Hi

I had a colonoscopy last week, a growth found that needs removing, also had several biopsy taken and had CT and MRI scans booked within 24 hrs, I was told this is to check that the growth has not extended outside of the bowel so any treatment covers actual area of concern.

An appointment with a consultant will come once the biopsy and scan results are available. 

Hope this helps answers your concerns about the speed of the appointments.

Thank you. I hope it’s good news for you and the growth can be easily removed with no further risks.

Thats the hope!, First scan this Wednesday, second next Tuesday.

Hope your results are similarly easily resolvable too.

Hi Sam,

Experienced Endoscopy Nurse here, so I've seen lots of polyps like yours. We're interested in polyps because we know certain types of polyps can turn in to cancers if they're left for long enough.

when polyps grow quite large like yours has at 30mm, the team looking after you want to know exactly what type of polyp it is and how best to remove it. These other tests will help in making that decision. 
Many polyps can be removed endoscopically nowadays but unfortunately, some have to be removed surgically depending on how much of the surface of the bowel is affected.

All the best with your results and your ongoing care.

Thank you for the insight.

I’m presuming that removal is a certainty (probably heightened by my family history) and it’s just a question of how and when. The most frustrating part now is the dreaded limbo of having to wait 2 weeks.

I would say it is a certainty that it has to come out one way or another. Waiting for results is always the hard part because of all the uncertainty - what is it? How will it be removed? When will it be removed? But there's always support available here if you need it.

Thank you for the information, the openness and honesty, it is genuinely appreciated.

The gastroenterologist has advised it is low down on the right hand side and seemed to suggest it may therefore not be quite as straightforward to remove.

I would never want to misinform or mislead people. I have a massive thing about improving the patient experience in endoscopy and find it really important to be honest and manage expectations. 
Depending on the exact location and your particular bowel, sometimes polyps can be difficult to remove endoscopically. Large polyps are generally removed in small pieces during and normally to check that the whole polyp has been removed, you would be asked to have the procedure done again maybe 2-3 months after. Unfortunately when polyps are removed in pieces, the labs are unable to confirm that the whole thing has been removed (as you can't tell which bits of the polyp come from where).

your team will let you know exactly what they plan to do when they have all your results.

More than happy to provide any other advice you need

I've just had the hospital contact me to bring forward my scans by a few days which naturally causes a few concerns but then equally my first consultation with the colorectal specialist surgeon has been booked for a month's time. Should this tell me anything - ie the initial photos taken during the colonoscopy aren't causing concern and the bringing forward of the scans is just diary scheduling?

I have to admit the prospect of being left waiting for over a month for results and initialconsultation is frustrating - one of the worst aspects is not knowing!

It could very well be that there had been a cancellation, so they have brought your scans forward so as not to waste the appointment slots. 
A team of people may review all your results at a meeting and then when you see the surgeon, they should be able to give you a plan of action.

waiting for results is always the worst part of these experiences. It's easy to say, but keeping busy might help distract from the wait.