Hi, I am sorry your FIT test came positive at 117. It must be really worrying, I remember being very worried as well when my FIT test came positive. 

You knew you had blood in your stools and that is what the test looks for so you haven't found out anything new. It doesn't indicate where the blood is coming from so it doesn't mean it's bowel cancer. In my case, my blood came from piles but they were higher up so the doctor couldn't feel it in the rectal exam.

I'm sorry that your father was diagnosed with bowel cancer at 48, this must make you even more worried. You did the right thing going to your GP.

Has your GP told you what is next?

Hi Amelia98,

Thank you for your response. I said the same thing to my husband about already knowing what I already knew but my mind is being completely irrational. I do feel a bit calmer today though.

So the GP has put in a 2 week referral yesterday so just waiting to hear from them, hopefully next week.

Annoyingly my bowels have been all over the place today which I know is down to anxiety but the fear of wiping is overwhelming! I've not noticed any blood today though so that's reassuring me.

Can I ask what symptoms you presented with in the first instance please? X

Hello, I am glad you feel a bit calmer today. I know what it's like to have a fear of wiping, it's reassuring you didn't see blood today.

That is good you are on the 2 week referral so you should find out soon what is causing your symptoms. Most people referred this way turn out not to have cancer.

My first symptom was quite scary. I woke up one morning and went to the toilet. I went to wipe and suddenly saw lots of bright red blood on the toilet paper and the water in the toilet bowl was red. It got worse and I started getting lower tummy pain whenever I ate.

My GP did a tummy and rectal exam which were normal. She then got me to do a FIT test which came positive at 400 and a faecal calprotectin test which was normal. Also got me to do a blood test which was normal. I'm 23 aswell so she decided the 2ww criteria was unnecessary for me but still asked for an urgent referral.

I became incontinent in June and was extremely fatigued. I booked a phone appointment and she got me to do a blood test which was normal again (but the readings were a lot lower than my previous blood test), so didn't fast track the referral.

The faecal incontinence got really bad in July to the point I couldn't go out anymore. I also started losing a lot of weight so I booked another phone appointment.

Usually when I call, I just write out my symptoms beforehand and read them out. But this time, I got the call early and it was so unexpected that I hadn't written anything down so was saying everything from memory. I was genuinely so scared and started crying. She decided to move me on the 2ww pathway which I didn't expect. I just thought she would ask me to have another blood test.

I am relieved that I just have haemorrhoids. They did take biopsies which I am still waiting for so I hope they'll be normal.

I hope you will also have something benign and it can get sorted so you can go back to normal. It does help talking on here. xx

Did you have your colonoscopy? I hope things turned out good for you

Hi,

Thanks for checking in. I'm still waiting unfortunately. I have a telephone consultation with a colorectal nurse on Wednesday so I'm hoping to have an appointment fir a colonoscopy following that phone call.

How are you doing? 

Hi,

I also have episodes on heartburn that last for a few weeks then disappear again. No medication eases that at all. It's been coming and going fir 5ish years. I've never been tested for H.pylori though and I now feel I should have as its something I've been backwards and forwards to the GP with.

My bowel movements are very similar to yours, anxuety/stress/excitement/sadness and some foods etc all affect my bowel movements. I do wonder if I've suffered with IBS but I've never been to the GP, just learned to manage it. These last few weeks they have been awful, opening my bowels several times a day but I know that's due to the anxiety of everything that's going on now.

The waiting and wondering is absolutely awful. I just want to know now, either way, what I'm dealing with. Have you done a FIT test yet? 

Hopefully Wednesday comes fast and you get a clear plan in place. I have no plan, my doctor isn't concerned. She has upped my anxiety medication and has told me to try and stop stressing so much to see if things settle. I am trying but it's really difficult! I suffer chronic anxiety, I do agree with her that it's chronic, I wake from my sleep with my whole body shaking with fear because it's that bad. But I'm unsure it could cause these issues and I'm terrified the doctor isn't taking it seriously enough! I have to do the FIT test next week. 
 

Do you get stomach cramps with the loose stools? I don't which makes me think it can't be ibs. Have you ever had lose stools every day for weeks? 

I'm sorry your feeling so anxious. Is there any further support your GP could offer to help manage your anxiety levels? Do you have any mechanisms that help to keep calm? 

Stress and anxiety can cause all kinds of problems so it's not surprising your bowel movements are all over the place. Hopefully your FIT test will be negative and that may offer you a little more reassurance.

Good luck for your phone call tomorrow. I hope it goes well and you are able to get a date for the colonoscopy. Have you seen anymore blood? Are your stools still lose? I've been trying to put this to the back of my mind and stress less to see does my stomach settle. I had a couple of normal bowel movements in the last few days which gave me some hope but today it's bad lose stools again which has set off my anxiety about it again :cry: