Now I'm worried

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I had a blood test done last week and now I have received a text from the doctor's surgery asking me to book a 'routine telephone appointment' to discuss the results.

Does this mean I'm dying of cancer? What does it mean by routine? I'm just paranoid because I have watched my mum go through all this in her last 5 years of her life, and I'm worried because I'm her daughter I've probably genetically inherited cancer.

I don't want chemo, or colonoscopies. I find colonoscopies really frightening and humiliating. I don't like the preparation and the way they fill your bowels up with air as they're looking with the camera, only for you to fart it out like a pig. I rather die.

I can understand your concern…..but please book the “telephone appointment.”

I believe, if there was something serious going on, that they would have strongly encouraged you to book the appointment immediately. Or they would have told you straight away. You would have been priority.

I doubt there’s anything really serious going on.

When I got my prostate cancer results, I was told the same day, over the phone, as the biopsy itself.

Other words for "routine":
standard, regular, customary, accustomed, normal, usual, ordinary, established, natural, unexceptional, typical. everyday, common, commonplace, conventional, day-to-day, habitual, wonted, familiar.

So no - it's very, very unlikely you're dying of cancer or anything else.
It's a routine test and they want to talk to you about routine results - and while it's certainly possible to fly off into any number of imagined fears and worries, the surest way of addressing those is... make the appointment.

I doubt they'd describe anything serious as "routine". It's probably going to be something like "cholesterol slightly high - eat better"

If its a routine telephone consultation, they merely want you to speak with someone who can properly explain your test results and answer any questions you may have. Usually that means someone like a doctor. Its nothing to worry about. If it was truly serious, it wouldn't be a telephone consultation, they would ask you to come in.

If it helps ease your mind a little, when my blood test results were back, I received a call from reception to book me in for an appointment. I was anxious, so asked the receptionist to read the results out to me.

Turned out almost everything was within normal range - just the iron levels were a tiny bit low.

Both of my parents are cancer survivors.

That's OK then, I did tell a relative about it too and she said the same thing as what the people in this thread said. I can't book an appointment until 8am tomorrow morning so I'll do it then.

There are a few reasons why I keep getting anxious about cancer:-

1. It's genetic, so if your parents had cancer then you're more at risk of getting cancer too, usually in the same place (my mum died of bowel cancer)

2. Statistics say 1 in 2 people get cancer in their lifetimes, which means HALF THE POPULATION

3. Cancer can hit anyone at any time and not always necessarily smokers (in fact everyone I know who have had cancer are/were non-smokers)

4. The tests for cancer, such as a colonoscopy or smear test, are painful procedures and due to sensory issues and anxiety I practically need morphine to allow myself to be poked and prodded about like that


I'm also worrying because my poop changes very randomly; from constipation to diarrhea, for no reason. I could walk miles and eat fruit and vegetables yet still be constipated. But I think the diarrhea might be due to dehydration...hopefully.
I'm fed up with these extremities because when I have diarrhea it usually causes a urinary tract infection, which is then another problem. I don't mind being constipated because there's less mess and usually it comes out eventually. Diarrhea is hateful and I hate it. When I was a kid I had a phobia of diarrhea and it caused a lot of grief if I got it. I wouldn't go poop for days, would sit on the toilet and cry and scream and not allow myself to release my bowels, and my mum would have to get me some sort of medicine to harden my poop so that I'd go.
I'm not like that now obviously but I still have an aversion to diarrhea and I'm so terrified of having a colonoscopy. I think bowel cancer is the most dehumanising, humiliating cancer to have.

I'm so sorry about what happened to your Mother.

Have you spoken to your GP about the trouble you've been having with number twos? I would explain that, and any anxieties you have around certain invasive tests.

If testing is required, maybe they could offer you something like an MRI to see what's going on - if that's an option too?

It's probably natural to get anxious when the doctors request to see you because it's normally you who requests to see them.

I also hate it.

What everyone else said about this sounds about right though Joe.