Terrified I have bowel cancer

TillyTrotter

Please don’t let your Surgery receptionist think you are ok with waiting until the 20th Shinamae.
You could say you want to speak to a doctor “Today as you have some new symptoms that are worrying you”.
Sometimes you have to lay it on the line and I think this is one of them.

Good advice I will do this. ??

I did phone a couple of times earlier but it was such a long queue that I’ve booked this appointment online, I am now 18th in the queue but will wait…?

Shinamae - I hope you get to see your Doctor soon and he will be able to reassure you. Your symptoms could be due to the haemorrhoids and diverticula disease. Keep yourself busy and distract yourself - don’t overthink. It’s easy for me to say. I am exactly like you. Hope all goes well . Keep in touch and let us know how you get on x

I have severe Diverticulitis, I was told this by the Doctor who done my colonoscopy.
I have the same symptoms you have, and I do feel tired, but this can cause this.
As other posters have said see your GP. I wish you well.

I have reached the front of the queue and the phone is ringing but it’s been over two minutes and it’s not been answered ☹️

That’s a very long while to wait till 20th, I would be telling the receptionist that I would like to be speaking to a dr today! That’s what I do if I’m concerned !

Finally answered and the same day team will give me a ring in the next few hours

When we ring our doctors we can be on hold for an hour, but generally the dr would call back sometime same day to speak to you! I know it’s frustrating to be on hold for long time shinamae but worth it to get to speak to dr , good luck !

We get rung back by the triage team if we say it has some urgency. The "triage team" is the poor practice nurse trying to hold back the tide. It is all very sad.

Good Luck Shinamae ?

As luck would have it my own doctor rang me about an hour ago. He was very reassuring and told me with the tests I have had in the past few months it is very unlikely but not impossible that I would have bowel cancer however I am going for a blood test tomorrow and he is seeing me face-to-face on the 22nd so I am quite relieved hearing that. I would just like to thank you all for your very reassuring messages ????

Good to hear Shinamae

Pleased you've made some progress Shinamae.

So pleased, Shinamae

That’s heartening to hear and I’m pleased you got a call from your own Doc.
Please come back and let us know how you are doing, and try not to be terrified. ?

Shinamae I had a colonoscopy back in January where 3 large polyps were found one particularly large 3cm one that looked nasty on the camera. Anything over 10mm is classed as large apparently. Anyway luckily for me they were only pre cancerous I fully expected the worse news. At the follow up consultation the consultant informed me that they take years to grow and I probably had a window of a couple of years. I asked if I could have yearly colonoscopies he said no although your high risk you won't need to re test again now for 3 years and 3 years again after that. I'm assuming if your colonoscopy was clear 8 month ago your going to be ok but go see your gp and get some reassurance and ask when your next colonoscopy will be scheduled and maybe ask for one of those FIT bowel tests to help put your mind at rest. Hope this helps.

i had bowel cancer three years ago, it was a blood test that made them look, my iron level was at 3 which meant i was bleeding inside, it was a tumor in my bowel. my symptons were constant diarrhea, being sick and tiredness, first thought was ibs, i had a scan and they saw the tumor and then a colonoscopy to take a bit of the tumor for testing, i was very lucky that they cut it all away, half of my bowl left. i had cancer again last year but it was vulvar cancer and there is still dormant cancer in my body. please ask your doctor to send you for a cancer blood test and a scan. they test me every six months, the test tells them if i have cancer but not where it is. the second cancer i had did not show up as skin cancers does not come up on blood tests (according to the doctor), i hope you get the help you need, good luck and hugs.

nexus63

i had bowel cancer three years ago, it was a blood test that made them look, my iron level was at 3 which meant i was bleeding inside, it was a tumor in my bowel. my symptons were constant diarrhea, being sick and tiredness, first thought was ibs, i had a scan and they saw the tumor and then a colonoscopy to take a bit of the tumor for testing, i was very lucky that they cut it all away, half of my bowl left. i had cancer again last year but it was vulvar cancer and there is still dormant cancer in my body. please ask your doctor to send you for a cancer blood test and a scan. they test me every six months, the test tells them if i have cancer but not where it is. the second cancer i had did not show up as skin cancers does not come up on blood tests (according to the doctor), i hope you get the help you need, good luck and hugs.

As l am still very anxious about this l WILL ask for a blood test and scan. I am at my daughters in St Albans for a few days and just feel completely wiped out…??

I have just had another more in-depth faecal blood test which has come back clear but I still am very anxious as I know my body and something is wrong.l have made an appointment to see my doctor in a couple of weeks. I did ask about a scan and he said they were only given to people who could not manage a colonoscopy…

I’m sorry this is ongoing for you, Shinamae. It’s awful that you have to keep battering away to get someone to take your concerns seriously.

I haven’t read all the thread - is there any possibility of you affording a private appointment with a specialist?

Shinamae

I have just had another more in-depth faecal blood test which has come back clear but I still am very anxious as I know my body and something is wrong.l have made an appointment to see my doctor in a couple of weeks. I did ask about a scan and he said they were only given to people who could not manage a colonoscopy…

I think your GP should run a full range of blood tests to check for other conditions which might be making you feel so exhausted. Mine did one a while ago, checking haemoglobin levels (on the low side), vitamin D levels, for celiac disease and a whole lot of other checks.

I was surprised that she was so thorough and you may need to ask your GP.
Have you had Covid recently because that could make you feel exhausted?

Best wishes

I have had Covid twice but was asymptomatic both times. My doctor is very good actually and there is no way I could afford to go private but I’m pretty sure when I see him he will book me in for a full colonoscopy. Thank you for your replies

Get a test via your GP. It's treatable if caught early.

Do general blood tests show any cancer symptoms?

Apparently blood tests can show some markers for some cancers but not all..