Worried about my Mum

[AbbyLou]

My Mum has recently had one of the new screenings for bowel cancer. Her first result came back inconclusive so she had to do another sample. This time it has come back as an abnormal result. Tomorrow she has to go and see the Consultant and talk through what happens next. I am so scared for her. She's trying really hard to put on a brave face but I know she is worried. She has had no symptoms at all and it says in the letter that it is not necessarily anything sinister but i can't help worrying. I don't really know why I'm posting this. I guess I just want some virtual hand holding!

The screening test is just to detect blood in the stool, it is not specific for bowel cancer. There are loads of other, benign reasons as to why she may have blood in the stool.

The specialist may well recommend that she have a colonoscopy (camera test to look inside the bowel) to investigate further.

The majority of people who get abnormal results on screening do not have bowel cancer.

here's a link to the screening programme. It probably explains it better than I did.

Its natural for you to worry, but the odds are well in your mum's favour that it will all be OK.

Thanks emma. You are right I know, and I am positive about the fact she's had no symptoms. She will have to have a colonoscopy. They will be checking tomorrow to make sure she is fit enough. Fingers crossed. She does suffer from IBS and I an a little worried that she may have had symptoms and thought it was that but she says she doesn't think so.

Well she has been today and has to go for a colonoscopy on Tuesday when unfortunately my sister and I will on holiday together in Spain with our families! She feels very reassured by what she has been told today. They said the chances are slim that it will be cancer but if it is, then it should be easilt treatable as it will be early as she has had no symptoms. They did tell her that something as mad as brushing your teeth too hard and making then bleed, then swallowing the blood, can make blood appear in a poo sample. Mad or what? Fingers crossed for Tuesday now.