"Cancer care in Lanarkshire"

I contacted my GP early September 2021 as I had suffered abdominal pain which was getting progressively worse.

I had an initial telephone consultation and was advised to get bloods done before he would see me. Two weeks later I had a phone call from the receptionist to come in and pick up a Qfit test as I had an iron deficiency. I collected it and returned it next day. Although I had another telephone appointment booked, I received a call 2 days beforehand, whilst at work, from the doctor advising that he suspected I had Bowel Cancer and was making an urgent referral for double scope. He told me this could take up to 5 weeks.

After recovering from the initial shock I discussed this with my family and we scraped the money together to have the endoscope procedures carried out at Ross Hall Hospital in the belief that this would expedite the process. I had a colonoscopy carried out which identified a moderately differentiated caecal adenocarcinoma. My GP was provided with the full details of the procedure including images and a copy of the biopsy report. I was referred to the Colorectal Cancer Pathway at NHS Lanarkshire.

Two weeks later, feeling quite anxious at the lack of information, I dropped into the Maggie’s Centre at Monklands Hospital. The Cancer Support Worker was very helpful and arranged for a nurse from the Colorectal Team to call me the following day. As a result of this I had a CT Scan arranged. I received a call from the Colorectal nurse on Christmas Eve advising that I had been discussed at the MDT meeting that morning and the scan had shown a node on my adrenal gland. I was being referred urgently for a scan of the adrenal gland prior to confirmation of surgery. She said this would take around 2 weeks. After waiting 3 weeks I contacted the Colorectal Team again and was advised they would make another urgent referral. To date I have still not received an appointment for the scan.

I am now 14 weeks from the urgent referral by my GP and 12 weeks from diagnosis and still have no idea when I can expect any form of treatment plan. During this entire period the only doctor I have seen is the Consultant I paid to carry out the colonoscopy who expressed strongly the urgency that was required.

I believe that one of the worst things a person can hear is that they have cancer. I expected that on hearing such news there would be a system in place to offer support, keep me informed and an urgency to prevent the cancer from growing and spreading. I feel I have been abandoned and worry that by the time someone actually sees me it will be too late.