Has anyone had a colonoscopy that couldnt be done?

[msidgy]

Hi, I had a colonoscopy and the Dr said he couldnt get through. They also tried a Barium Enema and that wouldnt go through very far either. He wants to do surgery and says I have a 50% chance of it being cancer, the other 50% diverticulitis or both.

Mass on the right lower pelvis, blood from vagina (up high) have had all female parts removed previously, plump right adrena gland, thickening of right bladder wall,

He got a ways with the colonoscopy and said what he saw looked like diverticulitis but he says he cannot of course see what is on the outside of the colon until surgery.
I have also had thin stools ie change in bowel habits.

I can accept the fact this MAY be cancer .......just curious if anyone else had a failed colonoscopy and failed barium enema or any similar symptoms like I have had? I am 61 years old.
thanks in advance for sharing your story!

[Lee]

Hi Msidgy,

Welcome, I have heard of situations where it was impossible to complete a colonoscopy due to obstruction, usually a mass. They were able to complete my colonoscopy as most of my tumor was growing outside of my rectum/colon. What type of surgeon is doing your surgery? I would highly recommend a colon rectal surgeon as they do have the experience.

Are you having any pain or discomfort? It is good that you are getting this checked out. Please keep us posted and again, WELCOME.

Lee

[msidgy]

Hi Lee, thanks so very much for your post. Yes the Dr is a surgeon who does mostly colon and breast surgery. Also diverticulitis.
He has 21 years experience, 17 after his internship I think. The first Dr , a regular MD told me (as I told her to shoot me straight) that her guess is I have primary colon cancer with secondary bladder cancer, but Dr T just gave me the 50% chance. The first Dr referred me to the surgeon as he is experienced in this. This has all happened so fast and they always rush my appts or try to get me in earlier. I guess it is scary but .....well that is the Way the Cookie Crumbles sometimes.

he talks about Diverticulitis, so he probably doesnt want to mention the C word until we are sure. And perhaps that is all it is, Diverticulitis but I have no fever but I guess sometimes you don't with that.
The Barium Xray showed a ways up before they had to stop and I looked at it and there was a mass growing out from the sigmoid colon it looked like.
Most of my pain has been on the right side of my pelvis, and Ihave pain there and a mass, so anxious to see what they find in there also. I am just starting to feel uncomfortable at times on the left but perhaps that is from the partial colonoscopy.

I guess it is just good to talk about it and here others experiences so glad to find this board and nice to meet you!

[weisssoccermom]

I would like to also make a suggestion. Personally, I would only go to a surgeon that does nothing but colorectal surgery. Many surgeons specialize in just one area and for me, a surgeon who, as you stated, does mostly colon and breast (with I am assuming other things) wouldn't seem to be a colorectal specialist. I realize that everyone has their own opinions - this is mine - and frankly the opinions of many of us on this board, particularly when you're dealing with colorectal problems lower down, in the pelvis. There's just too much else in that area that can be nicked, pulled, cut, etc.

I would suggest that if surgery is imminent immediately, you may want to consult a specialist. Here is a link to verify that the surgeon you're considering is board certified in colorectal surgery.

http://www.abcrs.org/cgi-bin/search.pl

Good luck

Jaynee

[msidgy]

Thanks Jaynee,
No I couldnt find him on there but he is Board Certified as a surgeon. I have no insurance, no job and no money so I am thankful that I am even being treated at this point. I do like him and he has been Intern of the Year at Virginia Mason medical school in Seattle Washington He graduated with honors.

If money was plentiful perhaps I would go get several opinions but that is not the case. Also I think I am getting to where what goes in is not coming out so I think I need to get in asap.

[Gaelen]

I also had a diagnostic colonoscopy that couldn't be completed because of the mass in my rectum - although I wasn't in pain from the mass and it wasn't obstructing stool elimination.

BUT - before any treatment (surgery or chemo) was agreed on, my doctors ordered a liver sonogram, and based on those results a chest/abdomen/pelvic CT - to see if there was anything suspicious anywhere else. At that point, surgery came off the table because I already had lesions in my liver. The oncologist was very straight with me - that he couldn't recommend a course of radiation/chemo, then surgery, then more chemo because none of that would address what was in my liver, which was very close to killing me (my liver enzymes were triple high normal; my liver was badly compromised.) So I went straight to 16 rounds of systemic chemo (Folfox + Avastin) before we even seriously discussed surgery.

So, before rushing into surgery, your docs should be doing some whole-body evaluations (bloodwork, chest X-ray, CT scan, sonograms, rectal ultrasound) to try to determine the extent of the disease and scope of the problem. All of those things can be done relatively quickly - and will give the surgeon and the docs on the team more information than symptoms and a failed scope. If you're going into someone's abdominal cavity, it helps to have the most detailed roadmap possible.

[nicola smith]

I had a colonoscopy performed by the head of GI at a major hospital. When I woke up from the procedure, he said he had had to interrupt it because I was in too much pain from active colitis, even though I was unaware of it. The procedure was stopped at about 38cm up. At my next colonoscopy, 4 years later, performed by a different GI, a cancerous tumour was found at 40cm up and had spread to nearby lymph nodes. This GI is of the view that had the tumour been found at the previous colonoscopy, I would NOT have had a stage 3b colon cancer diagnosis 4 years later.

[nicola smith]

double post

[weisssoccermom]

Gaelen's point is well worth taking and....it doesn't just apply to patients who couldn't complete a colonoscopy. Most of us, unless an emergency, have had, prior to surgery, the full tests run before any surgery. That would include a CT or PET to determine if there is anything anywhere else.

You mentioned that this surgeon was an intern at Mason. Are you from the Seattle area?? I do understand your dilemma but....still, you're talking about a surgeon operating on what?? Would this surgeon be operating solely on the colon or would he include the bladder?? Would you have a urology consult before surgery?? Would this same surgeon be doing some bladder surgery??

FYI - surgeons are all (or at least SHOULD be) board certified in general surgery. That means that they can do most surgeries, including colorectal surgery, but......again, this is not necessarily their specialty. Again, my opinion, but if you're talking about your pelvic area you really need to see a surgeon who is board certified in that specialty. This would mean that (a) the surgeon has first been certified in general surgery and (b) has gone above and beyond that and done more training and a fellowship in colorectal surgery. In other words, way more experience and then solely operating on just the colon and rectal areas. Sort of off topic, but if I had breast cancer, I wouldn't want a surgeon who routinely operates on colon/rectums as well as breasts and gallbladders, hernias, etc. The more exclusive and more surgeries that any surgeon does in one particular area, hopefully the better he/she is in that area.

Although I certainly can't address the monetary/job issues, I would certainly hope that this doesn't preclude you from seeking out the services of a board certified colorectal surgeon. Please consider getting a second opinion, preferably with a specialist and before surgery (again unless this is a life threatening emergency), get all the standard pre-op testing done and meet with any other surgical specialists beforehand as well as with a medical onc. Down the road, you don't want to regret not doing so.

We all have faced the uncertainty of a cancer diagnosis and yes, it's very scary. Please, however, take some time, get the testing done and make 100% certain that you are in the best hands possible. While being an Intern of the year is indeed a high honor, it only reflects the person's skills one year out of medical school and certainly doesn't indicate anything about his/her surgical skills. By the way, Virginia Mason is not a medical school - a good hospital, but not a medical school and at the time of being an intern, didn't even begin his surgical residency.
Jaynee

[chrissyrice]

Could not agree more on the need to slow down and get CT/Pet scans.

Please contact your local American Cancer Society (or in other countries.. cancer foundations) they have so many resources for you!!! You just need to make the call and get in touch with them. They can help with your money concerns.

Your hospital can put you in touch with resources too. Don't give up....you are going to have to take charge of your medical care and just keep asking and digging for what you need.

People are there with prayers and the resources to meet your needs for care.

Chrissy

[dianetavegia]

Many of us had colonoscopies that doctor 'couldn't get past the polyp/ tumor, etc'.

[Surroundedbylove]

I generally echo the comments about board certified colorectal surgeons (who first are board certified surgeons and then become board certified colorectal surgeons when then complete a fellowship on colorectal surgery). However, I also am aware of many, many colon (not rectal) surgeons who are general surgeons and may focus on abdominal surgeries including colon surgeries.

If your tumor mass is in the rectal area, it would be more important to get a consult with a colorectal surgeon.

[betsydoglover]

Sorry you are in this situation. My diagnostic colonoscopy in 2005 couldn't be completed due to sigmoid tumor. I actually sort of came to screaming, although I don't remember the actual pain. The GI doc told me there was a mass that was most likely cancer (not much else it could be according to him). I had an appt with a board certified colorectal surgeon 3 days later and a CT 5 days later (showed possible liver met, confirmed during subsequent colon surgery). Because I was close to an obstruction (and my surgeon did not want to do emergency surgery with "the B team"), I had surgery (lap sigmoid colectomy) 15 days after my colonoscopy.

Hopefully, you don't have cancer. But, you should see a colorectal surgeon and you should get scanned.

Wishing you the best,

[Gloria]

When I went for my first colonoscopy the doctor was not able to complete due to blockage, he even tried to do it with a pediatric scope and with an endoscope. My tumor was in my sigmoid colon. My stool had gotten thin and flat like a ribbon. He put me on a fiber free diet and said I had to have surgery within the next 2 weeks to avoid a complete blockage regardless of what the biopsy came back with. Good luck

[Kathryn in MN]

My colonoscopy was over almost as soon as it started. I had a large tumor blocking my sigmoid. Surgery was scheduled right then and there, as they were worried about complete blockage within days.

I don't mean to sound so negative, but often a blockage that keeps them from being able to do a colonoscopy is a tumor. Now that doesn't mean cancerous - it could be benign.