Hi Laisc,

It's understandable that your symptoms must be very concerning, but you're doing the right thing getting it checked out.
I just wanted to offer some reassurance that cancer is a possibility, but it's probably the least likely one. There are other conditions that cause blood in your stool other than cancer, such as inflammatory bowel disease (crohns disease and ulcerative colitis)

Best Wishes,

Rich

Hi Rich,

thank you for your kind words

I'm trying to stay positive and hope it's nothing sinister. There is a family member with IBD on my mums side of the family but my Nan also had bowel cancer but in her 80's!

my family member had uncontrollable bowel openings and pain but I just don't have anything. I can't stop thinking about it over and over. 
 

has anyone else been referred to a consultant surgeon first? I think I've been sent to a private company so is that just how it works in the private sector?

Hi Rich,

thank you for your kind words

I'm trying to stay positive and hope it's nothing sinister. There is a family member with IBD on my mums side of the family but my Nan also had bowel cancer but in her 80's!

my family member had uncontrollable bowel openings and pain but I just don't have anything. I can't stop thinking about it over and over. 
 

has anyone else been referred to a consultant surgeon first? I think I've been sent to a private company so is that just how it works in the private sector?

There will be differences from Trust to Trust in how each service is ran, and Consultant Surgeons in most hospitals will also perform colonoscopies, so this doesn't necessarily mean you will need surgery at some point.

Many hospitals will send patients to private clinics, it's a way to help them stick to their targets if they have trouble fitting in all their work.

As we get older our risk of cancer increases anyway, so your Nan being in her 80s when she was diagnosed is less likely to be related to a genetic predisposition to bowel cancer.

Hope this helps,

Rich