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[Sarai]

I got the fright of my life the other day when I got a letter saying I would be called for a bowel screening as I was 55. It's an enema only test with a camera etc.
I thought I was having a heart attack it scared the life out of me just the thought. I'm guessing it's new sctreening as hubby who's 58 never got called.
You can refuse and go anytime up to age 60.
I'm refusing for now, I'm on blood thinners so that would gave to stop in case of them damaging anything and with my back fractures I'm not up for any interventions right now.

[Taz2]

Sarai - although it seems frightening I think you are really lucky to be one of the first to be given this screening. I have lost three friends now to bowel cancer, all of which would have had a much better chance of survival if they had been offered this test. http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/bowel-cancer-screening/Pages/bowel-scope-screening.aspx

Taz x

[Cassie]

Yes I read about this and recently had one myself, theres nothing to be afraid of at all. If you watch Lynn Faulds video on sigmoidoscopy, you will see how quick and easy it is and how it can save lives. You are fortunate to have been offered the opportunty.

[babyjane]

I have had a colonoscopy in the past and hubby has had a sigmoidoscopy.  I recently did the post 60 bowel screening poo test but this must be a new initiative as I have not heard of it.  Do you think it was the unespectedness of it that has shaken you up?

[Taz2]

I have had a colonoscopy in the past and hubby has had a sigmoidoscopy.  I recently did the post 60 bowel screening poo test but this must be a new initiative as I have not heard of it.  Do you think it was the unespectedness of it that has shaken you up?

It is new babyjane but you have to be 55 to be called for it. You then have up to age 60 I think to actually go ahead with it.

Taz x

[CLKD]

Phew, can miss that one then  .  Can't understand anyone not finding it difficult.  Prefer the poo on the card-board idea myself  , the other is too invasive.

[babyjane]

I can honestly say I would prefer to have the camera up my bum than dig around in my poo and smear it on a card six times, yes honestly 

[ancient runner]

Ooh, I had this last year. It's being rolled out nationally. The self enema bit is interesting (I kept on mentally hearing Kenneth Williams say "Matron!") but it's all fine and they give you the result there and then. I would go for it if I were you - why on earth not? And the poo test at 60 is intended as the follow on to this as far as I know.

[Cassie]

It is also way more reliable than the poo test and I did not find it invasive at all, watched along on the screen and it was over and done with before I knew it. Well let me rephrase that, no more invasive than a pap smear and actually less uncomfortable for me. I agree with Hasty, the prep one has to drink and bowel evacuation for the colonscopy is not exactly fun, with this there is no prep needed to drink. Of course, if polyps are discovered, then I would imagine, that they would refer you for a colonscopy to have them removed but you really do not need to stess.

[Sarai]

Ladies I didn't say I don't want it per se, I said when it landed out of the blue I just had a panic attack.
I'm so stressed right now contending with spine fractures one of which is just 2 months ago. My other conditions. Starting hrt and becoming hormonal again for those said bones.
I will do it but not yet as I can barely lay on my bed let alone a theatre trolley.
I'm not scared of the enema as I had one for childbirth plus I've used suppositories loads for constipation but right now may be too tricky to administer give my painful spine.
It does say polyps would be removed right there so I would need to be off blood thinners too just in case.

[wombat62]

This sounds a more reliable test than the sample collection. The problem with that is that the tumour/polyps has to be bleeding at the time of the sample. I'm guessing that means things would be fairly well advanced as well by then. At least with a colonoscopy they can check everything and look for potential problems before they even start. Plus also with some bowel cancers there is no blood in the sample, I know of two people who had it and they didn't have any of that, extreme tiredness was their symptom.

I had to have one last year after some bleeding which was probably inflammation after a gallstone attack. However, I'm so glad I did because they didn't find any polyps which also means touch wood/fingers crossed that it's a much lower risk of any developing if I don't have any at this age.

Having been through the process if everyone had a colonoscopy between 50 and 60 it may prevent a lot of potential illness. They normally take the polyps out there and then and send them off for testing, luckily I had sedation but the whole process was only a couple of hours for peace of mind. Yes, it's an expense to the NHS at the beginning but must be way cheaper than spending money on treatments by the time someone has gone through the whole GP process etc and by the time someone takes you seriously the disease is well advanced.

From what I've been reading lately there has been advanced research on blood testing for potential cancers, it would save the NHS so much money if there was something they could pick up through blood tests and assess your risk for certain cancers.

Sarai, hopefully in a while your spine will have improved but it sounds like you have a while to take it up!

[CLKD]

Surely Cassie it takes way longer to perform such an invasive procedure than a cervical smear [pap] test?  Having watched such procedures being performed, it ain't for me!

[Taz2]

The test is a flexible sigmoidoscopy CLKD which isn't quite as invasive as a full colonoscopy. It is unpleasant having to do the enema - well I didn't like it as I have IBS(D) and didn't like the idea of setting it off for a few weeks - but the actual procedure takes around five minutes and I went back to work after.

I had a very good friend who put off going for a sigmoidoscopy when she was experiencing a few niggling problems with her bowels. She was too scared to have it done. She had developed bowel cancer and by the time it had got to the stage where she was too ill to carry on she had secondary tumours in her liver. She obviously had to have a sigmoidoscopy and colonoscopy before they did some scans and she was amazed, and very annoyed with herself, at how easy it was.

I always think that, yes, the procedures might not be pleasant but they are not as unpleasant as treatment for advanced bowel cancer - unless you opt for no treatment which another one of my friends did preferring to go "unmolested into that good night" as he so eloquently put it. 

Taz x

[Taz2]

That's very true Stellajane! My friend was in his late fifties. He lived alone and told no-one until he had to make a phone call to a friend in the middle of the night because he was hemorrhaging. He passed away two days later. He did, though, leave a fund for a Wake in the pub. We all felt upset, angry and sad at various levels that we didn't get the chance to say goodbye and to help him but this is obviously what he wanted.

Taz x

[Kathleen]

Hello ladies.

As I'm sure you know the Sigmoid colon is the lower part of the bowel so a Sigmoidoscopy will only look at that area. Useful though this is clearly a Colonoscopy is a more thorough investigation requiring a different preparation.

Wishing you all well.

K.