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Athelstone replied to the topic A bit "poorly" in the forum Blogs 3 days, 16 hours ago
I hope that this is a footnote, although I forsee a few more tests from my GP.
Today I had the endoscopy which I believe some of the doctors in my hospital thought would show cancer. the symptoms were all lined up. There was even consistent evidence from CAT scans and other X-rays. To be fair to them, they never said that, though they always pointed it out to me as a distinct possibility. When they invited questions, and I asked about the liklihood and it was always confirmed as something I should prepare for. Alternative causes of the symptoms were never discussed, or received a sceptical hearing.
There’s something of an omertà amongst hospital doctors. They like to appear, take pulses, listen to lungs, press bits of you to see if it hurts, and then with your mind in a whirl over all the activity, ask if you have any questions. ‘Feel free to ask me anything that occurs to you’ they say as they disappear leaving no direct route to contact them even if you could remember their name.
So it was with some trepidation that I went to the colonoscopy suite this morning. The gastroenterologist who saw me was a cheerful man, who was straightforward with me. ‘Is that gas and air doing anything for you? No? Don’t bother with it then.’ Afterwards he rushed up and straight away said, ‘That all looked fine. No trace of cancer, just a few benign polyps, and not very big either. You’re off the cancer path.’
Relief is an understatement. The very first doctor who ran through my symptoms with me said that he had to be fair. The possibility of my dying was in the mix, so I was reconciled to that outcome. But it was amazing to have it taken away.
That leaves my blood clots and anaemia to explain. And, hopefully fix. I have nothing more from the hospital, so it’s back to my GP later this week. The hospital doctors may be relaxed about leaving the clots where they are ( I think they felt it wouldn’t matter) but I’m not. I also don’t enjoy running out of breath after moving around for a few minutes, so that’s on my hit list.
I have things to do.
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Ath, this is such a huge relief to hear, though I imagine the mindset prepping beforehand must have left you mentally drained. I have polyps and so have to be monitored with colonoscopies every three years – I’m guessing you might be invited to do the same. I hope your quest to find out the cause of the clots and anaemia is soon fruitful and simply corrected. Meanwhile, go easy. Here’s to a full recovery soon.