View Full Version : private gastroenterologist appt - what to expect?
It's tomorrow. GP referred me as I'm very anxious about bowel cancer due to my family history and the fact that I'm now in my 40s. I also sometimes have a small amount of mucous in my poo which was the subject of another of my posts and caused some amusement so I won't repeat it here! GP thinks it's probably nothing but could tell I was worried. Anyway, what can I expect from this appointment? Are they likely to suggest colonoscopy? I think that'll be the only way I'll be reassured and so hope I don't get fobbed off with "it's nothing".
The crystal ball is out for repair :). We really can't tell you what they will say to you before they say it to you, as it will depend on stuff that we can't see from here and that we don't know because we're not doctors.
The thing is, though, a colonoscopy isn't something they should do just because you really want one, and if they tell you "it's nothing" that doesn't mean you've been "fobbed off." That's a definite HA problem, that considering the assessment of a trained medical specialist to be insufficient if they say an intervention isn't necessary. But interventions often aren't necessary, and they will know better than you do if that's the case.
Good luck! I hope your appointment gives you some reassurance.
Sorry - didn't actually expect you to tell me what they'll say, more what the format is likely to be from anyone whose had such an appointment....
From my experience with a gastro appointment, it was just like a consultation with your doctor. They'll ask you about what symptoms you have and then decide if any tests will need to be run depending on what you've been experiencing.
They ran a blood test and endoscopy on me on the day I was there, but only because my doctor had mistakenly told me that they'd automatically do that and that I should fast before my appointment. They also happened to have a slot free where they squeezed me in for the test. They were being kind because I had been given the wrong information, but normally I'd have been sent home and given appointments to attend the blood test and endoscopy in the near future.
They'll talk to you about your history and symptoms; they may do a physical exam, which may include a rectal exam. They'll decide based on that whether it's clear there's nothing to explore or whether it makes sense to do a further look by something like colonoscopy or flex sigmoidoscopy. In the U.S., those would need to be scheduled separately and wouldn't happen on the same day.
But I'll again suggest that you try to frame it as finding out whether you need a colonoscopy, not as an appointment whose goal is to get one. (And if you don't like mucus, you're really not going to enjoy colonoscopy prep.)
Incidentally, I've read several times that if a person has a 1st degree relative with colon cancer (like me) they should have regular colonoscopies from age 40 or 10 years before the age the relative was diagnosed, whatever comes first. I'm 46 and my dad was dx at 59 so that makes me a candidate regardless of symptoms. So yes I do have health anxiety but it's not entirely groundless....
Sure, that's the American Cancer Society recommendation (though it's worth keeping in mind that that's a recommendation based on a system involving payment by the patient and private insurance). And I'm not saying that nobody should ever have a colonoscopy, and they might well refer you for one. But your first post makes it sound like you will feel like you're being undertreated if you get anything but a colonoscopy, and I think that's setting yourself up for anxiety and also reinforcing the HA tendency to reject doctors who don't give you the answer that you want. I'd just encourage you to be open to what the doctor says about what isn't wrong, not just whether you get referred for the test. Does that make sense?
This is under private insurance so I guess they won't worry about the cost side of things. DH had one privately years ago when he had HA - similar symptoms to me, no family history tho. He doesn't recall a battle to get one. I recently had a very necessary hysterocopy done privately. Originally I was Nhs and they wanted to try other things first. I went private and it was the first and only thing the consultant suggested. Sadly there's a big difference in the UK on the service you receive if you pay....
So I went. She was lovely. She took my concerns seriously and said that occasionally mucous can indicate the presence of polyps. Due to that and ny family history colonoscopy is recommended. I'm all booked in for a week today. She says she fully expects to see a healthy colon, a polyp at worst. She said "this is not colon cancer". So relieved that this time next week I will know.
Sounds like you're being well looked after by her, and I'm glad for you that she's taking your concerns seriously :)
She says she fully expects to see a healthy colon, a polyp at worst. She said "this is not colon cancer". So relieved that this time next week I will know.
And there you go!! I knew that would be the case :)
Positive thoughts
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