HI guest!
It almost sounds like you have an inguinal hernia that may becoming incarcerated-a hernia is a weakening in the peritoneal wall of the abdomen and sometimes colon can squeeze through that "defect" or "hole".You were saying the size changes from a grape-sausage-well, your colon may be pushing out more one day than another! You were saying it is soft then hard sometimes which can indicate stool getting lodged into that hole. Hernias can be painful at times, but often subsides. It can also be a lypoma (which is a benign (non cancerous) fatty tumor.
Do you have a job that requires heavy lifting? Have you had previous abdominal surgery?
Not sure about the SOB-constipation is common in Americans!
The first sx of colon cancer in 1. NOTHING AT ALL! you could also have 2.bleeding in stool 3. an urge to deficate, but no results 4. skinny soft stool AND in later stages- abdominal pain/cramping, weakness, decrease in appetite or complete obstruction
If you have had this problem for 8 years, like others were saying-you would probably by now be having chemo treatment (if you know what I mean!) -
also, cancer is hard to the touch, nobby and sticks to whatever it grows on and usually gets larger as the years progress.
I hope this helps you, but PLEASE PLEASE know that I am not a medical doctor, and I cannot diagnose-I am an RN and i work in the operating room-I see a lot of cancer
catherine