Worried Newbie!!

Hi 

Welcome to the forum . I think my mum reacted like that to the CT with contrast scan . After that they skipped the contrast !

Hopefully you will get your results soon and that will bring some comfort . Many people pass through here with various symptoms including rectal bleeding and thankfully lots don’t have cancer but other conditions that still require some input .

You are doing the right thing getting the tests and ensuring they find the cause of the bleeding but one thing to keep foremost of your mind bowel cancer caught early has an extremely high cure rate . My mum was not one of those people and has a spread , absolutely no symptoms! Yet it was not without hope and a good treatment team have kept her here for 12 years . So please don’t thing it is not without hope . There is every chance it is caused by another condition and if not we are here for you to help you get through it and hopefully back on with your life . 
Take care ,

Court 

Good Morning Court, 

Thanks for the reply. It's encouraging to hear that there is a high cure rate for bowel cancer. 

My wife had cervical cancer 7 years ago (3a) so we've been through all the waiting for results and the 'what if's' but as much as I can talk to her about anything and she is my rock, I don't want to put too much on her hence why I decided to post on here. 

I think the main issue for me at the moment is a lack of sleep. Whenever I seem to settle my mind goes into overdrive and I can never get back off. I've tried to talk to my GP about it but each morning the phone lines are jammed and by the time I get through there are no appointments left. It can be extremely frustrating and as a last result I may end up buying some over the counter sleeping tablets although these do make me feel quite groggy. 

Oh that’s such a shame . I completely agree with you about the lack of sleep impacting your coping mechanism. It’s not easy for sure . 
Would you be able to email your Gp about your concerns ? Not sure if it’s just my GP but we are able to do that just now !

Our helpline staff would also be happy to guide you through this . 0808 808 0000. 
 I just looked up some recent research and out of 1000 cases of rectal bleeding only 3.5% had bowel cancer , that increased to 11% if bowel habit changes exit . Not sure if your discovered this yourself but it’s still pretty low . 
The anxiety associated with it is just awful . Just watching my mum going through the last twelve years made me really nervous doing a bowel screen !! You have been at your wife’s side as she endured her treatment and it’s tough for sure so I can totally understand your anxiety over this . Having somewhere to come and chat through your concerns is very , very important. Glad we can help in that department. 

Take care ,

Court 

I'll take a look and will see if it is possible to email them.

I'm not sure if I explained my symptoms properly but it is not just rectal bleeding I am having issues with. 

There is the bleeding, both rectal and from within the stomach but there is also sharp pains quite a lot of the time (as if I am being stabbed with a hot poker), I have to run to the bathroom after eating (9 times out of 10), I've got weight loss and a bloated / heavy feeling in my stomach constantly. It's draining physically and emotionally but I am trying to just manage each day as I would normally do so I don't upset or worry the kids unnecessarily. 

One question I do have at the moment is considering I had my CT scan last Friday and my colonoscopy is booked for next Friday, will I have to wait for the results of the CT scan until the Colonoscopy results are returned or will they give them to me separately? 

A lot of people here report being told on the day they think they have a bowel tumour after the colonoscopy. They get quite a lot of information from the physical appearance. Others will maybe chat you through this aspect as I am only reporting on what they have experienced. My mum certainly did . 
They may have the ct scan results on their clinical portal if the radiologist has reported them . They rarely give any information without a formal report !

They frequently give them separately so that should help !

I take it you saw a consultant who requested a scan ? I am out at the moment so sorry if you are repeating yourself . If so you can email their secretary and ask what the process will be and when to expect some feedback . 
Your symptoms sound really difficult. Hope they can give you some help and relief soon .

You most certainly explained it all fine , just sometimes hard on the internet to put it all together . Are they giving you anything for the pain just now ?

Take care ,

Court 

Hi there, sorry to hear you are experiencing such awful symptoms at this time. I had one colonoscopy in November 2020 and was informed straight after that it was a tumour, it was also 'on the bend' of my sigmoid colon, the small curved area located just above rectum. Prior to this I was also experiencing bleeding when passing stools, diarrohea and also constipation. My symptoms only manifested for about 3 weeks prior! My GP was really good in that I informed her I was struggling to sleep so she suggested prescribed sleeping medication, which really took the edge off, whilst I awaited further results.

Results were in December that yes it was a cancerous tumour and that because of the location it was causing a blockage and operation was urgent. Tumour removed January 11th 2021. Operation successful and I have been placed on precautionary, oral chemo for 6 months. All is going well so far. It was a very difficult few months to get through as previously have never been ill! At 46 and with 2 young boys, it was an incredible shock. But we get through. Try not to think the worst, I did, and it does no good really. 

Hope you manage to feel better soon and get some positive feedback from you GP and doctors. Take care. 

Hi Court,

It was a referral from my GP. I haven't seen a consultant as of yet? I'm presuming the results will go straight back to him to feedback to me? 

I'm not on any pain relief medication from the doctors as of yet. That was partly why I was calling this week to see if there was anything they could prescribe for the pain and to just help with my sleep issues. 

That's good to know about the colonoscopy and feedback as I've been worrying about being sedated and not remembering if anything was discovered or not. I really appreciate you taking the time to reach out. Thank you 

Hi Rose,

I can imagine it being a shock & then having to look after 2 young children couldn't have been easy. 

I'm fortunate in that aspect in that my daughter who lives with me turns 13 in 2 weeks and my son and other daughter (who live with their mum) are 15 & 8 respectively. 

I'm glad to hear that the treatment appears to be working for you.

I'm just not looking forward to the colonoscopy next week! 

My boys are 8 and 13, very very young indeed haha. All the best with your colonoscopy, I found it absolutely fine to be honest , It was the scan machine that I hate as I am claustrophobic. I found that horrendous and at the time, had to wear a mask which made it even worse. 

All the best, take care

I am very sorry to hear of the symptoms you have been suffering....but, it's still too early for you to be worrying about Bowel Cancer at this stage. Unfortunately, CT scans can take from 7 - 10 days for results. However, in my experience, I have had two Colonoscopies, & at both times, I had the results immmediately following. My first was by sedation, & I was informed of the possibility of a Tumour. The sedation obviously lessened the shock of it at that time....but then, came a whirlwind of stuff......ie; my Bowel Resection a month later...& there was no time to think, but just plan. My second was a year later, & I opted for Gas & air...because I wanted to drive myself the 15 mile drive home. No, it wasn't a pleasant experience, but it's a very short lived examination. If I were to have another, I would opt for gas & air again.

A consultant does not become involved at this stage....unless the Colonoscopy confirms it is cancer.Your symptoms could relate to other problems. You won't know until the colonoscopy is performed. Just hang in there! But even if it's the worse prognosis....Just remember what Court said. It's a very treatable disease. Mine was two years ago...& I'm currently clear now.

Wishing you all the best

Marianne