Hi Pkte,

It’s quite normal for this to happen. Given your symptoms, and the fact that the last part of you bowel appears healthy, it’s important to rule out anything in the rest of your large bowel.

Sorry to hear that your procedure was painful, pain can occur for a few reasons - including the bowel being inflated with gas or if you have a challenging bowel to navigate. When you have your colonoscopy you will be given a choice of saedation or gas and air, while the sedation doesn’t knock you out, it will probably make you forget your procedure. 

Both of the option, sedation and gas and air should be explained in your colonoscopy  information leaflet when you get it.

I can understand why you are worried given all that’s going on with your family, I’m sorry to hear about your Uncle.

I don’t think there’s anything I can say that will make you any less worried about your symptoms and the investigations you require.

What I can tell you is that there are other causes for your symptoms other than cancer such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), but if it does turn out to be cancer, finding it and treating it as soon as possible is really important.

unfortunately I couldn’t speculate what may be causing you to need the toilet so quickly after eating, but it would be worth mentioning when you go for your colonoscopy.

Best wishes

Hi Pkte,

I have had bothe the sigmoidoscopy and the colonoscopy in recent weeks.  The sigmoidoscopy was much more painful than the colonoscopy but I think that's because of the sedation.  I can definitely recommend it!