Worrying about colon cancer

Obviously have the colonoscopy but the very likely outcome is internal piles. I was also worried and it was just piles inside and too much sugar in my diet.
For the other symptoms I have found Alflorex, available over the counter in boots etc to be wonderful for keeping things stable and regular.
Please try it - its wonderful.

No one on here is giving definitive medical advice Rufus, or attempting to diagnose anyone's problem.

People are just offering assurance that a colonoscopy isn't necessarily going to discover anything serious but is an important means of finding a problem early enough for it not to develop into anything serious.

Also, as Elegran said, the comments about the worst part being the prep are to reassure people that the procedure is nowhere near as scary as it sounds and is actually easier than a few hours of running to the loo.

The vast majority here are bright and intelligent enough to rationalize and make informed decisions once they’ve weighed up all the information
Sussexborn Same here! probably even vaster! I assume you're talking about the medicos and not patients?

If so, all the more reason to leave it to the experts not Dr.Google, anonymous forums or general gossip!
Btw. Does anyone here have up-to-date medical qualifications? Just asking!
OoRoo

Might not be of much interest Rufus! On the contrary , as I said blood of any colour should be investigated, thankfully you didn’t wait for the colour or consistency to change ......
I think the reason we remember the evening before the Colonoscopy so vividly is because ( in my case) I opted for the sedation and I don’t remember anything apart from the first 15 seconds of the procedure.
I wish I had been told to stay close to the loo and not wander off to get a hanky!

Also, the reason that Bewitched posted as she did is because the actual colonoscopy is piffle compared with the day you have just spent emptying the bowel before the procedure - not because that day is so very terrible. It is no worse than a day of the runs for ANY reason - tummy bug, bad choice of meal, too much of one food or other, or worrying unnecessarily (including about the colonoscopy)

Such wise words from Elegran

I am so sorry to hear about the outcome for your husband.

Totally disagree Rufus. If it wasn’t for patients input I would had about eight more invasive surgeries removing more and more of my anatomy. I’ve been involved with too many people this has happened to and seen the devastation it has caused them.

In an ideal world patients should be informed of all options available and be able to talk them through with an unbiased health professional. Surgeons love to operate whilst dermatologists can sometimes offer treatment that is less damaging in the long term.

The vast majority here are bright and intelligent enough to rationalize and make informed decisions once they’ve weighed up all the information.

Sadly my youngest brother put off seeing a doctor as they had a holiday of a lifetime planned. He died two years ago.

Rufus I made it clear that the only reason the prep was the worst part was because of the need to stay close to the loo, but you conveniently left out that bit.

if blood comes out of any orifice
Oopsadaisy! I shouldn't be posting this as it simply contradicts my argument against posting graphic detail, and is of relevance to about 0.05% of our audience, but when good red blood emerged from the orifice I was promptly admitted to have two-thirds of my enlarged prostate cut out.
Sorry, but that's not of much interest here!
Cheers

I had a colonoscopy about ten years and from what I can recall the preparation the day before was the worst part
Beswitched Does anyone anticipating a colonoscopy need to know that!? Your's was 10 years ago and I imagine medical practice has moved on to a point where it might now be the "best" part.
You've confirmed the need to get skilled professional examination (without giving me the frights first!)

Bright red blood is good. It's altered blood tarry stools we need to see doc about.
Alternating loose stools and constipation can be caused by the wrong laxative dose. I am still adjustimg mine also veggy diet twenty years after rectal surgery!
Alexa Wouldn't you think an earlier visit to a medical specialist would have been warranted?
Btw; I think your ideas are wrong too, but that's what discussion/debate is all about, you'd agree!?
OoRoo

I think Rufus that one persons experience of a Colonoscopy, is pretty much the same as the next persons, except the result and if it helps the OP to worry less about the procedure then surely it’s a good thing to talk about it?

The only thing I would say is that if blood comes out of any orifice then you should go to your GP no matter what colour it is.

We have a 2 week wait procedure in place in our Health Authority ( possibly a country wide thing, for any suspected Cancer symptoms) and they don’t mess about , within 2 weeks I was done and dusted.

I will add to my post of 14:16:38 that my husband had been ignoring symptoms. He hadn't even mentioned them to me, because he thought it was normal to have abdominal pains and black tarry motions. I would have sent him post haste for an appointment - and if he had been more curious about his body, he might have been still alive today.

Men in particular are scrupulous about maintenance for their cars, but not their bodies. They consult the handbook about strange engine noises or a change in performance, and discuss car problems in depth with one another, yet reporting a change in their own appearance or performance is somehow a sign of a lack of masculine endurance.

You can buy a new car, but you can't get a new body.

You are doing the right thing. Getting it checked out will allay your fears, or give you a definite path to follow.

If it is IBS, look at pro- and pre-biotics, they are sometimes helpful. My sister uses organic raw milk to help hers. It is difficult to find, and it is well regulated with very stringent testing. As it should be.

Sister also takes keffir and some think that fermented foods can be helpful.

There is also the issue of A1 - A2 milk, which have slightly different proteins in them. Here's more info:
www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/318577.php#How-A2-milk-got-its-start

Unfortunately the company which sold it now sends all it's milk to China, but another farm is setting up production. The farm is Hill Farm in Cheshire hillfarmrealfood.co.uk/.
Email is [email protected]

A2 milk was available at Tesco, Morrisons, Waitrose and many other chains. It was a real shock when it stopped being available.

Rufus

I agree that posters should not be giving out medical advice willy nilly, or telling people not to go to the doctor because their aunt Nell had the same symptoms and it turned out to be nothing.

But no one has done anything like that on this thread. Some people have reassuringly said that it's probably nothing serious but it's good to have the test done just to be sure.
In fact, always go to your doctor and get things checked out is the main message on here.

Rufus I have had cancer (which was successfully treated), so did my husband (but not soon enough, so his treatment was not successful)

Mine was first spotted from a routine mammogram check, I was recalled and further tests revealed a very small tumour. I had had no symptoms at all. When I reported for the tests, the waiting room was full of women of all ages on the same errand. Some were in tears, and one was almost hysterical. Some knew very little about it, but were convinced that they would die in agony very shortly. One had had to be almost shanghaid to the clinic to get her to attend at all.

My first reaction on getting the recall letter had been to search for more information than I had been given., so I knew that about one patient in ten is recalled, and that of those only about one in ten is actually diagnosed postive. The rest are there because of a bad quality image, a harmless cyst, or some other reason. I also knew how many patients are successfully treated, and roughly what my treatment options would be.

So I knew that the recall was not a death sentence. I was not terrified at the mere C word. I was not afraid even to take more tests, in case they proved positive. And when they were, I knew what questions to ask.

As a result of that I don't hesitate to pass on my experiences to anyone I can. The more we talk about cancer, the less it is an ogre waiting in the dark to pounce, and the more people will take up the tests and treatment that are available free on the NHS.

Rufus your idea is wrong. Experienced patients are a help to many people with medical problems.

Stop Googling, you have found out too much for this moment
Elegran And I go one step further and advise against reading threads like this. See a doctor, full stop!
Not long ago we were trying to come up with ideas to get MEN to overcome their "natural" reluctance to see their doctor and go "if symptoms persist"
Any nervous person would have a fit reading all the explicit details handed out anonymously by amateurs. Other person' previous experiences are next to useless. we are all different (to coin a cliche) and as with medicines, we are told not share even if we think we have the same affliction.
Sorry if I don't agree with you, but that's my (strong) opinion.
OK; Encourage hugs and kisses, but not medical "advice"
Good Health
OoRoo

"good" I said! I don't of course refer to great haemorrhages but even a cupful of bright red blood can be due to piles.

Bright red blood is good. It's altered blood tarry stools we need to see doc about.

Alternating loose stools and constipation can be caused by the wrong laxative dose. I am still adjustimg mine also veggy diet twenty years after rectal surgery!

So pleased for you Beswitched.
And you may not realise this but your thread will help others in the same situation you were in.

Such a reassuring result Beswitched you’ve ‘got your life back’. Bet you are on cloud 9 after all your anxiety. x

That's very good news, Beechnut, now you can stop worrying!

Had the procedure yesterday afternoon. Nothing sinister - lesions from a hysterectomy, some diverticulitis and haemorrhoids.
Have to go back in 5 years for another one.

Phew and thanks for helpful posts.

I've read it's unusual to develop ibs after 50. But I've suffered from bloated feelings and wind for years and also went through a short episode of bad cramping relieved by going to the loo in my late 3ps which has been repeated once or twice since.

Could the bacterial infection have exacerbated things? I've also been on quite a lot of antibiotics recently.

I have just had a call to ask if I can go in for mine next weekend. As others have said the day before, the prep day, is worse than the actual event. Well that’s my previous experience anyway. Good luck beswitched, , hope you get your date soon.