Cycling UK Forum

DaveGos wrote:I saw a BBC program that said one of the major causes was eating processed red meat , that's from large statistical surveys

Unfortunately that includes bacon

But the majority of the population will eat processed red meat. Did it look at how many vegetarians also suffer from bowel cancer?

Merry_Wanderer wrote: I hoped that GP's knowledge had improved in the past 9 years

The GP who referred me for an endoscopy only did it "just to put your mind at rest" because he thought I was anxious. He told me that I had IBS and that passing blood is not a symptom of bowel cancer. There was a media campaign advertising that blood and loose stools are a symptom of bowel cancer at the time. Several websites insist that passing blood is never a symptom of IBS.

As someone with Crohn's disease (or UC, or Indeterminate, depending on the last colonoscopy)...

Risk is fairly small, but early detection is rare. Due to the general state of my bowel I have a significantly higher (still low) risk of developing BC. Of course my other factors are fairly low, I don't smoke, I am reasonably active...

Additionally I tend to have a colonoscopy fairly frequently (certainly better than 5 yearly) so my mortality risk is actaully likely to be lower than the general population...

Had the camera treatment on Wednesday - just about over it...

hondated wrote:...they are listening with one ear and typing on the computer as you talk.

That's because they're Googling your symptoms

TonyR wrote:

hondated wrote:...they are listening with one ear and typing on the computer as you talk.

That's because they're Googling your symptoms

You jest - my GP actually used google for the drugs he was looking at...

In Ye Olde Days we had a GP who used to flick through a huge paper drugs catalogue to decide what to prescribe. Instead of saying he'd prescribed something, we used to report that he'd 'had his seed catalogue out again'.

Must admit I don't like the ones who sit at right angles to you, never meet your eyes, and spend the whole time looking at a screen you can't see. I often wonder what they are watching. It certainly ain't my records, or I wouldn't keep being prescribed things I'm allergic to.
If a child gave me that much attention when I was talking to them, I'd be having a word with them about bad manners.

hondated wrote:The point I really want to make is that firstly I do not wish to criticise my GP in any way but it does seem to me having never used the doctor for years that as soon as you sit down in his surgery and her surgery for that matter they are listening with one ear and typing on the computer as you talk. It does feel to me like they want to get you out of the room for the next one to come in.

They've probably got a long full of appointments and only 10 minutes allocated to each appointment. They need to move fast to get everyone seen and are multi-tasking to try and get a full consultation squeezed into the available time. It's not the GPs' fault (note plural rather than singular), its the way the NHS is being driven by the authorities. I've subconsciously joined in the process and prepare my opening synopsis to maximise the information I give my GP in as little time as possible.

My doctors are excellent, I have never ever had a problem getting appointments (certainly never had to wait more than 3-4 days max) with the advent of computers it's great that he can scan over my basics and check recent history/notes from the hospital so he is pretty much up to date there and then. I can see the screen and he openly shows me what's on there/what he is doing/looking at. The computer (or medicine book of old) is a great aid to narrow down the best medication for any given problem rather than just a catch all drug so I'd rather he be checking what is best for me (and indeed other patients)

Bowel cancer is properly nasty, Crohn's sufferer's and indeed UC sufferer's can expect about 6 times the risk of developing Colon cancer in their lifetime over the general population. I've being on Mesalazine for a very long time and have colonoscopy's and endoscopy's as decreed by my consultant. I get strange looks though when they ask who's taking me home after a colonoscopy when I tell them I'm cycling back..lol. It's generally possble for me to go on bike if I take it steady and such a lot less hassle than driving/parking up and the bus is just a drag/expensive. No anesthesia for me thanks

Sedation please!
And I tend to be a bit weak after the prep anyway...

Mezalazine, Azathioprine and Clipper here.

I'm sorry to hear about your Dad and your colleague.

I was diagnosed with advanced bowel cancer in 2005 (aged 57). At that time the 5 year survival rate for advanced BC was around 5%. As I am writing this 9 years later you can assume I got lucky.

My only symptoms were the runs about a month prior to seeing my GP. I actually went about an earache and mention the runs in passing. He immediately sent me for a colonoscopy; I was having surgery 4 weeks later, after tumours were found in my bowel and my liver. I had chemo and an iliostomy for about 18 months. It took me a while to get back on the bike, but I completed a coast to coast in 2009.

The cancer returned in 2010, with a bowel cancer tumour in my left lung. I lost my left lung, so bike riding is more difficult now. At the moment my scans are clear.

Apart from cancer, I was disgustingly healthy; never smoked, ate properly etc. So I think it's just a matter of bad luck.

Things have improved dramatically in the 9 years since I was first diagnosed. Survival rates have improved and we entering a period where more and more people are living with cancer rather than dying from it.

best wishes

Ian, my Dad is currently fighting advanced bowel cancer, he's 60 is in December. He was diagnosed just a few months ago and the outlook isn't great, statistically. I was just browsing the forum and trying not to think about it, and then I saw your post. Well, it's certainly the most helpful one I've seen here in a long while. Good luck, and I hope you'll be able to ride and enjoy other things for years to come.

[XAP]Bob wrote:Sedation please!
And I tend to be a bit weak after the prep anyway...

Mezalazine, Azathioprine and Clipper here.

I''m a sadist at times even if I feel like carp I'll drag my sorry arris on the bike, (I threw up just popping down the shops today) though I will drive if I really have too when things are not that great.
They put a line in ages ago and tbh it was okay but it meant I couldn't drive back so I just decided to put up with the discomfort of it & have a suck of entenox when they push round the dodgy bits
Sounds familiar on the drugs front but just Mesalazine & Questran for me. I dropped Aza from my scrip a long time back, my choice.

Tonyf33 wrote:

[XAP]Bob wrote:Sedation please!
And I tend to be a bit weak after the prep anyway...

Mezalazine, Azathioprine and Clipper here.

I''m a sadist at times even if I feel like carp I'll drag my sorry arris on the bike, (I threw up just popping down the shops today) though I will drive if I really have too when things are not that great.
They put a line in ages ago and tbh it was okay but it meant I couldn't drive back so I just decided to put up with the discomfort of it & have a suck of entenox when they push round the dodgy bits
Sounds familiar on the drugs front but just Mesalazine & Questran for me. I dropped Aza from my scrip a long time back, my choice.

I'll normally cycle when feeling bad, but couldn't do so safely after prep, certainly not after sedation as well

kuba wrote:Ian, my Dad is currently fighting advanced bowel cancer, he's 60 is in December. He was diagnosed just a few months ago and the outlook isn't great, statistically. I was just browsing the forum and trying not to think about it, and then I saw your post. Well, it's certainly the most helpful one I've seen here in a long while. Good luck, and I hope you'll be able to ride and enjoy other things for years to come.

Thank you Kuba. And I'm sorry to hear about your Dad.

I know this can be really hard, but your dad has to remain positive. I'm convinced that doctors and nurses are inclined to do more for patients with a positive outlook than those with a negative outlook; and that's just because they're human - it's always easier to help people who are positive than those who are negative.

best wishes

ian

bogmyrtle wrote:

DaveGos wrote:I saw a BBC program that said one of the major causes was eating processed red meat , that's from large statistical surveys

Unfortunately that includes bacon

But the majority of the population will eat processed red meat. Did it look at how many vegetarians also suffer from bowel cancer?

When I was first being treated for bowel cancer, the cancer nurse said that around 25% of her 'customers' were vegetarian.