Hello, I'm so sorry to hear about your mum's symptoms. It must be such a difficult time for both of you.

I started suddenly having exactly what you described, back in March, and I remember being so scared. I still have flashbacks about it when I go to sleep sometimes. I started awaiting a colorectal referral in April and the bleeding thankfully started to lessen. I was told the referral could take until October since I'm young (23) and waiting lists are long.

My advice to you is to make sure your mum keeps track of her symptoms. She could use the symptoms diary on Bowel Cancer UK, but these symptoms don't always mean cancer! If she has new symptoms, she should update her GP about them incase it triggers a need to fast track the referral.

I updated my GP about new symptoms so many times and then in July, she asked if I would be okay being referred on the 2ww pathway. I was so relieved that I could finally find out what has been causing my symptoms.

I had a sigmoidoscopy earlier this month which thankfully showed no sign of cancer and found haemorrhoids. I am so relieved. The haemorrhoids are higher up which was why my GP couldn't find them when she did the rectal exam.

They took biopsies which I am still waiting for. I hope these will be normal aswell.

I hope your mum also has something benign causing her symptoms. The thought of having cancer is so worrying but it is good she got her symptoms checked and has been referred.

Wishing the best xx

Hi, no problem. I would have wanted to hear a story like mine when I first had symptoms xx

Bless her, a rectal examination is so painful in my experience. I was able to tolerate the first one I had (I think I was just so shaken by the heavy bleeding that I just let the doctor do anything) and she didn't find anything. Then the second one was a few months later and for some reason, I couldn't tolerate it anymore. The nurse wasn't able to do it properly (she also compared me to a 5-year-old!) and couldn't find anything. I was so glad I could have sedation for my sigmoidoscopy.

I really hope it's not the dreaded C word aswell. I remember at the beginning thinking I definitely had it since my only symptom of haemorrhoids was bright red blood and the NHS website said that makes it unlikely for the cause to be haemorrhoids but here I am. I remember trying to sleep one night and all I could think of was that I didn't want to die and I was scared that this summer would be my last. It does definitely feel like a rollercoaster of emotions when experiencing symptoms and I think my family were scared as well but hid their worries. 

That is really sad that your mum's been experiencing the symptoms on and off for about 3 years but now has heavier bleeding. I hope you get answers soon. Have you found out anything about the referral? xx

Hey!

yes she said the examinations weren't pleasant at all and had mentioned to her dr that she's already had 3 and didn't want another, luckily the dr suggested straight away for a hospital referral because stopping the heavy bleeding was important. I have tried to tell mum to go to hospital when it is bad but she won't and I am just so worried. She is always tired too and just genuinely weaker than normal. My family are the same, we are all worried but no one has mentioned the possibly of it being the C word as I think we don't even want to speak it out loud. She has now received letters from The hospital to say they have received her referral and will be in touch soon, but that is all so far. I'm just sitting on edge until the appointment comes through and I really hope it won't be months.. 

thank you for your reply, it's been nice to have someone to talk to regarding similar symptoms! I hope you continue to stay healthy and well xx