Do I have colon cancer?

[nuala]

Hello,

I am a 50 year old mother of a charming two year old - yes I had her at 48, and I have had on/off bouts of diarrhea for years. I've never been diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome or treated for it, but I have a feeling that might be what I have. I guess it's never been "bad" enough that I sought treatment. Anyway, in the past couple of weeks, there has been a great deal of stress in my life, and I have been afflicted with abdominal cramps, irregular bowel movements, diarrhea, chills, night sweats (although that's been going on for five months and could be periomenopausal), and just a couple of days ago, I had an explosive uncontrollable bout of diarrhea, followed by some fresh as in red blood. I was horrified by this. I am kind of between doctors, because my doctor retired and I'm just starting up with someone new. But I'm incredibly anxious about this. How possible is it that I have colon cancer, or could there be other explanations? There is no family history.
Thank you

[Terry Miller]

Hi,
You sound like me when I was 49...except for the baby thing...being a male that won't happen. Pain...diarrhea...blood.....time for a colonoscopy! My wake up call was the bright red blood filling the toilet. I was very fortunate that my was still at Stage 1. Don't be afraid of knowing what might exist. April 6, 1999 seemed like the worst day of my life....that was the day it was discovered. Almost 8 years late I can honestly say that it was the best day of my life. Go for it now!

Sincerely,
Terry

[pjpeace]

Yes it's definitely time for a colonoscopy!!! 50 is the age to start them even though i wish it would go down to 40...i made my enitre family get checked out and my sister at 40 had a poly removed and dad when he was 45 had some removed.

They may have you do a FOBT first...which is a Fecal Occult Blood Test to see if there is more than the fresh blood in your stool. You couoldn't see the blood in mine but it sure was there...i had either constiaption or the dreaded D. Another clue if your stools look black. Hope it's not cancer but get on the horn to the Doc asap so you can see a Gastro Doc!!!

Let us know how it turns out!

[PGLGreg]

Do get a colonoscopy. You don't have to decide whether your symptoms suggest colon cancer, because after 50, the standard these days is for everyone to have a screening colonoscopy. I talked my wife into having one last month (it wasn't easy). She (at 65) had no symptoms of any sort. She had it done, it was easy, insurance paid for all but $125, no problem found.

(With fewer symptoms than you, I got a colonoscopy in Nov 2005, and rectal cancer was found. I had another one two months ago with no symptoms, and the doc removed one pre-cancerous polyp.)

[Maggie]

Hi...
I had very similar symptons when I was 21. Because I had a bowl full of bright red blood two times, I freaked and went to the doctor. I was smart to take control and figure out what was happening immediately. I was also fortunate to have a doctor (at the university I was attending no less) to believe me and take me seriously even though I was only 21. I ended up having stage I colon cancer. Going to the doctor right away saved my life. You may or may not have cancer, regardless, you need a colonoscopy. You're at the time in your life where it's time to have one anyway! It's really not that bad and you'll get to find out what's going on fairly quickly which will ease your mind. Good luck and let us know how it goes!
Maggie

[Magnolia]

I got my first colonoscopy at 51. I'd had a long history of IBS, but no real change in symptoms except for some IMPROVEMENT over the previous year! I had Stage IIIc colon cancer. With or without symptoms, it's time for a colonoscopy. If your insurance won't pay for a screening scope, tell a good story about your symptoms. Make them sounds REALLY awful. Just get the scope done. You may well be just fine. Everyone should get scoped at 50. You'll rest easier. If you do have something, the sooner you find out the better. I'm in complete remission after surgery and six months of chemo. You've got a lot to live for. Be agressive. Be proactive.