The waiting for my results of the biopsies was dragging, the doctor had said that I would have results in 3 days so I thought I would get then by Wednesday at the latest. Still nothing and with calls from family and friends everyday asking if I had my results was getting me down more. I also realised I had not been given any info on how I contact the doctor to find out when I would get my results!

It got to Friday and still no results and still no bowel movement! It got to after lunch time and I decided to try find details for the doctor that had carried out my Colonoscopy. I managed to find his secretary’s number and called, no answer. I kept calling every five minutes, then finally I got a voice on the end of the phone. I explained I had my colonoscopy the Saturday before and was told I would have my results within 3 days. She was not very helpful, she said well I sent them in the post on Monday! I explained that I had not received them and was actually expecting a call from the doctor to explain my results. She said well I remember your name and there was nothing wrong. I was in complete shock and said ok well I want my results sent through by email because if there is nothing wring from my biopsies then I need to go back to my GP as I am still poorly. She then proceeded to say that she was not in the office and could not email me my results until Monday. At this point I lost patience and said that she will need to call the office and find someone who could email me my results today. She then said I have a telephone consultation booked for you with the doctor on the 16th December! It was the 4th of December and again I was shocked and thought well maybe if there is nothing showing on my biopsies that would make sense.

Within five minutes of getting off of the phone, the woman I had spoken to had sent me an email with my results saying something like, Oh I did mange to gain access to the system so that I could send you them myself. I just thought she clearly just could not be bothered and until I pushed she suddenly was able to! Not impressed with her attitude or customer service skills, I think maybe she was in the wrong job.

So I opened up the email attachments with my results, the letter stated that they had found crohn’s disease! She had just told me that they hadn’t found anything! I was so annoyed, confused, happy it was not cancer but also faced now with a chronic illness to get my head around. Finally I had an answer though, So I called Andy at work. When I told him that the doctor could not talk to me until the 16th he was disgusted because I had just been given my results saying I have this illness but with no explanation about it or steps going forward. He wanted to now about it and what happens next as well, we had so many questions and we were using google to try to answer them but again with so many different answers to each question. We did not know what was the right answer and what was the wrong answer. Andy called our GP’s surgery and managed to get an appointment that evening. Andy said that he had told them that he would be coming into the appointment with me so he could listen as well and ask questions.

I had added a photo below of part of my letter of my diagnosis that I was sent that day as well as all the photos of my procedure so basically inside my bowel etc. I did not think anyone would want to see them!

Crohn’s ileitis is a form of Crohn’s disease and causes inflammation in the ileum (the last part of the small intestine).