Fuck - this means they suspect cancer doesn't it?

[vipersnest1]

I went for an appointment at 'the bum clinic' on Tuesday. I was told I need further tests and they would take weeks.
I've had a call today to say I've been referred for an urgent flexible sigmoidoscopy and have an appointment on Monday.
I know it could just be to rule it out, but it's the 'urgent' part of it that has thrown me.

Thank you @Spabreak. I've now had the information sent through the post (plus the prep I need to do).
Unfortunately sedation isn't an option for me as I don't fancy public transport if I'm a bit crampy / windy afterwards (which is likely) and taxis would cost me somewhere around or above £70, so I need to drive myself there and back. I know my neighbour would have helped me, but they are away for a week.
Also, the information says that they don't usually offer sedation. I'm going to go with the gas and air that is available if I need it, as I will be ok to drive myself home.
Sorry for the pun, but it's all a bit shit.

Oh, @Spabreak, I forgot to say:
I'm very aware that NHS language minimises things - when they say uncomfortable it means painful, when they say painful it means agony.
I have a condition that makes me very sensitive to pain, so I was not looking forward to it even before your post.

I'm pretty sure that tests for symptoms that COULD be for cancer are classed as urgent, I had the same for a mole so it's not necessarily anything to worry about.

Also if it makes you feel better for the procedure, I've had about 15 flexi sigs and I've never been sedated for them. The pain is only caused by them blowing the air in you to expand your bowel, if you do a fart it helps and you can also have gas and air. A nurse sits by your head and holds your hand and talks to you. You can also watch it on a screen if you want to, I always do it's cool to see your insides.

I've always been given a nice cup of tea and some biscuits after. You also get taken to a room after the procedure and initial findings are gone through with you then and there. They will probably take some biopsies to send to the lab, you can't feel that just a little tug. If you struggle doing the prep yourself they can do it for you at the hosp.

That's how it is at my hospital anyway. Good luck x

If it comes to it you can ask them to stop and go back for sedation another day.

Flexi sigs aren't that bad in my experience, I wouldn't have a colonoscopy without sedation but I can cope with a flexi sig and I have a low pain threshold. I had sedation once but it did absolutely nothing at all (I asked if they'd actually administered it!) and the doctor who did it was very surprised that I even asked for it as apparently most people don't need it

@Amichelle84. @IncessantNameChanger and @polkadotpixie, thank you.
I'm kind of doing ok. I will definitely ask for gas and air if I need it.
I'm getting there by keeping myself busy as much as possible.
I don't generally have health anxiety, but this has thrown me.

I’ve just been through this with a relative - 2 week pathway, etc all sounding serious but it was 2 large polyps which can be removed carefully
take one step at a time - hopefully you will have a good outcome too

I think that’s understandable OP. It’s the fear of the unknown. My friend had cameras both end in the same procedure. He couldn’t relax ( he was really run down at the time) so they put him under there and then with a GA so there must be room for flexibility and not rushing. Try to think of something nice to do afterwards like a nice film bath and chocolate. So you can think about that for when it’s done

Hi Op, I'm sorry I can't offer any advice but I can give you a fist bump in solidarity.

I hope you don't mind if I offload on your thread as I don't want to talk to anyone irl at the minute.

Yesterday, I made dd a doctors appointment but she refused to go in case they asked her for a blood test (nothing serious but scared of needles) so I phoned asking if I could have the appointment instead thinking I'd just see him about my periods that have started to go a bit haywire and I maybe in peri-menopause but all of a sudden I found him referring me for the 2 week urgent pathway. I knew instantly that it means it "could" be cancer. I really feel it's more than likely peri-menopause and that 9 out of 10 patients are not diagnosed with cancer.
Whats sort of worrying me though is, I had a smear and now I remember getting the results letter and it was different to the normal letters saying cancer risk was low but I can't remember what it said and I remember thinking at the time "hmm that's different to my other letters but it must be ok or they would have had me in for more tests" etc. I ended up forgetting about it until last night and that's what's making me worry that I could be the 1 in 10 that is diagnosed with cancer! 😨I must say I'm shitting a brick but I won't say anything to my family yet (apart from dh - who I'm playing it down to) as I don't want to worry anyone unnecessarily yet and I don't think I could cope with seeing my kids frightened and worried. Ds1 has just started his new life and needs 100% focus, dd is a very anxious teen and ds2 would also be so worried. I couldn't do that to them unless I had no choice.

Sorry for the big long ramble and offloading on your thread I hope everything turns out well for you and anyone else on this thread who is in the same position.

After having blood in my stool and pain in my abdomen for a few months I’m finally getting my colonoscopy done this week after 7 weeks of waiting, despite being on the “2 week urgent care pathway”…. During these 7 weeks I’ve become anaemic, and also had to go to A & E once and have been very very poorly overall.

Fingers crossed for a positive outcome for us both OP.

I’m in a fairly similar position as you. I have just been referred for an urgent colonoscopy under the two week pathway. They found blood in my stool and my colprotectin levels were over 1000 (meant to be 0-50). I’m early 30’s with two young children one who has autism and GDD and I’m absolutely terrified right now so I know how you feel. Wishing you luck for Monday op and hoping it’s nothing serious.

Wishing you well for tomorrow. If you were to have sedation, they don’t like you getting public transport after. I picked my DH up after his, he was asleep in car before I left the car park. He wasn’t allowed gas and air due to having a perforated ear drum, at least we know now.

This is the problem with having these sorts of stats.

The one in two people stat is over your lifetime. People may have multiple tests for cancer in that lifetime, not just one for one cancer. The chances if having cancer are vastly different at 25 than they are at 95.

Thank you all for the support. I was doing ok until a few minutes ago, but I'm back to shaking now.
@MunchMunch, vent away! My dsis had dyskariosis and had a large chunk of her cervix removed. She's absolutely fine now. Good luck.
@StewPots that sounds very much like UC or crohns. DC1 has crohns. They had to wait six weeks after diagnosis before they had any treatment at all. They too were anaemic and had to wait four months for the iron infusion they needed. I hope you get sorted out soon.
@Rainbowdrops2021, see above, as is sounds like you have one or the other. DC1 is fine now - has to inject a biologic every fortnight which they feel is a small price to pay for be symptom-free.
@Mindymomo, as I mentioned sedation isn't an option for me unfortunately, but I will make sure that gas and air is available to me.

I dont think you will full results tomorrow? Can you try to separate out in your mind it's just the process tomorrow and you will park the results worry for later? It's less overwhelming if you break things down into little chunks. This time tomorrow it will be over

@IncessantNameChanger, I know I won't if they have to take a biopsy, but I will be asking them to tell me if they find anything and also why it was an urgent referral, as that's the bit that I don't understand.
I'm all over the place. DM has rung twice today with problems and as awful as it sounds I just want to be left alone so I can make it through to tomorrow. I know that sounds dramatic, but it's how I feel.

Then just park your mum for a few days if it's what you have to do. You cant pour from a empty jug.

@IncessantNameChanger, I'm hoping that tomorrow I can tell her about it and that it's all fine.
@TheCuriouscakedecorator, thank you.I'm not doing brilliantly, but am still alive and kicking.
I'm trying to stay relaxed but not necessarily succeeding.

Urgent doesn't mean it's cancer? Just that cancer is one of the diagnosis it could be. Dp was referred on this pathway last year, it wasn't cancer

Sorry I didn't mean to make you feel worse. It's just that I felt wimpy because it was minimised on the info, and thought it was my fault it bothered me at all! If I'd known what to expect, I think I'd have felt better about it.

As a PP said, they didn't find it that bad, so perhaps you'll be fine. Wishing you well, and they find nothing wrong. I was fine in terms of cancer or polyps, I just had a bit of diverticulitis but have no symptoms of this so wasn't too worried.

@motogirl, no, it doesn't, but it was the change from 'it will be weeks' to 'it's an urgent referral' that has worried me.

@Spabreak @, I hope I will be fine too, but I don't know whether or not I will be until I'm there IYSWIM.
Don't worry though, your post hasn't made me more anxious (than I already am).

@Spabreak, sorry, I didn't intend for that to be sarcastic.