Waiting Patients are now waiting beside Patients Beds in NHS Hospitals

@senghenydd Scary.

My doctor said at my age I should start getting tested for colon cancer. So they send me a box with a test kit via UPS (private courier). I shipped back my sample, and failed the test.

I was scared, but I researched it and there was only a 4% chance of cancer, but, if I recall, about a 40% chance of pre-cancerous polyps. They recommended a colonoscopy.

I was referred to a gastroenterologist. A month later I had my colonoscopy. There were no polyps, but inflammation. So I've been on drugs. Six months later I had blood tests which showed a weak indication of maybe Crohn's disease. Or maybe just inflammatory bowel disease. It was so confusing. I then had a sigmoidoscopy, which uses a shorter probe. The inflammation was gone!

It is 6 months later, and I just met with him again. He stopped the drug. But wanted a new sample. I provided one yesterday. My it was fragrant! 🤢

So we shall see. He plans to wait 6 months, take another sample, and then decide if I am OK, and if I need another anal probe.

Gosh, how do these doctors handle the smell? Do they wear respirators? I was out during both procedures so do not know.

@JoyfulSilence I find your story very interesting because I've had Bowel problems myself like yourself, nowadays I receive a bowel testing kit and send off a sample to be tested my last test only a few months ago was ok what a relief.

That Doctor I was complaining about never tested my blood he let three years past by, if I had Cancer I wouldn't be here today, he told me I was a nuisance this was the third time I'd visited the surgery in three years I suppose I took a gamble by not going ahead and having my bowel removed it paid off in my case.

I had eleven Polyps which surgery .sorted I've never forgot that Hospital which fixed my problem they took that pain and discomfort away.

I hope in your case you'll be as successful as I have been.

@senghenydd

So sorry for your suffering, and I'm glad it got better with treatment.

In my case I felt OK, just constipated.

During my colonoscopy the doctor lasered abnormal blood vessels, or something. I saw a before and after photo. He suggested that is why I had failed the colon cancer test. It detects blood and abnormal DNA. All I had was the blood. But I never noticed it in my stool. So it was slight.

@thisguy20 Something must be done we are living longer or should be with proper healthcare.

@Longpatrol It's messed up, I suspect it's underfunded too many patients and not enough Hospitals.

@Longpatrol It's not especially messed up. It works more or less well most of the time. Key health outcomes are comparable with those of other advanced nations (and much better than those of the USA). But our political class has sold the illusion of European standard healthcare with American standard taxes, with the result that primary healthcare and some critical hospital services are dangerously underfunded.

@Crazywaterspring There's the National Health Service (NHS) which is available for everyone living in the UK and there's the Private Health scheme called Bupa which individuals pay into here in the UK, we don't as far as I know have Insurance company run medical schemes here.

Sadly the NHS is currently letting lots of patients down at the moment, I've put a joke cartoon here however the truth is it's really happening it's far from being funny.

@Onestarlitnight It's no good if they don't catch for example Cancer in time, yes it's if you are prepared to be treated poorly and meet up with some not so good medical staff now and then.

@Justenjoyit I disagree, there is already a private health scheme in the UK called BUPA, no the answer is simply improve the NHS which simply means we need more Hospitals and more staff to run them.