[SARAH42]

I'm sure I have cancer. I'm 67 and after explosive diarrhoea - loads of inch-long bits of stool - yesterday and the day before - I saw red blood on a lot of them. Two days before this I thought I was going to pass wind but just mucous poured out. I do have haemorrhoids internal and external but have never seen red blood on the stools before. I had one of those emergency two-week wait appointments last November (due to nausea and pencil thin stools) and saw the bowel consultant at the hospital. I had a colonoscopy in February but heard nothing. Neither did my GP!!! Now I've got to have a barium enema as apparently they saw nothing during the colonoscopy due to the colon being full of faeces. They said - today - that I hadnt taken the laxative and that's why, but I had! I mean SEVEN MONTHS since I saw the consultant! And my GP is mystified as he too wasn't faxed the results.I've always thought I had IBS as I've had periods of explosive poos for ages, sometimes thin ones, sometimes bitty ones, in between normal-looking ones and always suffered with loads and loads of gas and sometimes mucous. But have never seen blood on the poos before - just on loo paper infrequently. Is it possible to pass blood during bouts like these? The barium enema I'm dreading due to the pain/discomfort but it has to be done. I haven't lost weight and my appetite is good and healthy. But if it was cancer back in February it must be well advanced by now....Sorry for going on a bit but I'm so scared.

 

[BQ]

Bright red blood could quite possibly be from your irritated hemmies. I would try not to worry so as that could make your symptoms worse. But I would report your observations to your GP. I'm sure your Dr can help allay some of your concerns.Also.....Perhaps your GP could call the GI specialist that performed your colonoscopy? It is important that the specialist knows you did indeed perform the prep (go over which prep you used with your GP) and if in fact you still had stool in there.. they may have to change how you prep for one in the future. I am surprised though that nothing about the results was faxed to your GP. I think the two Dr's ought to touch base to make sure there is no confusion. But do try your best to keep calm... you have a much better chance of feeling better if you do.

 

[SARAH42]

Thank you. Yes my gp was a bit puzzled too. I now believe the consultants secretary has faxed the results through so I will go along to see him again as he asked me to. The prep for the colonoscopy was just an enema i had to insert. But it obviously didn't work very well! In two weeks I have to have a barium enema and the prep this time is a powder to mix and swallow so this should be better - I hope!

 

[Bonzi]

You shouldve done the powder mix the first time. Im shocked a GI specialist would just have you do an enema, as this is not going to clear the bowels all the way out. Strange.

 

[BQ]

Bonzi I am shocked as well. If I were you Sarah, I would look up bowel preps and make sure yours is similiar before the BE exam.