FIIT test, low iron, constipation, scared

[painintheargh]

NC for this.

Since having covid and changing my diet to lose weight last November I've had constipation. It's responded well to lactulose. No pain, no diarrhoea, no bleeding.
The GP tested for coeliac and a full blood count, liver, thyroid, hormones, kidneys, the full works. All fine except for an iron level of 8. My diet is rubbish on the iron front and the GP wasn't concerned about the iron and just told me to up my veg. Because the constipation has continued I've been asked to do a FIIT stool sample to check for blood which I will take to the GP tomorrow.
Im 46, pretty fit and do a lot of cardio exercise daily, I don't smoke, don't drink, I haven't eaten meat since 1990, my BMI is 21 and was 26 at its highest so my risk factors are low but im scared.

Does anyone have any experience of this who can offer any advice or handholding please? Im sure it's just that I don't eat enough and there's not enough food passing through my gut to make me poop regularly. I live on porridge, yogurt, fruit and soups. Very little in terms of stodgy high volume foods like bread, potatoes, rice, pasta. Portions of those are infrequent and small.

I'm a single parent of 3 with little to no help and terrified of cancer.

And thank you

Definitely no need to worry about your age!

Between the likely pcos , and the fibroid & my age - fertility declining after 30 / 35 - i do worry

Equally being 36.5 ..

Some say fertility dives / declines again after 37

@WhispersOfWickedness how are you doing?

Hi, thank you for asking!
The second lot of prep was better than the first, although the bar was pretty low!
It all worked well though and I got an excellent grading 😁
The procedure itself was okayish. I had the sedation which at the time didn't feel like it worked, but it went very fast, so it must have done 😆 The worst bit was the air, i found that quite painful, and when they were going round corners.
Anyway, the results were that everything looks great, no crohns or ulcerative colitis, they have taken biopsies though, to test for microscopic colitis. I got loads of photos in my report 😁
A quick question for those of you who have been through it, how long did your poo take to get back to normal? I ate and drank some simple foods last night but my poo is still pretty much water 🤷‍♀️
Just wanted to say, thank you so so much for this thread, it has been so so helpful snd reassuring, and I'm grateful to you all for the advice you have offered 😊

Glad it was okay

My body had the effects of the prep for about a week

So much so - - my dentist said it changed my saliva (!!)

My stomach / bowel / body is very sensitive though

Thank you so much for this thread. I’ve found it really positive, caring and supportive.
I am booked in next Sunday, 23rd, for a gastroscopy and colonoscopy. Which procedure should I expect to be done first? I forgot to ask - my anxiety level is high.

@WhispersOfWickedness that sounds a relief for you and I'm glad nothing nasty was found. Hopefully your poo has calmed down by now and you are feeling ok.
@Tilluna I'm glad you're finding it helpful. They usually do the gastroscopy first.

Thank you so much for your reply painintheargh. I might have to ask some more questions if you don’t mind.

Ask away!

I might well do that! I’ve been following everyone’s journey here and cheering you all on, delighted when you’ve had favourable outcomes.

So are you saying they lied on the report which says you felt no pain, 'resting comfortably throughout'.
Maybe the NHS keeps sedation levels to a minimum which is not very patient-friendly really.

Not gunna lie - i felt some pain from mine
But outcome was fine

Am due another in Nov if im not preg by then but thats them covering their arse

Did another qfit - ace result now - 4

This is exactly what I want to know about. I intend to opt for sedation but have been told I’ll have to be conscious to sign the consent form, to move when required during the procedures and to alert them if too much pressure is being applied to my bowel. But there are no nerve endings in the bowel?
To say I’m anxious would be an understatement. It’s decades since I had gas and air. Is it like childbirth?
The sedation should cause amnesia but how much are you aware of at the time (if that makes sense)?
I’ve been told it will take one hour max. Is that what others have found?

Yes, they lied as I was not comfortable throughout at all. I remember making guttural noises of pain whilst sucking in that gas and air like in childbirth. Thankfully it was over quickly and the memories of the pain are kind of vague. My anxiety was by far the worst thing about it. And the unpleasant doctor saying she was tired.

If I ever need one again I won't be anxious about the procedure but I will talk to the doctor about how much I felt and the pain I was in despite their top notch drugs. I'm a red head though, well, blondish red, and we feel pain differently. Also autistic and again I might perceive pain differently. So I'll communicate that to them. I'll also make sure I drink more after the prep to flush it through better. My bum survived with minimal trauma after all the pooping and wiping so no changes to that aspect but I'd buy a bag of ice for the prep to allow me to quickly get some for the ne t glassful without risking accidental pooping. I didn't have any leakage thankfully but it worried me so a bag of ice would be better plus my kitchen and bedroom are 2 floors apart. I'd also eat better in the days running up with allowed foods. I barely ate anything at all and felt like, erm, shit 😬

The nurses were so lovely and I felt safe and looked after.

For all those about to have this procedure please don't fret too much and maybe do some meditative breathing or similar to help ease your anxiety. Have all the drugs on offer and be prepared to feel a lot rough/tired the next day or two especially if you haven't eaten much before the prep, reacted badly to the prep with pain, nausea etc, or just need that time to recover emotionally if you were anxious about cancer.

@painintheargh i had light sedation & wasnt comfortable throughout

My trips to drs
And hospital continue

Hospital next week - gastro assessment..

B12 deficiency also found now

Still raised ca125

Still feretin decline issues - even in a month without a period

Oh and chance i could be preg but dunno yet

@worldwidetravel2017 you've got such a lot going on.
I had ds at 38 nearly 39 with a history of extensive endometriosis. His sisters I had at 30 and 32 and never thought I'd have another one. In fact his dad told me at 37 that I was too old. Such a charger he was. My mum had me just shy of her 37th birthday and that was in the 70s when that was deemed old. 36.5 isn't old these days for babies so fingers crossed and I do hope you get some answers soon as to what's going on.

Thank you very much for the PMs, detailed response and advice.
Best of luck next week, wwt17. I’ll be thinking if you.

Taking advice from here, I began the low residue diet on Tuesday, five days before my endoscopy appointment this afternoon. The moviprep tasted fine to me (lemony), the wet wipes also recommended helped considerably and a bottom anaesthetic was offered in hospital.

I was super anxious, hugged and reassured by each person who dealt with me. Gowned up and cannulated, I was keen to point out to the doctor I wanted maximum sedation and IV pain killers to which, within sensible measures, he agreed. Next my throat was sprayed and a shield placed in my mouth. My watch showed 1.55.
All I recall of both procedures is quietly saying, “Ow,” three times as the colonoscopy scope was being withdrawn. Each time I felt a quick bump of something passing through a bend, was over in a nano second, and wasn’t painful - just uncomfortable to the point where I remarked, “Ow”.
When I next looked at my watch it was 2.35 and I was on a ward with others.
I was graded as good, quite possibly as the moviprep didn’t stop working before I arrived. Staff weren’t bothered by this. The report is encouraging but I’ll be better able to comment when the biopsies’ results are back.
I hope this helps others and that those waiting for further tests or results have good outcomes.
Thank you very much for your greatly appreciated advice and honest depictions of your experiences. I’ve relied upon this thread in my two week pathway.

@Tilluna glad it went ok and it's all done. It sounds like they were lovely with you and that makes a huge difference. Hope the biopsies come back ok. I was graded good too and I felt like I'd failed to reach my potential despite passing pure liquid from about 2 glasses in of the prep.

Thank you ..

Gotta have a gastoscopy sometime

Hospital Thursday

One day at a time

Pure liquid gold, oh yes. As it was happening, I thought of your descriptions and wwt2017 commenting on what a good sign it was. Yes, the staff were brilliant. As soon as they looked at me, they knew how I felt and what I needed. I cannot praise them enough.
My grandmother had my dad when she was 42, wwt2017. Your age is young to me. Wishing you the best of luck for Thursday and for the gastroscopy.
I hope everyone continues to post and support each other. I will.

I'm so glad I started this thread. I got some snitty responses at the beginning which weren't helpful at all but @worldwidetravel2017 in particular has been such a support and this thread has in turn helped others. I was terrified and wondering what songs to choose for my funeral because I was convinced I had cancer and would die leaving my son with no one. Being belittled and told to try eating vegetables did nothing to help at all. The constipation is definitely lack of bread as I've eaten a fair amount of it lately and am almost clockwork even though it's white bread and sometimes not even homemade!! The horror to admit to sometimes eating hovis soft white thick sliced 😱

This thread is here for anyone who needs it x

Thank you

Thursday is an assessment which given a reminder text i got this am - i think is by phone..

6 medical referals since early may
Currently a bit of a medical mystery
But i def dont have bowel cancer or ovarian cancer - that much i know..

August will likely include anothef iron iv and some b12 injections

Wish i knew why my feretin drops every month - july - i havent even had a - perood - and still dropped..

Also wish i knew why i had raised ca125

Super glad you started the thread too
Been lovely to have you guys to chat to