So, after last month’s GP visit I am still waiting to hear about my next traumatology appointment for The Shoulder, but today I got the results back from the stool test that confirmed the presence of “occult blood” and well fuck. I mean, you know, maybe it’s nothing serious or maybe IT’S CANCER (again) but I won’t know anything for a while. GP has sent the test results to the specialist who will decide whether I should see him/her before or after having a colonoscopy. So lots of fun coming up. But I wish I had known about these tests before (as in, I wish someone had told me!) because they are a very easy and efficient way of detecting intestinal bleeding. Apparently I should have been doing this every 1-2 years. Oh well, for now it’s fingers crossed… 🤞
Well shit (if you’ll excuse the phrase). I had no idea this was not a routine thing in the Spanish medical service, much less for someone with your history. It’s just a regular part of examinations in the US for people past 50 or so. In fact the Engineer, whose job covers the Kaiser combine of medical centers and insurance, gets a padded envelope sent to him every year with a little specimen Baggie to send by return post and it’s done by mail order. And for those of us who get gynecologic exams, it’s become the final flourish, since the doctor has to stick her pinky up there anyway.
The first time I had one done, thirty or so years back, there was a laundry list of things to avoid before hand (like spinach or ibuprofen) so as not to get a false positive but that seems to have stopped being a thing, more sensitive test probably.
🤞🏻
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I’m a bit disappointed that I haven’t been doing this for the past ten years. Oh well, better late than never?
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Here in the UK over 50 we get a kit in the post every 2 years, such a simple process, do the test, send it back in the pre-paid envelope provided.
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