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Bowel cancer

Hi I’m Paul I’m not looking for sympathy but I thought I would share my story with you.


How much has the last 18 months have changed I had a RNY Bypass on the 31/10/2017 and I weighed 22 stones and 11 pounds and got down to a healthy weight of 12 pounds and 4 pounds.


I was doing so well well for the 8 months I have been losing blood in my stools. This being blood clots mainly and also now and then I would notice blood in the toilet and loo paper. I told this to the dieticians and bariatric nurses who had put this into a letter to my own doctor and to refer me to a specialist. I found out that the letter was received at the doctor's surgery when I’m registered and just scanned onto my files but no one actually read this letter.


Six to eight weeks ago I ended up in A&E with severe pains in my stomach area and bowel to be given buscopan and sent home being told it was kidney stones. Don’t get me wrong but I have had this pain since March this year and hiding the pain with loads of painkillers so no one knew how bad it was. The doctor kept saying they think it was piles but there was no evidence of piles which I knew by the clots in my stools having piles 10 years ago I knew pile do not bleed like that.


2 weeks ago Thursday I started losing blood constantly and last Tuesday I lost that much blood I was rushed to hospital from work and was admitted to hospital. All my blood test and counts were fine so they did not know why I was losing the blood and in so much pain.


Last Friday I had a camera inserted into my back passage where they found cancer a tumor which is 3cm by 5cm approximately.


So I was told this news a day before my birthday which was a big surprise to me.


Created By on 29/11/2018

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Paul1967 Original Poster
16th Dec 2018 02:18:21 (Last activity: 16th Dec 2018 08:45:59)
1
Thanks for voting!
First off all thank you for your kind words of support. I have my wife and her family supporting me through this time of life . I have more than a 100% from them . My consultant has confirmed it’s a T2 tumour may be T3 tumour when it’s removed and tested. The good news is they are operating on January 2nd and saying it’s a 5 to 6 hour operation.
Response from CaroleAH made on 16th Dec 2018 08:45:59
So pleases to hear that your family are supporting you 100%+ in this anxious time. People sometimes seem to drift away, not because they don't care but because they don't know what to say. Very best wishes for your operation in January - do let us, your virtual friends, know how you get on.
shrew1742
3rd Dec 2018 15:38:35 (Last activity: 6th Dec 2018 14:54:36)
2
Thanks for voting!
Hi Paul,

15 years ago when I was 61 I visited the doctor because I had blood in my stools. Not to worry she says its haemorrhoids. So a month or so later off I go on my Winter holiday thinking all is ok. Still no change in my condition after the holiday so I visited the surgery again. This time a different doctor. She sent me for tests and I was diagnosed with bowel cancer, I had my op to remove the tumor in a very short space of time after the diagnosis. Fortunately for me it was caught in the relatively early stages and I did not need a cholostomy bag, and neither did I need to have radio or chemo therapy. I have lived life to the full ever since and just celebrated my 76th
birthday. I count myself extremely fortunate and mightily grateful to my ex wife who looked after me during my recovery. Hope all goes well for you. Remaining positive is a great help too.
Response from shrew1742 made on 6th Dec 2018 14:54:36
Thank you Trish
CaroleAH
2nd Dec 2018 13:51:56
2
Thanks for voting!
Hi Paul,
So sorry to read about your recent diagnosis. You must have felt on top of the world having lost so much weight and probably now feel as though you have been shot down in flames. As Trish says, your priority is to have the treatment offered and to concentrate on getting well.
In your place I would also be writing a letter of complaint about your GP to your local Primary Care Trust. They will investigate your complaint and hopefully ensure that your GP has a protocol in place for reading and acting upon the mail which they receive. Letters and test results are not automatically scanned into a patient's records - someone in the surgery has to read them first before they are handed over to (usually) a receptionist who does the scanning. Having worked for over 26 years in a surgery, I know that mistakes happen but that is no excuse for medical negligence. Good luck with your treatment.

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