Colonoscopy next Tuesday after bowel screening test came back positive. I'm terrified

Hi. My bowel screening test came back positive, although I did not see any blood in my poo but it was a weird colour. I’ve only noticed a bit of red blood sometimes when I wipe but have no pain in my bum. I sometimes have stomach cramps and have noticed that I need to go to the toilet more often and seem to pop hard pebbles out and when I lie down I can feel a lump on the left side of my stomach. 

I had my SSP last week and they asked about the medical history of my immediate family, which I did not know. I have since found out that my grandmother died of bowel cancer quite young and she was the same age as I am now.

I have the colonoscopy next Tuesday, I’m terrified but have made the decision not to tell my family. It’s so hard to keep this quiet and I guess I just wanted to get it off my chest. What if I have cancer, how on earth do I coke with it? Any words of wisdom would be really appreciated. 

  • Hello Katewill,

                             it appears that you are presently running your race before the starting gun has gone off, its difficult not to get too far ahead of yourself. Presently your head is dealing with lots of different imagined scenario's,when in reality once the results are in,you only have to deal with that.

    We are capable of dealing with anything once we know what that is, its the trying to analyse the unknown that's the sticky one.Try to focus on waiting for the definites to identify themselves rather than stressing on perceived maybe's.

    Hopefully your results will turn out to be far better than you now fear,

    David

  • I know you are right David but it is difficult not to worry - I just keep trying to tell myself that it’s probably nothing. I’m keeping my fingers crossed . My immediate worry is colonoscopy - sounds awful and probably really humiliating