New here - Nervous and worried.

Please feel free to read, share your thoughts, your stories and connect with others!
CLCardinal84
Posts: 5
Joined: Thu Oct 19, 2017 6:30 pm

New here - Nervous and worried.

Postby CLCardinal84 » Fri Oct 20, 2017 11:04 am

Hi all,

Been lurking some off and on for the last month or so. I try to stay off here to not further my anxiety but want to say the positivity in this forum is incredible and all of you are stronger people than I am.

33/m with no first degree history of cancer. My maternal grandfather died of colon cancer and my paternal grandfather had a polyp removed. Currently, waiting on a colonoscopy on 11/17. My mom and dad are both clear as of now.

Had a golf ball sized perianal abscess in July 2012 that was incised and a follow up minor drainage in April 2013. Follow-up with CR surgeon in Dec. 2013 due to pain which was likely from internal hemms according to her. Haven't seen her since.

Have had some bathroom issues over the years, mostly constipation related where I would miss a day or have a unremarkable BM and need some Miralax or fiber to clear me out. I've noticed some little white stringy pieces on the side of the stool that would wave or wiggle in the water which I'm assuming is mucous but never really thought to much of it because there was no blood in the stool or diarrhea. Saw a PA at the GI office in December 2014 for some pressure in my lower left quadrant and she did an X-ray and said I had a lot of stool stuck in my colon so she ordered me prep liquid and told me to flush myself out. Went on with my life.

Fast-forward to 2017. In late March, I noticed that I had begun to feel really full after I ate and had some bloating. Also, had noticed changes in my stool as it appeared flatter on the sides with a pointed top sometimes and a lot of poorly digested food in it. I took some antibiotics for a prostatitis flare-up in February (have battled with flare-ups for about 5 years) and figured I had SIBO or candida overgrowth from the Bactrim that had nuked my gut. I took some herbal supplements to try and get my gut in line which worked for a few weeks and then the bloating, fullness, heaviness and bowel issues got worse. It actually was bad enough that I couldn't eat large amounts and sometimes didn't have an appetite. I went back to the GI office to see a first available PA and she did an X-Ray of my abdomen which showed very little stool burden and nothing else bad. She tested me for H. Pylori and did a lactulose breath test which both came back negative. I waited, hoping this would resolve on it's own but it hasn't. I've had up and down bowel movements with some long, normal shaped poos, flatter poos, rarely would I have a pencil thin one but have, and mostly just soft broken up pieces that were easy to pass. No straining, just sometimes to empty it all out but would be left feeling like there was a little bit more to push out, but couldn't. My appetite has come back to where I'm eating normal meals now but still feel fuller afterwards than when I was normal. It feels like the food sits in my stomach just below my sternum and weighs me down for a few hours after I eat.

I have generalized anxiety and some mild depression, so this has exacerbated those problems. I decided I needed to see a real GI physician going forward in early September as I got married 9/30/17 and was very worried before the wedding. I saw my PCP in between and he sent me for a CT scan of my abdomen and pelvis and full lab workup in late August. Labs came back normal. Not anemic. CT was also normal. Only thing worthy of note was "Bowel: The small and large bowel demonstrate no focal wall thickening or dilatation. There is moderate colonic stool burden, primarily within ascending and transverse colon. The appendix is unremarkable." and "Spleen: Top normal to borderline prominent spleen measuring 14.2 cm AP diameter, slightly increased from the prior study." The radiologist, PCP and GI didn't think anything to worry. Nothing fishy anywhere else or enlarged lymph nodes. My GI said he would do a colonoscopy if it would give me peace of mind, so I definitely wanted to do one to check.

I continue to have bloating, heaviness in my lower abdomen, pressure in my lower left quadrant above my hip almost, a feeling of inflammation in my stomach and intestines and recently what I thought was possibly blood in my stool last weekend (although, I couldnt tell for sure due to food being in the stool). I've had no blood streaks on my TP when wiping but occasionally have some hard flecks of brown, reddish, orange which I assume is food vs blood? My bowel movements are still all over the place. I've been mostly normal, but will have some with flat sides and some with mucus strings. A few times, I've used a latex glove to inspect them and they have still had lots of undigested/poorly digested food and some have had a lumpy end that first came out followed my softer stool behind. The lumpy section has had some stringy things inside holding it together which I'm not sure if it's mucus or kale/spinach/lettuce, as I eat a lot of salads and greens. I am just very fearful that I'm going to get the scope and have to tell my wife of barely 2 months that I have cancer of the colon or rectum because per Dr. Google, my symptoms match up almost perfectly.

Sorry for the long winded response. Any advice would be appreciated and thanks for listening.

-C

Buckeye
Posts: 109
Joined: Mon Jan 18, 2016 7:02 pm

Re: New here - Nervous and worried.

Postby Buckeye » Fri Oct 20, 2017 3:25 pm

Worrying does no good. You have had several test that show nothing. Ct scan sounds normal. Try to relax and enjoy yourself. You are scheduled for a colonoscopy and it doesn’t sound like it’s colon cancer from all of your test results.
Dx 10/20/15 stage 1 T1N0M0 1.3cmx1.1cmx1cm low grade ( well to moderately differentiated) Rectal cancer age 47
Loving Husband and father of two girls age 19 & 15 Sole income provider
CEA <0.5
CT, MRI and PET show no metastatic spread
LAR Laparoscopic TME 11/30/15 with Illo
Pathology clean no lymph node or vascular involvement. Confirmed Stage1
No chemo/rad cancer free now and forever.
Illo reversal 01/26/16

Tdubz
Posts: 152
Joined: Sun May 07, 2017 11:01 am

Re: New here - Nervous and worried.

Postby Tdubz » Fri Oct 20, 2017 3:59 pm

Usually they send you for a ct scan after you’ve had a colonoscopy if they suspect Cancer. Since you’ve already had a ct scan and it came back normal, I’d think you have nothing to worry about. With that said, you know your body and can tell if something doesn’t feel right. It’s good that you are getting the colonoscopy done so they can figure out what’s causing you these issues.

Pemba
Posts: 84
Joined: Thu Aug 24, 2017 7:52 am

Re: New here - Nervous and worried.

Postby Pemba » Fri Oct 20, 2017 5:18 pm

Sound like you suffer from hypochondria, and this is not meant in a negative way, I to suffer from it. It’s a good thing to get checked out, even having a second opinion sometimes, but after your scopi, if everything is clear you need to stop and believe the doctors. I have suffered from this for such a long time and let me tell you this, your brain is smart it’s so smart it can give you actual symptoms like stomach ache, headaches, muscle spasms, chest pain, you have it ! I could make a long list of illnesses my brain imagined, like meningitis, sclerosis, heart problems, and seven different kind of cancers.

All the stools you mentioned are FINE ! Believe me, they come in different shapes and sizes, and it’s normal to have the kind of mucus you talking about when being constipated! Reminder White and black stool are not fine, but different types of brown and even greenish is.

I got a non cancerous polyp removed some months ago and I had for a long time experience mucus in my poo, not the kind mucus you described more like the kind when you have a cold, it’s was super noticeable, I also experienced some blood.

I know I sound like a hippie jippie but if you have some stressful and difficult things going on in your life your body can express it with any kind anxiety, for some people hypochondria. Try to figure out if there are some stressful elements in your life you can change, do some breathing exercises, some yoga or long walks so you can get rid of some of tension in your poor stomach and help with the constipation, also drink a lot of water!
Age: 26
2017: 15mm Tubulovillous adenoma- Low grade dysplasi.
Next scopy: original 2020 probably 2018-19

Lee
Posts: 6207
Joined: Sun Apr 16, 2006 4:09 pm

Re: New here - Nervous and worried.

Postby Lee » Fri Oct 20, 2017 6:11 pm

Probably best to get it check out. Might want to up your liquid/water intake, could help with a few issues.

What kind of a diet do you think you eat?

Lee
rectal cancer - April 2004
46 yrs old at diagnoses
stage III C - 6/13 lymph positive
radiation - 6 weeks
surgery - August 2004/hernia repair 2014
permanent colostomy
chemo - FOLFOX
NED - 16 years and counting!

CLCardinal84
Posts: 5
Joined: Thu Oct 19, 2017 6:30 pm

Re: New here - Nervous and worried.

Postby CLCardinal84 » Sat Oct 21, 2017 7:39 am

Hi all,

Thanks for the responses. I do have a bit of hypochondria/OCD which is why I originally felt guilty posting and that isn’t a good thing but I’m in tune with my body and my stomach hasn’t felt right for months thus why I’m getting checked out.

I drink 3-4 Nalgene bottles of water at work every day so hydration usually isn’t an issue.

Diet is mostly chicken/fish, greens, veggies, sweet potatoes, quinoa, hummus, low carb wraps, occasional pizza in a pinch, etc. I don’t really eat unhealthy except occasionally on the weekend if we go out to dinner.

My worry all started with the flattened stools and most recently, there is a brownish/reddish cloud in the bottom of the toilet surrounding the soft stool and they have smelled awful. Saw red streaks on the underside of my poo last Sunday.

Hopefully it’s nothing.

Pemba
Posts: 84
Joined: Thu Aug 24, 2017 7:52 am

Re: New here - Nervous and worried.

Postby Pemba » Mon Oct 23, 2017 8:23 am

It’s a good thing your going to check it out, it may be a polyp and it may be nothing, hopefully the doctors made so many tests so you can be fairly sure if there is any cancer at all it’s properly one of the lowest stages.

My non cancerous polyp was very irritated and gave clear symptoms like highly visible blood and mucus both in toilet and on the paper. Even though it had the lowest level of dysphasia.
Age: 26
2017: 15mm Tubulovillous adenoma- Low grade dysplasi.
Next scopy: original 2020 probably 2018-19

CLCardinal84
Posts: 5
Joined: Thu Oct 19, 2017 6:30 pm

Re: New here - Nervous and worried.

Postby CLCardinal84 » Wed Oct 25, 2017 6:39 pm

Pemba wrote:It’s a good thing your going to check it out, it may be a polyp and it may be nothing, hopefully the doctors made so many tests so you can be fairly sure if there is any cancer at all it’s properly one of the lowest stages.

My non cancerous polyp was very irritated and gave clear symptoms like highly visible blood and mucus both in toilet and on the paper. Even though it had the lowest level of dysphasia.


I’m glad I’m getting checked too. My stools the past two days have been the width of a highlighter and my index finger, respectively. This is after Sunday I had a large flat sided groove on the top one. Bloating, fullness, lower left abdomen pressure and the like. The wait until 11/17 is the hardest part currently.

CLCardinal84
Posts: 5
Joined: Thu Oct 19, 2017 6:30 pm

Re: New here - Nervous and worried.

Postby CLCardinal84 » Thu Nov 16, 2017 10:15 pm

Hi everyone,

Getting scoped tomorrow afternoon. Currently posting from the porcelain throne from the Moviprep. Thank god Football is on the iPad.

Stomach issues haven’t changed since my last post and have had continued to have flat stools so the scope tomorrow should give me an answer one way or the other. Praying it’s clear and also prayers to everyone here in their recovery, battle and victory with the horrible disease.

TXLiz
Posts: 249
Joined: Thu Sep 22, 2016 3:31 pm

Re: New here - Nervous and worried.

Postby TXLiz » Fri Nov 17, 2017 12:59 pm

Good luck and hope you are clear!
Vomiting and blockage 9/19/16 46 y F
R hemi colectomy 9/20/16
Stage 3 B CRC, located in cecum
3 out of 16 lymph nodes positive
perineural invasion/lymphovascular invasion
infiltrating, mod differentiated adenocarcinoma with a mucinous component
separate tumor nodules present in pericolonic adipose tissue
MSI-high
Baseline PET scan clear 9/16 CEA 0.5
FOLFOX 10/16- 3/17
April 16th, CT scan clear. CEA 1.1
Lynch "inconclusive"
Colonoscopy 10/5/2017 clear

Pemba
Posts: 84
Joined: Thu Aug 24, 2017 7:52 am

Re: New here - Nervous and worried.

Postby Pemba » Fri Nov 17, 2017 3:57 pm

Fingers crossed it’s a clean one! I’m sure it’s nothing serious, no matter what you get a clear answer now.

If it’s clean and you still having trouble try something called lactocare with the natural bacteria lactobacillus and try Psyllium husks!
Age: 26
2017: 15mm Tubulovillous adenoma- Low grade dysplasi.
Next scopy: original 2020 probably 2018-19

User avatar
chrisca
Posts: 246
Joined: Wed Dec 07, 2011 10:35 pm
Location: Portland, Oregon

Re: New here - Nervous and worried.

Postby chrisca » Fri Nov 17, 2017 5:07 pm

Get the colonoscopy, if it's negative but symptoms persist, go back in three months and have a different doc do the procedure. There is a 6 to 15% false negative rate for colonoscopies. You need to be sure. Make sure the doc has a high "ADR" or adenoma detection rate.

Also, consider eating organic grains and soy for a few weeks. If symptoms abate, you've got a glyphosate sensitivity, especially if you consume a lot of whole-grain foods now. Your symptoms are very similar to what I experienced. Glyphosate slows the bowel down, causing a feeling of heaviness after meals and bloating. It can also lead to temporary blockages and pain. This change worked for me and I've had no problems now for two years after making the diet switch. Much of our wheat, corn, soy, barley, and oats is now treated with glyphosate and it can be difficult to discover, as it's sprayed on crops just before harvest when faster ripening is desired, as when bad weather is expected close to harvest time. That means some batches aren't contaminated, but other ones are. So in our food, it appears seemingly at random. The only way to be sure is to go totally organic for a long enough period to confirm the symptoms are linked to the grains.
Male, false negative colonoscopy age 48
DX: 12/2010 rectal cancer age 51
Stage T3N0M0 2 cm from anal verge
neoadjuvant rad/chemo Xeloda
Rectal resection (open surgery) straight anastomosis
Xeloda round 2
ileostomy reversal 11/2011
Successful adhesion X-lap 8/2013
Ongoing LAR syndrome but NED 10 years

CLCardinal84
Posts: 5
Joined: Thu Oct 19, 2017 6:30 pm

Re: New here - Nervous and worried.

Postby CLCardinal84 » Sun Nov 19, 2017 11:42 am

Hi everyone.

Very thankful and blessed to report that my colonoscopy and endoscopy was clear. My GI was very confident that he looked at everything in detail and that nothing was missed. Tissue biopsies were taken in my transverse colon and stomach to test for any cell abnormalities just in case. Should get those results in a week or so.

Now we keep on digging to find out what’s causing these symptoms but thankful that I avoided the worst.

Prayers to everyone here and their families during this holiday season. Keep fighting.

DarknessEmbraced
Posts: 3815
Joined: Sat Nov 01, 2014 4:54 pm
Facebook Username: Riann Fletcher
Location: New Brunswick, Canada

Re: New here - Nervous and worried.

Postby DarknessEmbraced » Tue Nov 21, 2017 12:44 pm

I'm glad your colonoscopy was clear!*hugs*
Diagnosed 10/28/14, age 36
Colon Resection 11/20/14, LAR (no illeo)
Stage 2a colon cancer, T3NOMO
Lymph-vascular invasion undetermined
0/22 lymph nodes
No chemo, no radiation
Clear Colonoscopy 04/29/15
NED 10/20/15
Ischemic Colitis 01/21/16
NED 11/10/16
CT Scan moved up due to high CEA 08/21/17
NED 09/25/17
NED 12/21/18
Clear colonoscopy 09/23/19
Clear 5 year scans 11/21/19- Considered cured! :)


Return to “Colon Talk - Colon cancer (colorectal cancer) support forum”



Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 26 guests