My reply here will boost your post so a few more people should see it, and if anyone has had a similar experience then hopefully they'll be along soon. Of course if you have questions then do discuss these with your doctor also - and I hope it's not too long to wait for your appointment.
Hi Sundial, Yes i was, My blood levels have been bad for a couple of years and of course we were in covid. I have my forst iron infusion in 2019. my levels picked up for a couple of months and then started dropping off again despite being given iron supplements and folic acid. my folate and ferritin levels were very low and they even tried B12 loading injections. I had a repeat infusion in july 2022 and GP referred for a 2ww for endoscopy to see if there was any bleeding from the upper GI track. I saw a gastric Doc who decided a colonoscopy was required again 2ww to see if anything bleeding in the colon to cause tha anaemia. It can be something simple like a polyp that causes this, they also tend to take biopsies to check the health of the colon. My colonoscopy had to be stopped because the prep medicine didn't work efeectivly enough for them to get a good visualisation so they are working out what to do next.
hope all goes well and keep us posted, if you have any questions about the colonoscopy lots of people here will have had one and we have a wealth of hints and tips to help with the prep process
Thanks for your reply. I'm not very good with these sorts of tests I'm afraid. I was diagnosed with endometrial cancer in 2018 and had a really bad experience with a hysteroscopy. My husband had ulcerative colitis so I'm well versed about colonoscopy procedures. He now has a stoma so no more colonoscopies.
I've just had this low iron in one blood test recently. The GP told me that she is just following guidelines because I'm over 60. I think this is all a bit much at the moment because I've recently had a uti and kidney infection. And only yesterday at A&E I was told I have inflammation and infection in my gallbladder and I'm on my third different type of antibiotic in three weeks. I'm a type 1 diabetic diagnosed 60 years ago and everything is just s bit much at present. I'm sure I will be fine and if they find something nasty I will deal with it. Let me know how you get on please.
It might be a combination of health related factors that have led to the 2ww. I've had 2 colonoscopies because of family history and unexplained low iron. The last one found a polyp and so I would say was worth attending. The colonoscopy proceedure is far less humiliating and far far less painful than hysteroscopy/ endometrial biopsy. I would suggest that if you get the chance to have midazolam, take it. Good luck.
