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Beating bowel cancer together

Worried about bowel cancer

If you're worried about possible bowel cancer symptoms or are awaiting diagnosis, you can ask questions and get advice here. You can find out more about the symptoms of bowel cancer on our website.

marylou47a

2WW appointment on Sunday

Hi guys,

I have been lurking on here for the past 10 days after being given an urgent referal by the GP. I went in because I had a big horrible thrombosed hemmorhoid the week before- popped up out of nowhere then actually popped and bled ALOT. Sorry for the TMI. It was so painful and the bleeding was pretty bad. I’ve had hemmorhoids and fissures quite a lot previously (particularly after 2 traumatic births) and so I wasn’t overly concerned as I could see what it was but wanted to just check it had all healed and whether I needed to do anything with it.

Anyway she checked it and then did the whole finger up the bum. She confirmed I had a thrombosed hemmorhoid but then said I also had a rectal mass she could feel and that she was putting in an urgent referal for me. She said it could be another thrombosed hemmorhoid, could be a polyp etc and told me not to Google anything. She also said because of my age (38) the hospital might not put it through that urgently but she couldn’t ignore what she felt. We literally spoke for about 3 mins and I was a bit in shock after as I’d not expected anything more than checking the hemmorhoid was healing. She didn’t really ask about my bowel habits or if I had any other symptoms apart from Asking if I’d been constipated, which I haven’t, and then sent me on my way.

I’ve now had a phone consultation with a surgeon booked for Sunday, which I was surprised about as she seemed to be saying it would be some kind of scope and I was assuming it would be a colonoscopy that I’d get. Is it normal to have a phone chat before?

I don’t really know why I’m posting this, I guess just to get it off my chest. I’ve obviously spent the last 10 days googling everything, worrying about every little ache or pain that pops up and have been a totally useless mum for my kids Easter hols. My partner is very much in the camp of only worrying about things when there is actually something to worry about and just thinks this is the age we are at when we start getting health scares. I’m the total opposite and always assume the worst so have been reading worst case scenario stories, reading up on bowel cancer treatment and generally planning my funeral 🙄 I don’t know if either is a particularly sensible approach 🤷🏼‍♀️

I just can’t cope with the waiting, I’ve felt totally out of it for the whole 10 days and the thought of having to wait for this appointment and then wait even more before other tests is going to drive me mad! Anyway, that’s my little rant over. Feel a bit better for putting it all down. If anyone else is on the 2WW and fancies stressing out together let me know 😅 oh and any advice from others who have had an initial phone consultation?

Knicky

Hi Mary,

Bless you, I had exactly the same last week!!! I’m sure it was blood although had eaten peppers so really hoping it was then. I would think that raspberries could do that as they have such a strong colour and I’m sure I read that having them can do this.

Big hugs, have a strong tea and try and relax. Easier said than done I know, hopefully you won’t have to wait too long for your appointment and then you’ll be able to get some answers :x::x::x:

marylou47a

Thanks for replying @Knicky I’ve been in a right state about it but I was thinking it’s not necessarily another symptom, just a variation on previous symptoms so a meltdown probably isn’t warranted. Saying that im currently looking at booking a private appointment with a protoscope while waiting for my sigmoidoscopy. I don’t have health insurance but apparently they can do a protoscope as part of an outpatient consultation which is a few hundred quid and at least they might be able to tell me if the mystery lump looks sinister or not!!

Hope you are enjoying your daughters birthday?? :x::x:

Knicky

@marylou47a
That’s a very good idea if it’s an option for you to look into. I used my insurance and saw the gastroenterologist, as I mentioned in my post he was very thorough. I went to a spire hospital and I know my consultants fee is usually £220. He will also be the one doing my colonoscopy. Many of the private drs work in the NHS, so perhaps it could even be an option that you see someone private but continue any follow ups through the NHS (if they do that sort of thing.)
Do you know how quickly your sigmoidoscopy will come through?

I am enjoying my daughter’s birthday, thank you, although my pain is worse today than yesterday. Can’t work out if there’s a trigger it’s just so strange how it comes on and goes. Still I will try and eat lots of birthday cake later I’m sure that will help💕:x::x::x:

marylou47a

I’ve managed to get an appointment for tomorrow afternoon with a consultant and the secretary said he could do a protoscope for me. I know it’s not going to be a definitive answer but at least he can see what this lump might be about. I think I will then decide what to do once he’s said what he thinks it is. I might try and use it as an interim before the NHS sigmoidoscopy but I may well change my mind if it doesn’t look good. Although it’s £2-2.5K for a colonoscopy with them 😳

Glad you are enjoying your daughters birthday! Cake will definitely help 😊 have you considered stress are a trigger for the pain btw? I keep having things come and go which I am pretty sure are just triggered by my anxiety about this whole thing. Just a thought. :x::x:

Knicky

Wow that’s great that you are being seen so quickly. Hopefully you’re mind will be eased. The protoscope will be helpful and if needed they may do a rigid sigmoidoscopy which should further help them see if there is anything there. I think the lump that initially was felt could have perhaps been an internal hemorrhoid which has since healed and maybe that’s why you’re not bleeding now 🤞🏼:x::x:

I don’t think the pain is stress triggered, it’s very odd as also get tingling in my leg. My imagination goes wild about what’s causing it all, and how it must all be related. Perhaps instead of tea and cake, I’ll have gin and cake to relax a bit ☺️:x::x:

marylou47a

Thanks @Knicky i have this really ominous sense of dread about this afternoon but I just want to get it over with now. And I totally know what you mean about connecting things up and thinking it’s all part of the same cause. Your mind can do weird things when in overdrive! Hope you enjoyed your gin and cake. I’ll update later :x::x:

Knicky

@marylou47a lots of luck for this afternoon, and just be upfront about your concerns too. As it’s a private appointment, you should get much longer and feel a lot less rushed so that will definitely help. Please let me know how you get on :x::x:

marylou47a

@Knicky had my very expensive private appointment and the lump is a little benign skin polyp! Not the kind of polyp that is precancerous. And there are some hemmorhoids in there too obvs. Obviously I’ll still do the flexible sigmoidoscopy to check the rest of the bowel but in terms of the lump it’s not sinister so I feel so much better now as that was what I was worrying about. I was honestly verging on a panic attack before the appointment so it was totally worth the money!

I’ll update after the sigmoidoscopy and please let me know how you get on. :x::x:

paul2910

@marylou47a

That's great news - you did the right thing going private as your anxiety was overwhelming you and it I can sympathise with that from my own experience. If you find yourself doubting what you have learned today - asking " what if they are wrong and have missclassified what they have seen", that is textbook health anxiety behaviour and has no basis in reality. There are online things you can find to help with this should the anxiety creep back in.

Knicky

@marylou47a oh that is fantastic news so pleased you have had that reassurance! Going private proved priceless and hopefully now you can relax. Everything seen totally explains things and it sounds like he gave you a proper good check! Well done you for going and being proactive, peace of mind is priceless :x::x:

marylou47a

@paul2910 i know exactly what you mean and that is me all over, I definitely overthink things and drive myself mad in the process. I had been thinking just after ‘but what if the nice consultant got it wrong’ but he has like a whole alphabet after his name and obviously does this all the time so I need to stop being crazy. I probably should’ve just listened to the first NHS consultant who told me not to worry but never mind! The flexible sigmoidoscopy could well still find something but it won’t be related to the reason for the referal so would be totally random and I just need to deal with not knowing the answers to everything all of the time!!

Hope your own health anxieties are settling down now 😊

marylou47a

@Knicky yes definitely priceless. As I said above, the sigmoidoscopy could well find something else not related to the referal but that would be random and there’s nothing much I can do about that so I am going to chill for a bit. Had my appointment through for the NHS sigmoidoscopy and it’s on 12th May so will update full after that. Hope you are managing to keep busy and not worry too much 😊

Knicky

Thank you I will keep you updated. Keep getting worry waves, but trying to keep surfing them.

So happy for you, and please keep me posted on how the sigmoidoscopy goes I have a feeling you will be just fine 😘:x::x:

Lirio345

Good morning @marylou47a, I am so pleased that your consultation has evidently ruled out Bowel cancer at this stage. Hopefully once you have had the sigmoidoscopy you will be able to put all of this behind you.

Take care, Kim :x::x:

Jane39

Hi @marylou47a
Great outcome for your appointment. I am pleased for you.
Best wishes,
Jane :x::x:

marylou47a

Thanks @Lirio345 and @Jane39 it has definitely reassured me for now. I’ve got the flexible sigmoidoscopy in a couple of weeks so I’ll wait until that is done to be sure that there’s nothing sinister lurking further up there but at least I know that the mystery lump has been solved! You guys have all been so lovely! :x::x:

marylou47a

@Knicky have you had your follow up appointment? Just thought I would check in and see how it went 😊

Knicky

Hi Mary thank you for thinking of me. I’ve literally just had my colonoscopy. Now just in the bed having had a very well received tea and toast. The surgeon took a few biopsies and removed a polyp, he also said something about piles. I have a follow up appointment in a couple of weeks so will find out more then. How are you doing? :x::x::x:

marylou47a

@Knicky that sounds quite positive as I would think they would tell you if something didn’t look good right? What did they take a biopsy of? Did you watch the screen while they did it? I’ve got my flexible sigmoidoscopy on Thursday and I’d managed to put it to the back of my mind but I’m getting a bit nervous now. I’m worried that although the lump the doctor could feel has been figured out there could be something else up there. I’ll just be glad to get it over and done with now either way. Do keep me updated on your follow up and I’ll let you know how I get on on Thursday. :x:

Knicky

Hi @marylou47a it was polyps they biopsied.
Hopefully your sigmoidoscopy goes well and then you can well and truly close the book on this one. Please do let me know how it goes :x::x: