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Worried sick - Bowel cancer

SarahMcC38
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Hi, I had a colonoscopy on Tue which was extremely painful despite having the max sedation allowed.  The Dr was unable to complete the procedure due to pain.  He found a 40mm polyp in the opening of my bowel which he has sent off to be diagnosed.  I am worried sick as I had been diagnosed with IBS for as long as I can remember.  The dr at first was dismissive as i'm young (39) and was sure i'd have nothing to worry about as i'm not overweight.I have a radiology appt and ultrasound in 2 weeks time.  Anyone else had a polyp around the same size where it has turned out to be cancerous?  My best friend is a nurse and she said i'd be very lucky if it wasn't at that size :shocked:

  • Hello SarahMcC38

    I'm sorry to hear that you've recently had some health problems which meant you needed a colonoscopy. We know that some people find the procedure very difficult even with sedation. 

    At this point it's impossible for anyone to say with any certainty if the polyp that was removed is cancerous or not. But whatever the results are worrying won't change them. It will however leave you feeling unwell and make the wait for results seem even longer. 

    We know that this period of uncertainty can be very difficult for a lot of people. The unknown can be a scary prospect to face but it can sometimes help to talk things through with someone and I wonder if you might find it helpful to chat with one of our team of nurses. I'm sure they'll be happy to offer any advice, information, and support they can ahead of your next appointment. If you'd like to chat with them they're available Monday to Friday 9 am to 5 pm on 0808 800 4040. 

    Keep in touch Sarah and let us know how you get on.  

    Best wishes, 
    Jenn
    Cancer Chat moderator 

  • Offline in reply to Moderator Jenn

    Thank you Jenn, I got the call yesterday confirming the worst.  Just got to wait for the scans to see if it's spread. 

  • Offline in reply to SarahMcC38

    Hello SarahMcC38, 

    I am so sorry to hear this. I am keeping everything crossed for you that it has not spread and wanted you to know that we are all here for you if you need to talk to others who have also faced a bowel cancer diagnosis at such a young age. You may be asking yourself a lot of questions at the moment so feel free to get in touch with our cancer nurses at any time by calling the number Jenn has given you just above.

    Other members of our forum have also had a bowel cancer diagnosis and if you wanted to meet others who are or have been in a similar place before, feel free to start a new thread in the Newly Diagnosed topic area. 

    We're thinking of you, Sarah, and wanted you to know that you are not alone. I hope that you will soon find out more about your treatment plan.

    Best wishes, 

    Lucie, Cancer Chat Moderator

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