Hello Sue-Maria, 

I can imagine this is a very stressful time for you as you are waiting to have a colonoscopy next week following this positive bowel cancer screening result. It is normal to be scared but as you will see in our information on bowel cancer screening, receiving a positive result doesn't necessarily mean it is cancer as other medical conditions can also trigger a positive result but it is important to go through all these additional investigations. The long wait that goes with going through these additional tests, the colonoscopy and the results will no doubt make you feel anxious especially as you have been through cancer treatment before and it's normal to feel worried as a result. But try if you can not to anticipate what it could be and to keep focused on doing things you enjoy and being distracted while you are waiting. This is obviously easier said than done but try and keep well away from the temptation to look things up online. We have compiled these helpful tips to help you cope while waiting for news which I hope will help you deal with the current state of uncertainty as you are waiting to find out more. 

You have done the right thing in coming here and posting on the forum - sometimes it's not easy to talk to our family or loved ones about how we are feeling and it can be easier to talk to others online who may not be related to you or may never have met you but who share a similar experience and have also had a positive bowel cancer screening and know exactly how you are feeling at the moment. I hope that they will be along shortly with comforting words. 

I am keeping everything tightly crossed for you that it all turns out to be nothing of concern. Do let us know if you don't mind how you get on and how the colonoscopy goes for you. 

Best wishes, 

Lucie, Cancer Chat Moderator 

Hello Sue-Maria,

                            having been through this years back there are a couple of truisms involved in this situation. We worry more about the unknown than the actual, and no matter how much we fret, we cannot change fact. That said we can make it worse by putting ourselves under increased stress.

Yourself as an old campaigner, so to speak, l feel sure you will be only too well versed in this, but its funny how when you are in a big hole how difficult it becomes to stop digging and sometimes it takes an onlooker to point out the obvious. Easy to say when you are not the one facing the problem, but true nonetheless, and dependant if you see your glass half full or half empty. 

In my case l said "oh ***", and picked up something l had always been meaning to do but never quite got round to it. Completing that took all my focus and  successful completion the day before l went in for the camera shoot, meant l faced it with a positive mindset,

l cannot say what would work for you, but you could, so l hope you can find that place of peace, and that those fears turn out to be unfounded,

stay positive,

David

Hi David,

Thank you so much for taking the trouble to reply to my post with your wise words.  My first instinct when I heard about the colonoscopy was to cancel my plans for the week and to hide at home. However you are absolutely right to suggest some kind of task/distraction so I’ve stuck with my original schedule for the week and have also made a start on writing my Christmas cards. Please keep everything crossed for me that all goes well one way or another. 

Hello Sue-Maria,

                             l will be keeping my something crossed but only for the one way,

David

Hi Sue -Maria from my point of view the worst part about the Colonoscopy was definitely the prep you have to drink the day before ,its gross vile ,it made me ill and I didn't even know whether they'd be able to still do the Colonoscopy because I vomited the whole of the second lot but they did and thankfully everything was ok and the good thing is they tell you straight away if they've seen anything sinister or not ,in my case it was all ok ,although they did take 2 biopsies that I'm waiting for coming back ,as you probably know its much more likely to be something other than cancer that's caused the positive test so hopefully it will go smoothly for you .

Thank you!

Thanks Jenny. I have to say that I’m not particularly looking forward to the drink but needs must. I just hope and pray that my result will be like yours. Then it will all be worthwhile. 

Hello Lucie, thank you for your encouraging words. My colonoscopy results revealed nothing sinister going on so I’m hugely relieved. 

Hi David

Thanks so much for your support. Keeping everything crossed worked for me and the colonoscopy results thankfully showed nothing of any significance. I’m so telieved!

Hi Jenny

You were absolutely right that the drink was totally vile but it did the trick and the colonoscopy went smoothly this morning. Such a relief to be told that everything was normal. Thanks for all your support.