Bowel Cancer Screening Test positive

Well done ! Such a relief. I had piles too, and two small polyps removed. I didn’t have the sedation and was surprisingly fine.

Sillyoldbird

I had a routine test recently which came back positive. I’m quite an anxious person when it comes to health matters so I’m not coping at all well at the moment.

There is a family history of bowel cancer (my brother was diagnosed10 years ago and was successfully treated) and I’m in the higher risk group being 66 years old so this adds to the worry.

I’m feeling generally quite well but have IBS so it’s difficult to say whether I have other symptoms.

I have to have a colonoscopy and there’s usually a two week wait, but have been told they’re running behind so may be up to six weeks, so I’m considering booking in for a private test as I can’t cope with the waiting

I wondered if anyone had any positive experiences they can share with me that would ease my mind?

I’d be very, very grateful.

I'm having EXACTLY the same scenario - familial high risk (should have had a colonoscopy last autumn, so asked GP for a FIT Test which came back positive - although the number wasn't high and because I have a colostomy, it could have been contaminated)

I should have had my colonoscopy last Thursday - went through days of a low residue diet, stopped eating on Wednesday and started the bowel prep at 7pm. I had to drink 1 litre of the stuff plus a further 1/2 litre of other clear fluid. I got close to the end of it (vile!) and at 8.20pm the whole lot came up again!!! I was soaked .... I was supposed to have then got up a 6am to repeat the process - no way Jose!

So, it is now next Thursday and am having a different prep - something like 10 senna tablets and 1 glassful of something similar, Wednesday pm and the same Thursday am, which will be much easier to tolerate!

So a heads up if you don't think that you can tolerate that amount of fluid in one hit, maybe ask for the alternative? Either way it it isn't going to be pleasant. I DO recommend though that you take the sedation which does help you to forget the experience!

On a positive note, bowel cancer if caught early is one of the most treatable cancers. I wish you the best of luck with it.

Yes, I shall covet the piles from now on. Apparently they’re quite feeble at grade 1 😂

Annsixty I’ve done the GP thing before - medication, counselling etc which did help to a certain extent but I’m going to try some hypnotherapy or explore something else ‘alternative’ this time.

As for being brave, if afraid that’s not quite as it was - I’ve been an absolute wreck the whole way through. That’s what needs to change. Life throws some real challenges and I need to build resilience to deal with them without making myself ill.

Glad you had a reasonable outcome. Well done!

Well, that was a relief for you, thanks for letting us know.

It's not a pleasant procedure but who'd have thought having piles was such a relief!

i was going to suggest hypnotherapy OP, for the anxiety.
it's worth a try i think, but choose carefully. read reviews and always start with the lowest rating.
that helps get a feel for what are more likely to be genuine reviews, rather than their own advertising puff pieces.
good luck; onwards and upwards, OP.

Excellent news!! So happy for you. Good luck with your quest to find some therapy to help you cope with the anxiety. I am just about to start a course of one to one talking therapy to help tackle my ridiculous anxiety levels.
Sorry you didn’t get toast with your cuppa 💐

So pleased for you 👍

I am so pleased for you!

So pleased for you Sillyoldbird I haven’t posted but have followed your story - as I too have extreme health anxiety. Every time I feel that way I promise myself I won’t let it happen again - but all my self help and mediation doesn’t seem to work. ‘Resilience’ is definitely hard to achieve if you haven’t got it in the first place! You should be proud of yourself for sharing - I find that hard, as I see it as a sort of sign of weakness, so I just make out to everyone that I’m fine. Which is ridiculous of course! I just feel sometimes that I’m wasting my life by expecting a disaster round every corner. But well done to you for getting through this, and best of luck for the next time!!

MadeInYorkshire sounds like you’ve really been through it with your prep. I can understand how you were sick - the sheer volume (and consistency) of the Devil’s brew is enough to make anyone nauseous. Best of luck with your procedure tomorrow - it really isn’t horrible at all and I’m sure things will be absolutely fine. Let us know?

To everyone who’s talked about anxiety, you have my sympathy and complete support.

LadyGaGa It’s not a sign of weakness . Grandyma you definitely aren’t ridiculous.

For me, hypnotherapy has got to be worth a try. The way I see it, the mind is a very powerful force and if it can cause such havoc, surely it can be persuaded to work in a positive way too.

Im going to book in with someone recommended by a good friend who seeing her at the moment. She tells me she’s seen an improvement with her issues so it seems a good place to start. 😁

So pleased for you Sillyoldbird.
Reading your posts it seems to me you are halfway there with dealing with your anxiety.
You have such good insight with your trigger points, how it effects you and those around you and most importantly a strong desire to want to do something about it. That's half the battle..... Good luck!

I would suggest that you don't rule out "Mindfulness" - again with a decent "coach".

Ask your GP - it may be available via the NHS?

So relieved for you x

So happy for you

I’m pleased and relieved for you. Please do accept anns advice and seek help from your GP for the anxiety, it’s so exhausting and most of the time fears are unfounded. Sleep well, you deserve to.

I am bumping this as I have just had news that a FIT test was positive. I am waiting for the GP to phone me, but I have read the result online and it recommends that I be referred on the 2 week pathway.

The test wasn't routine, but ordered because my iron levels are low, and the GP wanted to rule out losing blood as a cause. I also have health anxiety, so have, of course, googled like mad, and it seems that one of the symptoms of colorectal cancer is breathlessness, which I have had for years now, with no diagnosis, despite numerous scans and tests. I have asthma, but I have always said that this is different. Despite every test imaginable, no cause has been found, although the tests were all on the heart and lungs, not the bowel or colon.

The only other symptom I can think of is that I have had a few painful anal spasms at night. They aren't regular, which is why I forgot to mention them, but can be very painful. They were also mentioned on the list of symptoms, so I am now panicking.

I have read the thread from the start and it has helped, but as I'm sure we all know, accepting that most people come through things like this unscathed is not the same as thinking we will do so ourselves.

Oh that's horrible for you.
There aren't any platitudes to smooth it away for you, really.

Except to say that it's really better that everyone with something going on should be referred straight away, so at least you have the right option being given, rather than having to almost beg to get attention paid to your issues.

Thanks, Miss A. I know it's good that it's going to be checked, but I'm so scared - both of the colonoscopy and what it will find.

I hope you can get an appointment for a colonoscopy asap, Doodledog.

To reassure you, most positive FIT tests do not result in a diagnosis of cancer and, even if it is found, the earlier intervention the better.

Doodledog

Thanks, Miss A. I know it's good that it's going to be checked, but I'm so scared - both of the colonoscopy and what it will find.

I'd be absolutely terrified of anything to do with my bowels!
All we can do is wait with you, and support you as best we can.

Hi Sillyoldbird
Agree with all the posts here. The test just picks up the blood, it doesn't "pick up cancer" so maybe nothing wrong.
Even if they do find polyps they're not necessarily cancer and can easily be removed.
A consultant once told me that the Colonoscopy is the Gold Standard diagnostic test for bowel issues whatever they may be so although you hate it at the moment you are getting the very best treatment to diagnose then help you if necessary.

Doodledog, as you can see from this thread, I was as terrified as you are. I also suffer from HA and it’s torture, so I really do know how you’re feeling.

First of all, I’d say please don't be scared of the colonoscopy itself . The preparation was a bit unpleasant but manageable and the colonoscopy was painless and quick - the easiest part of the whole thing.

Also, the two week pathway is standard for anyone with a positive FIT test and doesn’t reflect any urgency in terms of your own specific result.

I understand completely that what you are fearing the most is the outcome. Whilst no one can give you a guarantee about that, the most likely thing is that all will be fine. If you read the info the NHS will send out with your appointment etc, you’ll see that only one person in 10 will have anything sinister. Though I’m sure you’d rather the odds were even better, 1/10 is pretty good!

You don’t need me to tell you that consulting Dr Google, though understandable, is usually not the best idea. I’m not a medical professional but the symptoms you’ve described in your post can be attributed to other conditions that are far more common than what you’re worried about - but as a HA sufferer, all that you will read into the search results is the worst case scenario.

I know it’s easy for me to say but try not to worry. It’s definitely a good idea to distract yourself in some way and I found talking to people I trusted helpful too. The support on here was a lifesaver too, so keep posting. No one seems to mind if you blather on about it (as I did) and people were so kind.

Keep your chin up and all will be well
{flowers}

Thanks, Sillyoldbird. You should change your name to Wiseoldbird . It's good to hear that the procedure isn't too awful. I've had endoscopies before, but was sedated. I will definitely ask for maximum sedation for this too - I'm dreading it.

I've spoken to the GP, and he has put the referral in on the 2 week pathway. He did point out that there are possible outcomes other than cancer, but as you know yourself, your head can tell you one thing, but your anxiety hears another.

We are going away on Friday, and had planned to stay for a week, but he's asked for me to be informed of the appointment by phone, so we can come home if necessary. Given that the Easter weekend is coming up, it will probably be after we'd planned to come back (on Easter Monday) anyway, but we'll see what happens.

Thanks again for the reassurance.

Thanks, but I wasn’t very wise when it was my turn🙄

I had an endoscopy without sedation and it was grim. Would much rather have a colonoscopy if truth be told. It really was easy.

Regarding your appointment, I had a choice of which hospital I wanted and chose one other than my home city to get it over more quickly. Perhaps that might be an option for you?

I hope you manage to still enjoy your holiday