I had bowel changes and weight loss, left sided abdominal pain they did a colonoscopy on the two wait, the results were unexpected complex ovarian cysts. Gynaecology did more tests and operated six weeks later, the operation was over 4 hrs and difficult due to extensive adhesions everything was stuck together.

l hope you have a similar benign condition thats easily treated and solves your discomfort. Waiting for scans ect is difficult your minds in overdrive, my husband didn't say much but you could tell he was worried. I hope you have some support from family and friends that you can talk to, the nurses in the clinic were helpful. 
Take care

susie

Thank you Susie for sharing. That does sound really difficult, how are you feeling now?

I'm glad you didn't have cancer and I hope I don't either.

I've had support from family. My friends have basically all gone ever since I became less socialable. I think I shared too much about my health situation as that was all that I was thinking about. I'm finding it hard to think about other things. It really helps to talk on here. 

Hello amelia98 how are things I'm currently going through the same positive fit test now waiting on referral for 2ww, I have health anxiety also so this is driving me insane I can't stop thinking the worst!

Hi Char1995, sorry to hear you're going through the same. I also have health anxiety and the thing I'm most scared about is something being missed in the tests. 

My GP called today asking if I can give them a stool sample as it's been a while since I last gave stool samples. I think I'll do it on Monday so then it doesn't have to stay in the lab over the weekend, I'm scared of the result being inaccurate.

If you don't mind sharing, what were your symptoms? If that year in your username was when you were born, hopefully it means that cancer is less likely but it's good we're both going to be seen very soon. 

That's the exsact same as me I'm constantly worried about the gp missing things that why I end up demanding more test.

I've just been worried about stomach and bowl cancer for a while I keep getting indigestion and heartburn and it's just been making me worry so I straight up just asked for a colonoscopy and a camera down my throat and at first my gp refused but then just said to me to do a fit test if I would make me feel better so I did I really didn't tho k it would come back positive but then again I have had on and off bleeding because of hemorrids so I'm really hoping it's that that's causing it but I have had on and of bowl symptoms for years which is always put down to ibs so I literally have no idea what to think all I keep think is I have bowl cancer and I'm going to die leaving my children :( yes the date in my name is correct, would you mind if I asked what symptoms you've had and did you have a positive fit test? Thank you! And I hope your keeping well x

The symptoms you described sound awful. It must be more worrying that you have children. Glad you will finally have the tests done.

I started bleeding in March. It was my first symptom but I first got it confused with my period. My period ended and it was clear for a few days and then I went to poo one morning and went to wipe and it was drenched in blood and nothing else so I went to the GP a few times until I finally got a really nice doctor. She gave me a test and said 'this looks for blood' so I knew it would come positive which it did. That was the FIT test.

Hope things turn out okay for us. x

Hi [@char1995]‍ how are you doing now? 

I sent the stool sample this morning at around 9:30am and I just checked the NHS app and saw that the testing sample was sent off at 11:40am and now just seen that a doctor will call me at 12:25am (I'm such a stalker about my health lol). I wonder what that's going to be about.

Hello amelia98 I'm doing good thank you how are you doing? Is this your second fit test you have done? I checked my app this morning and I've seen that I've been given an telephone appointment with one of the nurses from the colonoscopy team to just speak about everything and then we're just go from there I'm so worried it's unreal all I keep thinking is I have bowel cancer it's freaking me out :( the appoiment isn't till Friday I hate having to wait so long I wish someone would just speak to me now :( I'm the same I hate waiting :( I hope everything goes okay for you 

I'm doing okay thank you. I've noticed I'm getting pain from eating but I don't know if it's just from being anxious.

I'm not sure what the stool sample is for. I think it's to check my faecal calprotectin as it was normal in March the first time I did it so might have changed now.

Friday feels so long away - I hate waiting aswell. I think in the meantime you should make a note of all your symptoms and worries to tell the nurse from the colonoscopy team.

Thank you, I hope everything goes okay for you aswell. It's good we're both on the 2ww pathway considering we're both young. I heard young people usually get fobbed off.

I'm doing okay thank you. I've noticed I'm getting pain from eating but I don't know if it's just from being anxious.

I'm not sure what the stool sample is for. I think it's to check my faecal calprotectin as it was normal in March the first time I did it so might have changed now.

Friday feels so long away - I hate waiting aswell. I think in the meantime you should make a note of all your symptoms and worries to tell the nurse from the colonoscopy team.

Thank you, I hope everything goes okay for you aswell. It's good we're both on the 2ww pathway considering we're both young. I heard young people usually get fobbed off.

That's the same as me since I've been referred I feel like I'm getting symptoms I didn't even get before ‍♀️  I'm finding it difficult to eat aswell where your worried so much eating is the last thing on my mind.

im not sure I've even had one of those test tbh I did have one for Helicobacter recently because I've tested positive in the past so they just done another one just incase but that was all clear was my first time ever doing a fit test though. 
 

that's what I've been told to do and I'm going to do all of that I don't want to miss out anything important when I have this phone call have you had a call or anything yet? Or a letter for a date? 
 

thank you so much I Appreciate it :)  and I've heard the same, even when I've spoke to doctors there like oh your to young but still that doesn't mean anything, how old are you? Is the number in your name correct? 

Also how did your phone call go with the doctor? 

Yeah stress definitely doesn't help with symptoms. I had a banging headache while I was waiting for the call and now the headache's gone.

I'm not sure if I had that test. When my GP called about my results back in April, she said it so simply, 'your blood tests were all normal but you know the test that looks for blood (FIT test), that came positive, but that's nothing surprising as we already knew there was blood'.

Afterwards I requested my medical records (hypochondriac geek alert) and found out my FIT test was positive at 400 and that my stool sample test for faecal caprotectin (I think it looks for inflammation) was normal.

That's good that you're not going to miss out anything important. I've had times when I have and then regretted it.

I didn't get a call so I messaged the medical centre asking if I'm supposed to be expecting a call. The receptionist called saying that I wasn't supposed to have a telephone appointment and that it was just them sending a notification to the doctor to send off my stool sample. I felt a bit embarrassed thinking the receptionist probably thinks I was expecting a call about my results. 

Yes I'm 23. I'm glad my GP hasn't mentioned anything about my age until she told me about the 2ww, but even then she just said 'you are young, so it would be unlikely for the cause of your symptoms to be something serious like cancer..' (me thinking she was about to fob me off) '.. but I don't want you to be losing weight this quickly and you've been having a lot of symptoms and been waiting for a referral since April, so there's something called a 2 week wait pathway I could refer you on'.

I was so relieved. It felt like such a huge weight lifted off my head as I was expecting to wait another 10 weeks since I was told by the hospital at the beginning that the waiting list is 25 weeks. 

Hi [@char1995]‍ have you had your appointment yet? Hoping it goes okay. 

I found out I have an appointment next Friday at 8:30am. I'm guessing it's a colonoscopy as they're going to be sending laxatives through the post. I feel impatient waiting to get further info.

I sent a message to my GP asking for the results of the stool sample and usually if the results normal, they send a message back saying it's normal. But this time they called and said it's nothing to worry about (exactly what they said when my FIT test came positive) and they said I'm already on the 2ww so they'll review me after that.

I don't mind if my stool sample's abnormal. I just want to know the result. I was more scared that something would be wrong and not picked up.

Hello [@amelia98]‍ how is everything going did you end up having your appointment? I still haven't had mine yet as they didn't have any appoiment Available mines this Thursday coming I'm so scared :( 

Did you find out if your fit test came back positive? I hope your keeping well ️

Hi @char1995 Oh no, it must be stressful having to wait that long. In my experience, the specialist was really kind and spoke gently. I hope your specialist will be like this.

Thank you. It came negative at 5ug/g so only some blood was found which is quite a surprise as I thought I wasn't passing blood anymore. Back in April, it was 400ug/g so that's good it's decreased a lot. Now I see blood so I'm guessing it would come positive now.

I've had a sigmoidoscopy now and found out I have haemorrhoids which is so relieving for me. I'm shocked as my GP didn't find haemorrhoids and my only symptoms of haemorrhoids were bright red blood and incontinence. They took biopsies so hopefully, those will be normal.

I hope you are also well and find out you have something that's not serious.

[@amelia98]‍ it really is so horrible I've been waiting near to the 3 week mark and I just can't stop panicking :( 

oh that's great news that not that much blood was found when I have my telephone call the lady told me mine was 47

that's great news I'm so glad everything had come back fine for you apart from the Haemorrhoids I know they can be a pain as I know I currently have them and no treatment seems to be working :/ 

I hope so to I only have 3 days to wait but I'm just so anxious that there's something wrong :( 

It sounds horrible that you have had to wait that long. When did your symptoms start if you don't mind me asking?

I hope the blood isn't caused by something serious. My doctor didn't mention to me when my FIT test was at 400 (I found out from my medical records) so I'm guessing she didn't think it mattered. She just told me it came positive but it just looks for blood so I already knew that. She then said the reason she referred me is to find where the bleeding is coming from.

It's sad no treatment seems to be working, I hope you find out what is causing your symptoms so that they can be treated.

Hopefully, the 3 days go quickly. Are you studying/at work and have had to take time off for this? Maybe use this time for yourself and do things you enjoy like watching movies. I know it is hard to think about other things. I'm here if you want to talk. 

Yeah it really isn't nice waiting so long when you have health anxiety we'll I've had on a off ibs symptoms for quite sometime so that's when it al first started but for the past couple of years I have also have a few bouts of haemorrhoids but I also know there common when your pregnant or given birth and I have 3 little ones and my youngest is 6 months old, but after I had her a few months later I noticed some blood in my stool so o got checked out by my gp and they confirmed the haemorrhoids which I did get treatment for but they didn't seem to go and I started to just panic more about my bowels and just worry that there was something wrong with me and my doctor said rather then do a colonoscopy there do a fit test and I honestly didn't think I would come back positive but I couldn't see anymore blood in my stool so when it did I was so shocked but I end up going back to the gp because I had seem more blood in my stool and it felt like the haemorrhoids had gotten worse and they confirmed they were still there but just with an outside examination not internal so that's where it all started from and all my go said to me was if a fit test comes back positive they just instantly have to Refer you.

I hope so to it's just hard not to think the worse and no I'm not currently studying or working at the moment are you lovely? And did they said how long it would take for your biopsy? 
 

thank you so much that means a lot x

Aw I can imagine having 3 little ones keep you very busy and it  must be even more worrying having health concerns when you have children.

You're doing the right thing going to your gp. Make sure you still go if you get new symptoms. That must have been shocking to find out there was blood when you didn't see it. This test does look for microscopic amounts of blood which is great for the screening program as it leads to earlier diagnosis or just ruling out.

It's good that they still referred you even though they knew you have haemorrhoids incase there's another cause. Especially since you mentioned that treatment is unfortunately not working.

It is so hard not to think the worst. I remember because I never used to have period problems and then I suddenly had a long heavy black period in June, I thought that I had bowel cancer and that it had spread to my uterus.

It turned out that there wasn't any abnormalities found in my abdominal ultrasound and I want to feel reassured but I want to have other tests like transvaginal ultrasound, cervical smear etc but I can't have those since I've never been sexually active. I felt like just lying so I could find out if something's wrong but I'm religious so I can't lie ahaha and I'm guessing it would be painful.

They told me I should get it by the 2nd September. I hope it comes sooner. 

I hope your appointment goes well xx