Colonoscopy because sigmoidoscopy cancelled?

Thanks for your quick reply Babs. I am trying to think the best and am trying to put the pain down to the severe constipation and the bleeding being my piles being irritated by being constipated! But when your GP starts asking you questions about bowel cancer and then refers you urgently, it's hard not to worry :-( I will phone the hospital tomorrow although they said at the time that was the earliest slot they could give me. Thanks for your reply.

Hi Derek, I'm so sorry to hear about the loss of your daughter. Perhaps it is for the best that I'm being referred straight for the full colonoscopy now. But the extra fortnight I have to wait is making me really anxious..... 

You are better with the colonoscopy as any polyps can be removed and samples taken. Two weeks is not bad  in this day and age. I had a colonoscopy in November that became three weeks after seeing the consultant rather than two as he decided to go on holiday.

Our daughter had a polyp when she was around six. At that time they did not follow up on polyps as they now do now that they know that those predisposed to them should be monitored. We also have a family history of colon cancer in females on both sides of the family.   

 

I'm so sorry to hear about your daughter, Derek. I hope her doctor was struck off tonegligence. He certainly should have been. I was supposed to have a5year follow up after my polyp was removed had a bleed 6 years later, apparently they were a year behind.

Struck off? In this country? No way. We did not want to sue. We certainly wanted to personally question him and see him suspended at least but mostly we wanted changes to the system to make sure it did not happen to someone else. We had an NHS inquiry where we gave our version of events without him being present. We were never allowed to meet him and he had moved on to anther hospital by that time. Our points were put to him and he gave his version to the two professors running the inquiry. The professors and the Chairman  were very sympathetic towards us but had to side with him as our case was heresay as Shirley had died by then. Unfortunately she had gone to the two consulations with him on her own. At that point we had not realised the seriousness of her condition.

Before asking for the inquiry her husband and I had gone to see her GP exressing our concerns about her diagnosis at the hospital. They knew each other from university in Prague. Even then foreign doctors, with the the registrar there had been a slight  language problem at the first consultation. He had evidently also not questioned how the inital blood had been passed. It is evidently important to know if the blood is passed or sprayed out.

We went back to see the GP after he had been to see the registrar. He said that man was one day going to be a top consultant and that Shirley had been one of hs mistakes on the way up and he had not expressed any regrets. The GP told him that he was fortunate that he was visiting him rather than the unfortunate young ladies husband and father.

He is now an eminent breast cancer specialist.

The first hospital  did learn a lesson as a young woman who worked for me had some similar intial symptoms and was referred there. They scared the life out of her by doing every possible test on her before deciding that it was IBS.  

Shirley died the day after her first wedding anniversary. Practically her last words were, "If it hadn't been for that man"

Oh dear God, you poor people. Not only was Shirley's death unavoidable the person responsible couldn't even apologise. Unbelievable, though like you say ' not in this country'.I was in tears then reading your story and although we are on here discussing the pains of colonoscopys, iIjust hope anyone who has doubts or fears and decides not to go through with the procedure, will change their mind after reading about Shirley.it could save someone's life ..again I send my deepest sympathy to you and your family ..x

Derek

I am not going to make any comments here,  I just felt the need to offer my really sincere condolensces for your so sad story.  My heartfelt good wishes go to all your family.

Margaret

In that year there were two deaths of girls under 25 from colon cancer.

The other was a nurse at the Nottingham Hospital that one of the proffesors on the inquiry was from.

They said and how can I argue against them that her fast growing tumour must have spread to her liver prior to her first symptom appearing and to use their words "That she was already doomed"

According to the consultant at the frst hospital the Buck stops with him.

He said that he is overall responsible for all patients seen and the decisions of all his staff. Even when on that day he was on holiday!

I asked if he was also responsible for the notes for the second visit having been rewritten as they bore no resemblance to Shirley's immediate angry, upset phone call to her mother. He thought that was a shocking thing for me to say.

The notes said that he had again examined her etc. In that case he was totally incompetent in not feeling a tumour that was obvious to a junior doctor in A&E at St Thomas's a month later.

I don't know what the death rates are for young people. One of the professors commented on deaths in that age group, "Young girls die of cancer and boys on motorbikes" 

 

It seems anyone working in the medical proffesion are above being accountable for their actions (or lack of them) Yet it is the most important proffesion for mistakes not to happen. Things need to change.

At the first meeting after Shirleys death when seeing the consultant at the hospital reading from the notes those from the first consultation were the usual doctors squiggles the "rewriiten" ones were quite neat .

I forgot to say that he had written for her second consultation that the patient was much improved.

My Brother in Law died last October after being shuttled between hospitals since Easter. When he died his daughters both nurses who had been called 'The trouble makers' by the staff objected to the obviously untrue cause of death on the certificate and demanded a post mortem. That resulted in a coroners inquest and a new death certificate being issued.

. The coroner criticised aspects of his care and lack of communication between doctors and staff at the different hospitals without actually pinning the blame on any individual. He recorded an Open Verdict. 

What chance have we got with an NHS like this? My Mother has actually said she would rather die than go into hospital again. These incidents are not isolated, sadly. If there was a chance of suing I'm sure there would be far fewer tragic stories like yours but they all stick together making it practically impossible. It's disgraceful. 

My brother in laws misadventures started quite a number of years ago. He was diabetic. He bought a new pair of shoes before going on holiday and developed a blister on a big toe. It became infected and he went to his doctor when he came home.

He was given an antibiotic but his toe did not improve. His daughter looked at it and told him it was gangrenous. He was admitted to hospital and had part of his toe amputated. While in hospital he got MRSA.

The infection from his toe spread to his foot and was never sucessfully cleared up and they kept on taking bits off. He had a special boot fitted and had difficulty in walkig. Due to lack of exercise he put on weight and his diabetes worsened.