to manage to help us when we need it. We are all very grateful to you and wish you and yours all the best.
On a lighter note the bowel screening is known as poo sticks here, or on a bad day sh*t on a stick. Rhyming names are always more satisfying somehow!
in reply to scats
On the lighter note. Faecing! up to our animal/human realities. Sh*t is something most of us can't handle!! Where did it all go wrong!!
in reply to DorsetLady
You can ask to be screened after 70 but don’t think they over advertise it.
I’m going tomorrow for my Annual Review so l’ll see if it’s advertised.
I did my first bowel screen 6months after Chemo, got the recall & the endoscopy but think it was probably the Chemo; all good this time! 🙏🏼
in reply to
Great result. Mrs Nails. Just posted latest info on the screening below.
Yes it does say you can on the Breast Cancer invitation- and I’ve kept my last one so I have details for it when the time comes around.
I’ve done a Bowel one fairly recently, so I’ll dig the paperwork out on that as well.
Thanks for reminder!
in reply to DorsetLady
Terry went for AAA Scan, it’s a one off for the Guys, you get invited at 65 but if your older & it’s only fairly recently started you can ring & request one.
Simply a ultra sound, you get your results there & then.
AAA ~ Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm
in reply to
Important one too & no purging. Phew!
And actually, it is also worth any GCA patients requesting a AAA scan - male or female. Doesn't cover the thoracic risk, that needs an echocardiogram, but knowing there is nothing in the abdomen is a start.
My husband's vascular lab was involved in the work that resulted in the AAA screening being set up.
in reply to PMRpro
The latest information For the NHS Bowel Cancer screening. Every 2 years from age 60 a kit will be sent till 75 years of age. People over 75 need to contact them for a free screen kit on freephone 0800 707 6060
No - I meant here they excuse you the poo sticks if you have had a colonoscopy within the last 5 years...
Not sure what the age range is here - but I'm not in the NHS scheme.
in reply to PMRpro
18 months on from clear PMR.pro. the Colonoscopy picked up polyps & they were removed. I may have an individual proneness to this! Just saying it's well worth doing the screening where ever you are!
I understand those men. I got a phone call offering me a mammogram, unfortunately about a month after the PMR diagnosis. I felt, I can't deal with another potential illness so turned it down. I also wondered why they'd waited until I was 68; isn't that a bit late in the day?
Half of BC diagnoses are in ladies over 62. So actually it is daft to stop screening at that age. Or is a comment that ladies over 63 don't count...
They called me when I was 68 so it wasn't a question of stopping the screening but of starting it at such an advanced age. I've never had one and this is the only time one has been offered to me, never brought up by GP. Hearing about my friends' experiences with them I'm in no rush to have one. And I thought the usefulness of routine mammograms has been called into question. Plus you're getting a new load of radiation....
Not that much radiation in the great scheme of things - and while I did find it uncomfortable in the UK, I haven't had any discomfort with the ones I have had here. They do have very up-to-date machines here and apparently they don't have to sqeeze as hard to get a good image.
There's been a fair amount of discussion about whether routine mammograms (in the absence of specific risk factors) are useful and the consensus, here anyway, seems to be they're not. The more often one has one the more likely it is there will be a false positive result with the ensuing issues from further, ultimately unnecessary, investigation.
in reply to HeronNS
Hi I had my routine mammogram in mid April 2015 apparently normal, 6 Weeks later l found a lump which turned out to be a Stage 3 Grade 3 Multifocal Aggressive Cancer, the original films were sent for to confirm that they’d been properly reported & there was no sign of any cancer!
My Surgeon said it was an aggressive B🤬
She also said Mammograms are about 80% worthwhile!
Just been today for my 3year Mammogram so time to play the waiting game until my review in three weeks!
Angela x
HeronNS in reply to
Well I did ask my doctor whether, considering my age, there were any other tests which should be run other than the routine ones to check for inflammation. She could have brought it up then, but merely checked off a couple more blood test boxes. I kind of think that, with the exception of the doctor who didn't care about the fact that I was in debilitating pain (think she thought I was just a hypochondriac old woman) and missed the PMR diagnosis, the benign neglect of doctors through my life has been on balance a good thing. Just lucky I guess.
in reply to peace_lover
It won't be on his head peace-lover!! It will be elsewhere!! ATB
peace_lover in reply to
😀
DorsetLadyPMRGCAuk volunteer
Certainly do!
Have to agree on some male stubborness with this one!! Call it anal retention!
I needed a colonoscopy after a pr bleed. The lovely lady who did it asked I minded they were doing a trial of using 'pediatric cameras'. It would have been rude not to..
in reply to granny-b
'pediatric cameras'! What are they granny -b?
Thanks for the warning, I am guilty. Beautiful picture!
Thank you Pepperdoggie for reminder. Just found my screening test letter under sofa!! Usually sort it and send off straight away. Too much had been happening at home recently but important we must still make time for ourselves.
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