Hi,

Firstly, thank you for all you do and thank you to the individual's who share their honest stories here - in some circumstances it must be so hard!

I am a 27 yr old female & have had gastric conditions for 10+ years. I have Gastroparesis as well as delayed gastric emptying & a rare gastric condition called Rumination Syndrome. Whilst these conditions are far more manageable after having them for so many years; I have been physically sick every day for over 8 years now. Sadly, as my conditions are so rare, doctors just don't know how to help me.. & I'm pretty much left to my own devices.

For many years, my weight was between 7 & 8 stone (I'm 5ft8), however, through researching & trying everything (& I mean everything!) I have managed to sustain my weight at around 10 stone for the past year or so; even though I am still sick every day due to my food being unable to digest sufficiently.

Since around the end of October, however, I have had a lot of mucus coming from my bottom - even when I don't pass a stool (it's pretty much every time I wipe & sometimes but rarely, in my underwear - sorry for the TMI!!)

I am usually constipated (sometimes 7-10 days could pass without me passing a stool due to my gastric conditions) & initially I didn't think much of the mucus to be honest until I randomly decided to research it. When I read that noticeable amounts of mucus aren't normal - I realised I should probably see my GP.

She sent me to A&E where the nurse (I didn't see a doctor) instantly made the decision to refer me to gynae. I sat in the waiting room for 5 hours with no one even speaking to me - just for the gynae doctor to say they didn't deal with the symptoms I was having (well, yes, I knew that). So to 'save me waiting' they reached out to the surgical team who said there was no concern & I could leave & contact my GP again.

& so, I did. Around the beginning of December my GP asked me to do a stool sample - which showed I had an inflammatory marker of 310. She referred me to the surgical team as urgent. I was then sent an appointment for 2nd Feb 2021. I managed to get it moved forward to 28th Jan. That clinic was then cancelled.

Around two weeks ago, on a Monday, I was experiencing severe acid in my chest & a lump as my throat joined my chest which felt so big & hard it was as though a rock was lodged there. That evening, I was sick as always, however, this time there was masses amounts of blood - I could just see so much red which is something I had never encountered before.

The acid & lump remained for around a week. The day after the blood, I contacted the surgical team again. I had an appointment booked for 25th Feb - 4 months after my first symptoms. I told them about the blood & expressed my fear & the lady kindly offered me a cancellation for 25th Jan.

I had a telephone consultation where the doctor told me she needed to speak to my old gastroenterologist (locally - I had been moved to London so my local gastroenterologist had discharged me but is always happy to see me again) & that basically, she would know nothing until I had a colonoscopy & gastroscopy which she would put through as urgent but in honesty, she 'couldn't say how long that would take'.

I have been feeling so weak. The acid & lump seem to have died down & there has been no more blood. My Mum checked my throat the other day & said there was white on my tonsil so it could have been tonsillitis.. but I now feel a moveable small lump on the left side of my neck - that said, I also feel a harder one which doesn't really move much on the right side of the back of my head just above where my head meets my neck - so possibly just lymph nodes due to fighting some kind of infection.

I have days where I am unbearably weak, days where I fall asleep without even realising & days where I feel fine.

However, this has been going on a long time & I am in such fear that the longer they leave it, the worse it will be should it be anything bad.

I have been unwell a very long time & I know my body. I know my symptoms & what symptoms mean what.. but this time, I know there is something very wrong. I can just feel it as weird as that sounds.

When this first started & I asked my GP if it could be cancer she just said 'erm' & checked if her system would allow her to do the test but due to my age etc I guess, it wouldn't. She has been very concerned & has constantly tried referring me as urgent & encouraged me to keep calling for cancellations.

It could well be an inflammatory bowel disease as I think my GP is hoping. I've had colonoscopys and gastroscopys before which have never shown anything.. but this time, I know they will. 

Who knows when I'll get the appointment.

I'm so sorry for the VERY long message. I'm just so anxious that I go to bed at night fearing I won't wake up in the morning as dramatic as that might sound!

Any advice, good or bad?

Thank you so much