Colonoscopy because sigmoidoscopy cancelled?
Posted , 4 users are following.
I went for an urgent sigmoidoscopy today at my local hospital. The nurse who clerked me in told me the machine was broken so I wouldn't be having it. I then sat in outpatients for three hours for a doctor to do an abdominal exam (which my GP had already performed) and then a rectal exam when she told me I had mild piles (I already know this). The nurse who discharged me said I had been referred by the hospital doctor for a full colonoscopy which would take place in two weeks time.
My symptoms are severe lower left abdominal pain, rectal bleeding and a complete change of bowel habits (severe constipation when I have never been constipated before in my life).
I'm really worried that I have bowel cancer as the hospital doctor told me that diverticulitis is rare in people my age (I'm 32) and the GP said it could be inflammatory bowel disease but from what I've read this is always diahorrea symptoms, never constipation. These are really the only two other diagnoses for my symptoms.
The NHS has a duty if cancer is suspected for the patient to be assessed in secondary care within 14 days. However, because the machine was broken it will now be a month before I have the colonoscopy. I'm worried this time delay could affect my chances if bowel cancer is found - can anyone comment on this?
Another thing that bothers me is that no-one could explain why I was not just being referred again for a sigmoidoscopy and instead for the full colonoscopy. They just kept saying "it's because of your symptoms" - but my symptoms haven't changed between now and the GPs appointment a fortnight ago!
I'm in a significant amount of pain and really scared
0 likes, 15 replies
babs49935 kissprudence
Posted
The thing with a Stigmoidoscopy s that it only checks the lower colon which to me is a wate of time. I had one and because a polyp was found they then had to do the full colonoscopy. I have never heard of constipation being a symptom of bowel cancer though I think the pain in your side could have something to do with the constipation or IBS. The bleeding could be th epiles or even a polyp. You are doing what we all do, THINK THE WORST. It's natural. I would however phone the hospital amd tell them you are worried and would like to be seen sooner as it wasn't your fault the machine wasn't working..Keep us updated and try not to worry (easier said than done)
Babs
kissprudence babs49935
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derek76 kissprudence
Posted
sigmoidoscopy was not done as it does not see that far into the colon.
Our daughter who was only 21 in 1983 went to an A&E when she passed blood for the first time. She was given an appointment for three days in the future when the registrar did an examination and a sigmoidoscopy .
He told her she was constipated and had piles and to come back in six weeks if no better. He advised her to eat a high fibre diet and take laxatives. She was in much more pain by then and passing more blood. He rudely sent her packing and threw a packet of Fibrogel at her and repeated his original diagnosis.
She got progressably worse over the next month and her husband took her to St Thomas's hospital. They examined her in A&E and had her admitted two days later. Her golf ball sized tumour that had been beyond the sight of the sigmoidoscope was removed but the cancer had already spread to her liver and lympth glands.
With younger people tumours tend to grow more quickly and the histology report showed that it had doubled in size in the three months.
No liver transplants then in the 1980's and the chemotherapy was purely palliative and she died eight months after her first symptom.
kissprudence derek76
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derek76 kissprudence
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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.
babs49935 derek76
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derek76 babs49935
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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"
babs49935 derek76
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margaret91698 derek76
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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
derek76 babs49935
Posted
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.
derek76 margaret91698
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babs49935 derek76
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derek76 babs49935
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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.
babs49935 derek76
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derek76 babs49935
Posted
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.