Saw a very understanding consultant yesterday

[chatty girl]

So i did it, i paid to see a private consultant yesterday the one i originally saw in april last year. While appreciating he was extra lovely because I was paying i really think he understood and knew why I was back. Id written everything down from bleeding to back ache to the poor lady deborah james that has fulled my obsession that i have bowel cancer.

I explained the gp wont do anything more for me and quite rightly like he said they cant because of nhs guildlines but although he is confident that i dont have bowel cancer i have ibs and i dont need a colonoscopy medically for my own sanity he is requesting my gp refer me for one with him.

So now she is the key holder and its her decision. I'm hoping for the best and he seemed to think it would be ok. No sane person would put themselves through a colonoscopy i hear you say but clearly I'm not sane especially about this and dying leaving my baby without me. I'm waiting for cbt to cone through too. I said to him meny a time ive gobe away happy from a consultant but this timd i just cant. He thinks its because although i had the flexible sigmoidoscopy i know there is another one which can see everything.

He said as a consultant he doesn't like sigmoidoscopys if your going to go to all the trouble of doing one you might as well go abit further up and look at all the bowel, but its money. To have a colonoscopy privately is around 1500, i haven't got that sort of money.

So letter is going out next week and we'll see what my gp says.............

[Gary A]

Don't take offence to this, but all you're doing is throwing money around and chasing a diagnosis that simply isn't going to come.

This type of reassurance seeking is typical with anxiety, but I can assure you, no matter what you do your anxiety will always find ways to make you doubt it. A GP and a consultant have both said that there doesn't seem to be anything wrong, but that's not enough.

When you have your colonoscopy, will that be enough? Are you sure that your anxious mind won't tell you that something could have been missed? Will you trust the expertise of whoever is performing the colonoscopy and their ability to spot anything amiss?

I would strongly advise you to avoid this test. You do not require it, tests like this should never be performed for your personal reassurance. If your GP is following guidelines, they can't change that. I am almost certain that your GP will refuse to recommend this test. In any case, a GP can only refer on to another consultant in an NHS setting, what makes you think that consultant will order the test?

You will end up shelling out ridiculous money to get this done privately, as your anxiety will be too powerful to get away from it. You could end up in debt or financially unstable, and for what? A test that, in all likelihood will only serve to ease your anxiety temporarily?

Try to find a way to talk this through with your GP. See if they can't convince you that little bit more. Please don't do a colonoscopy, it is unnecessary, expensive and above all, only a temporary form of reassurance.

[swajj]

It's also invasive.

Maybe use the money you will save from not having it to pay for a psychologist. That way you won't have to keep waiting to see one.

[chatty girl]

I'm not paying for it, from what I can gather the private specialist i saw also works for the nhs so he's writing to my doctor to suggest a colonoscopy on the nhs but with him for my own sanity!

Gary A i really dont know if having one will help im praying it will but theres a 50/50 chance i wont get it anyway.

Xx