Okay, since I am newbie, just a bit of background first, 29, stage II when diagnosed in Feb 06, recent total colectomy 3/27, I had HNPCC genetic colon cancer, if it comes back I am told it would come back in the remainder of my rectum, since I do not have a colostomy bag.
I had my total colectomy on 3/27. I had a scope again on 4/16 when I had a partial obstruction. I haven't had another f/u regarding scope since. I can't get a colonscopy because of my total colectomy, I only have about 15 cm of rectum they need to worry about, so here's my concerns. My surgeon told me to come back at the end of June or August for a f/u scope or sooner if I had problems. I have been experiencing an increasing worse pressure in my rectum, sometimes when voiding sometimes I don't have to be voiding, it feels like someone is stretching out my rectum from the inside basically, it's a little painful. I have had bloating, frequent bowel movements, etc., as to be expected post operatively with my type of surgery. I have seen what appear to be bloodly fragments of tissue-not the paper type either-in my excretments. I tell my doc this Tuesday, he says, well you have all the symptoms of colon ca, but it's too soon for it to be back. He wouldn't do the procto-scope on me in the office. Another reason I am concerning, my H&H were low prior to surgery because of my polyp bleeding I became anemic. After surgery my levels all remained normal, prior to chemo and just over the past three weeks, I've had shortness of breath a bit upon excetion, but I thought I was just out of shape-again I had this prior to surgery because of blood loss. Prior to chemo they did some bloodwork, my levels were down again, so this is why it worries me that it might be back. I know it's soon, but I think I have a right to be paranoid considering that my mother, her brother, her sister, and father all died of this disease.
I go to the bathroom tonight and about a teaspoon of blood comes out, my stomach has been bothering me all day, and when I wipe, I get about as much if not a tablespoon after wiping several times with the toliet paper. I am going to see my geneticist tomorrow and I am going to call my regular GI doc that's near me here to see what I can do.
I had well to moderately differentiated cancer when I was diagnosed, I know that is good parameters in terms of pathology and it's not considered agressive, HOWEVER, I have also done research on HNPCC and have seen more than one study state that people with HNPCC, even though pathology states well, moderately, or poor, the cancers seem to multiple faster than those of the general colon cancer diagnosis.
I am worried, and paranoid I know but I think I have a right to be and I just wanted to vent. Thanks for listening