Hi all,

I’m almost 26 years old, and have just received a positive FIT test score of over 400ug (I’m told they stop counting once it reaches 400).

I have suffered with gastrointestinal problems for years, and was supposed to receive a gastroenterology referral around the time they started, but I believe this was forgotten about, and at the time I had made dietary changes (ie. I cut out red meat altogether) in order to mitigate against the symptoms I was having, which proved successful right up until about three months ago when the symptoms all returned (plus some new, extremely unpleasant ones) despite me not having touched red meat in years. (From what I’ve read also, it can be quite hard to get a colonoscopy referral before the age of 25?)

The symptoms I have been having most recently are: blood in my stools (on a few occasions the blood has manifested in the form of small clots), which tend to be either ribbon-like or flat and sludgy with mucous and a foul smell, abdominal pain which doesn’t go away after a BM, a feeling like I can’t completely empty my bowels, and all-over joint pain and fatigue after BMs. I suffer very badly from bloating as well, and so my trousers and shirts might fit me well one day but not the next.

I had a blood test and a faecal calprotectin test which both came back normal, but the FIT test result came back abnormal.

Exactly how concerned should I be? I have been fast-tracked for a CT scan and a colonoscopy, but the stress and anxiety of waiting is horrendous. I have a good support network comprising my parents but it’s still nerve-racking waiting for further information (PS I tried the Reddit group but was met with a lot of hostility for posting despite not knowing if I have cancer or not yet…! Wouldn’t recommend them).