Worried about misdiagnosis

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Hi all. I have a diagnosis from several years ago of diverticulitis. I have recently been experiencing a dramatic increase in pain and cramping (with/without) diarrhoea. This is always left sided. I also have tenderness under my left rib. My colorectal surgeon ordered a CT scan with contrast and a colonoscopy which I had yesterday. It was extremely painful, my consultant wanted to get to the hepatic flexture (I think) to take a biopsy. He managed to do this despite my screaming in pain! I don’t know what to think, no symptoms on right side at all. Yet my left side continues to cause a lot of pain. Perhaps the CT picked up something on the right side and he wanted to get the biopsy? Anyway, I await results of the various biopsies he took. Today feeling very sore, even my bladder feels bruised! If anyone can comment I would be grateful, by the way I am 60 years old. Thank you.

Marjolica 2 days ago

The hepatic flexure is the major 90 degree bend at the top of the descending colon which continues down to the sigmoid colon and the rectum. It is on the your left side of your body. Usually with a full colonoscopy the scope goes up the descending colon, round the bend and across to the right side and then another big bend and down the ascending colon. That they wanted a biopsy at the hepatic flexure and that getting to it hurt suggests that there is something blocking it, such as a polyp (benign or cancerous) that they are worried about there. If so it would not be surprising if your symptoms were on your left side.

Unfortunately, having missed that call (even if you hear them ring they often don't wait long enough for you to pick up the phone) you will now just have to wait to find out what they have found. If it is a cancer - and it isn't neccesarily - it will probably be treatable. And of course I might have just got this all wrong, my cancer, now operated, was lower down, in the sigmoid, though my colonoscopy, since repeated, went all the way.

Kareno62 2 days ago

Hi Debbie.12 and a warm welcome to the board. The waiting for results is very stressful but try to keep yourself busy and stay away from google. Once you know what you’re dealing with then things will honestly feel a bit better. If, and it is only an if at this stage, it does turn out to be bowel cancer then there is a lot of treatment available so please come back to us once you’ve had your results

Take care

Karen x

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