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Women's experience at colorectal outpatient appointments

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lady67208
lady67208

I was recently referred by my GP to a colo rectal outpatient appointment due to me noticing blood in my stools. The appointment letter arrived with very little detail about what to expect or who would be in the consultation. Upon reading/google search, I notice that it may involve undressing from the waist down, an enema followed by a rectal exam and possibly sigmoidoscopy. I had no idea who would be performing these invasive procedures and whether I could request only female staff. When I visited the hospital (London) for a blood test before the appointment - I went up to the reception of the colo rectal outpatients and it was too public to ask my concerns, the woman just said - you wont need to do any bowel prep, just turn up - she had no sensitivity about how anxious a patient might feel.

I later phoned and was told I could request a female, but it depends on availability on the day.

I cancelled the appointment because I didn't feel that the set up was respectful or thoughtful enough and I would have asked my GP more questions when the referral was being made - but he said it was a referral for a colonoscopy, and I was already familiar with that procedure.

Thankfully the situation was resolve by me having just a colonoscopy, but has anyone been through the colo rectal screening process, how was it and were your modesty concerns respected? In case I'm referred to this process in the future, because, at the momen,t it sounds quite daunting.

0 likes, 6 replies

6 Replies

  • bea1234
    bea1234 lady67208

    Posted

    Sorry, I have nothing useful to add other than I'm sorry you had to go through all of that. I would have the exact same concerns. I went straight from GP to colonoscopy (due to low iron), which I found very tolerable. Even though colonoscopy is incredibly invasive, what you've described as the screening process seems far less appealing!
  • tim50stroud
    tim50stroud lady67208

    Posted

    Sorry to hear that, but my experience was very different. Following the blood in stool test I was was reffered to the local hospital; the letter regarding the second test was reassuring. Very friendly and reassuring nurse went through the procedure in detail, lots of leaflets and diagrams and models to show, and happy to answer all my questions. I'd done the homework on the internet anyway. On the day the nurses went to great lengths to help me keep some sort of dignity, but to be honest it wasnt a problem for me. Chatty through the process, and the doctor explained exactly what and why he was doing everything. I got a call the following day from the nurse in charge of the procedure the following day checking I was ok, and a call from her about 5 days later saying the biopseys were fine. All round top marks from me

     

  • dimmy
    dimmy lady67208

    Posted

    When you say by me " JUST having a colonoscopy..." this is actually the "gold standard" colo rectal sreening process (of the large bowel) so i don`t quite understand your concerns if you have already had the colonoscopy?. A colonoscopy is more invasive, and thorough, than a sigmoidoscopy. A colonoscopy examines the whole large bowel and goes into your body for about 5 feet!!...and bowel prep?cleansing is required. A sigmoisoscopy only examines the anus, rectum and sigmoid colon and goes into your body for only  approx 2 feet, and an enema is given on the day.As for requesting a woman...doctors see hundreds of patients a year and i have had several colonoscopies carried out by a woman (i am male), However if you prefer a woman on religious grounds that is understandable,
    • lady67208
      lady67208 dimmy

      Posted

      Everyone says Dr's see this every day, but the point is that patients don't and it is therefore understandably daunting as a woman when you have no idea what to expect. I had to do my google search to prepare and make a decision about the colorectal outpatient appointment.

      I had dark blood in stool and anaemia and when I went to the Dr he said he was referring me for a (2 week fast track) colonoscopy so I was in agreement, having read that this is the gold standard for suspected colon cancer and mine were obvious symptoms. 

      Upon researching colorectal outpatient appointments - which was on my invitation letter, I realised he had referred me to the outpatient assessment screening instead

      I then had to return to my Dr and fight for a colonoscopy, he wasn't budging so I went to A & E and was referred directly by a Consultant.

      I don't have a problem with male Dr generally and indeed opted for a male olonoscopist over a woman - because I read his expertise. I do have a problem with being referred to a clinic and given no information on invasive procedures that could take place - with no guarantee of being able to have female staff. Clinics that ignore patients qualms wont understand why money and time gets wasted on cancelled appointments.

      I didn't like that my Dr didn't explain what to expect or clarify what he was referring me for - he was a stand in Dr for my female Dr and was quite insistent that his way was the only way. There is also a lot of research showing that people's cancer diagnosis can be delayed in this way, so with clear symptoms like dark blood in stools and anaemia, patients should be referred straigh to colonoscopy testing. Sometimes outpatient colorectal clinic screening stages can divert or delay diagnosis.

      Tbh - no matter what they found in the outpatient clinic - at 50 with these symptoms, nothing but a colonoscopy would have reassured me anyway.

  • jane74574
    jane74574 lady67208

    Posted

    And was it all ok? If it is, do you now have to go for the top end? 
    • lady67208
      lady67208 jane74574

      Posted

      How did you guess!

      Yes, but I'm not so sure I'll do that test - the stool is not black or tarry but the blood is clearly mixed in amongst it and I would say dark red. I have no other symptoms other than anaemia, but I have always been anaemic.

      So I am not really as worried now they've checked, and ruled out, colon cancer. I do of course have to wait for the 6 biopsy results, but the colonoscopists said they were just random and nothing looked suspicious. I was also paying attention to the images and he looked pretty thorough to me.

      Unless anyone has any other advice, I am inclined to decline more testing - but I have to admit, i'm not comfortable with medical intervention generally.

      btw - I am interested to hear what 'outpatients' is actually like for women - but no one has responded to that specifically - except the glowing report from a man who seemed to quite enjoy the experience smile

       

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