Slightly Anemic, Dr Wrote Scary Thing on My Test Results

[OhioMom65]

......ok, maybe it's just scary to me, because of my HA.

I turned 50 in August. I know that now it's time for me to have a colonoscopy. I am not looking forward to it. I had a bad reaction to an epidural with my last pregancy (9 years ago), that now makes me fear any kind of sedation.

So....I finally went to the doctor for a checkup after 3 years. This is a new doctor, and he did the standard tests and asked the standard questions. We talked about colonoscopy. I told him about my fears. He told me there is a new test on the market called ColoGuard, which you do at home and send in to a lab to have your sample's dna tested. It has pretty high accuracy (like 95%). Well, that was like an answer to prayer for me.

So, I have the standard blood tests done, and the office calls with the results. Everything's ok, except that I am "slightly" anemic. And in the next breath, the doctor's assistant says something like, "....so you need to have that colonoscopy done." I asked about the ColoGuard -- she said I could do that, too. The issue with the cologuard is that if they find anything suspicious, you still have to have a colonoscopy done, anyway.

So I ask to have my results (of my bloodwork) mailed to me. I got them today. They say, "slightly anemic...(my iron was at 11.7, the bottom of normal is 12)...since patient still gets her period, this could be the cause, but she needs to have colonoscopy to ensure no colon cancer."

What? I mean, I know I'm 50 and that is the baseline for a colonoscopy, but I have no symptoms.

I just wish they would have worded that differently, because I can feel the panic starting to seep into my bones.

I feel like the doctor is saying, "look, we talked about the fact that you're 50 now and you need a colonoscopy, so let's just get it done." He said that I could wait until September when my kids are back in school, since we don't have relatives who could watch them for us when my husband takes me to the hospital for my test.

I can't believe that an iron level of 11.7 (which is .3 away from a normal 12) is cause for such concern. I also hadn't been taking any vitamins, so perhaps my level was low due to not eating enough iron rich foods, and just not taking supplements. I wish I had now, because I bet if my reading were .3 higher, the message on the bottom of my test results would have been different.

Thank you for hearing me out. I feel like such a baby.

Lisa

[katniss]

Oh gosh! Your doc really jumped the gun here. Anemia is extremely common! Almost everyone I know takes supplementary iron pills, including me! Please don't think colon cancer, you very likely have anemia because of your menstrual cycle. Plus, you are literally borderline anemic!

[OhioMom65]

Thanks for the reassuring words, Katniss...I've been try to tell myself this as well. I mean, 3/10ths of a percent?

Probably everyone else in the world would just brush it off, but not me! LOL!

[OhioMom65]

So....I'm wondering if I didn't get many responses because a) you're reading my post, thinking, 'this is nothing.'....or, you're reading my posts thinking, "holy cow! This is bad....I don't know what to say...."

[Fishmanpa]

Welcome to the wonderful world of 50+! Have you gotten mailings from AARP yet? That's fun ~lol~

The colonoscopy is another wonderful reminder of our age. It really is no biggie. The prep is the most unpleasant thing about it. You'll be out during and won't feel a thing.

Just bite the bullet and get it done. You won't need another for 5-10 years.

Positive thoughts

[OhioMom65]

Thanks Fishman....I think I'll opt for the Cologuard. No prep before hand, and done from the comfort of your own home. Around 98% accurate. Most insurance companies are opting for these, instead of colonoscopies in low-risk patients. And yes, my husband signed me up for AARP. Sigh. I still have kids in elementary school.

[pulisa]

In the UK your haemoglobin would be considered as within normal range as anything below 11.5 is considered "below normal". I think your doctor has chosen unwisely as regards what she has written but just get that test done to give yourself a thorough screening especially as it is much less invasive than the colonoscopy. Very best wishes.

Your ferritin levels would give a better indication of whether you were bleeding from your colon or gut

[OhioMom65]

Thank you for your reply! I had not been back here for a while