The Colon Club

I absolutely will. Whatever they want me to do as a preventative measure in the future, I’ll gladly do. I feel extremely lucky that I was able to get a referral out of my PCP now. She said she’d do it just for my peace of mind, not because she thought I needed it, and now we’ve found a polyp.

Will try not to worry between now and then too. Thank you for the advice, I really appreciate it.

Oh goodness, I can empathize with you. Three years ago (2015) I had my first colonoscopy due to bleeding hemorrhoids and persistent pain in my lower abdomen. It came back totally clear, but I had no answers. Tried the low FODMAP diet, which worked for awhile, and I figured out which sugars were difficult to digest. I eventually figured that stress was causing my digestive system to not function properly and moved on with life.

Fast forward to two weeks ago. After a week of extreme fatigue and sleeping 15-20 hours each day, I had a BM and passed an entire blood clot. This wasn’t just “normal” hemorrhoid bleeding with drops in the toilet. It was a seriously concerning clot of blood. It almost looked like a body tissue or lining of something. I immediately scheduled an appointment with my PCP the next morning. She did a quick exam and concluded that since my hemorrhoids weren’t actively bleeding, that I’m only 27, and that I had had a colonoscopy 3 years ago, that this was nothing to be worried about... she said if I passed another clot and continued to have thin stools, diahrrea, and the abdominal pain, to come back... That answer didn’t give me peace of mind just being turned away. Everything says to contact your doctor, ESPECIALLY if there’s blood, so I wasn’t just going home and waiting.

I scheduled an appointment with the GI specialist that same day. She ordered another colonoscopy ASAP. Now I’m playing the waiting game. March 1st is the date. These symptoms are nothing like I had three years ago. I’m scared and I’m frustrated, and I’m so tired of not being taken seriously. Yes, I’m 27 and problems are “rare,” but rare does not mean impossible.

This board feels so welcoming and understanding. I just wanted to throw my story out there so that maybe someone won’t just dismiss my experiences.

KJo wrote:Oh goodness, I can empathize with you. Three years ago (2015) I had my first colonoscopy due to bleeding hemorrhoids and persistent pain in my lower abdomen. It came back totally clear, but I had no answers. Tried the low FODMAP diet, which worked for awhile, and I figured out which sugars were difficult to digest. I eventually figured that stress was causing my digestive system to not function properly and moved on with life.

Fast forward to two weeks ago. After a week of extreme fatigue and sleeping 15-20 hours each day, I had a BM and passed an entire blood clot. This wasn’t just “normal” hemorrhoid bleeding with drops in the toilet. It was a seriously concerning clot of blood. It almost looked like a body tissue or lining of something. I immediately scheduled an appointment with my PCP the next morning. She did a quick exam and concluded that since my hemorrhoids weren’t actively bleeding, that I’m only 27, and that I had had a colonoscopy 3 years ago, that this was nothing to be worried about... she said if I passed another clot and continued to have thin stools, diahrrea, and the abdominal pain, to come back... That answer didn’t give me peace of mind just being turned away. Everything says to contact your doctor, ESPECIALLY if there’s blood, so I wasn’t just going home and waiting.

I scheduled an appointment with the GI specialist that same day. She ordered another colonoscopy ASAP. Now I’m playing the waiting game. March 1st is the date. These symptoms are nothing like I had three years ago. I’m scared and I’m frustrated, and I’m so tired of not being taken seriously. Yes, I’m 27 and problems are “rare,” but rare does not mean impossible.

This board feels so welcoming and understanding. I just wanted to throw my story out there so that maybe someone won’t just dismiss my experiences.

Hi and welcome, sorry for the reason you are here.

Glad you are getting a scope, butt try not to worry. Have you noticed any weight loss? Weight loss is associated with cancer. Are you a female? Any chance you could have been pregnant and lost it? It happen to me, that's why I was wondering, butt I knew I was pregnant at the time.

If the colonoscopy does not find anything, you might want them to go down your throat and look into your stomach. My husband has Barrett's Disease and get scoped that way every few years.

Good luck and let us know how it goes,

Lee

KJo wrote:I scheduled an appointment with the GI specialist that same day. She ordered another colonoscopy ASAP. Now I’m playing the waiting game. March 1st is the date. These symptoms are nothing like I had three years ago. I’m scared and I’m frustrated, and I’m so tired of not being taken seriously. Yes, I’m 27 and problems are “rare,” but rare does not mean impossible.

This board feels so welcoming and understanding. I just wanted to throw my story out there so that maybe someone won’t just dismiss my experiences.

I completely understand. My everything was dismissed as musculoskeletal pain from the start, because of my age/lack of other symptoms. And you know, it seems like they were right. But I wouldn’t have discovered this polyp if I hadn’t demanded a colonoscopy.

I’ve already managed to convince myself it has to be cancerous, despite statistics saying 5mm is considered small and at minimal risk to contain cancer cells. It’s like there’s this cold dread in my chest constantly, just waiting for the pathology report to confirm it. The doctor said “no cancer, no real areas of concern” but I just can’t convince myself otherwise. Can they really know just by looking??

I really hope your scope gives you peace of mind and turns out to be nothing at all. Will be thinking all the positive thoughts for you!

StillAnxious wrote: . . . The doctor said “no cancer, no real areas of concern” but I just can’t convince myself otherwise. Can they really know just by looking??
!

YES!!! They are medically trained to know/look at these things. Are the 100% correct all the time, NO that is why a pathology report is so important. It should tell you everything you want to know. Butt they are the medical experts. NOT you and I!!

Generally polyps tend to be larger (then yours) when they find cancer cells.

You can worry it you choose, butt believe me you got BETTER news than I did with my first scope. I wish my 1st scope had gone in your direction.

When do you expect to get the pathology report?

Lee

Lee wrote:

StillAnxious wrote: . . . The doctor said “no cancer, no real areas of concern” but I just can’t convince myself otherwise. Can they really know just by looking??
!

YES!!! They are medically trained to know/look at these things. Are the 100% correct all the time, NO that is why a pathology report is so important. It should tell you everything you want to know. Butt they are the medical experts. NOT you and I!!

Generally polyps tend to be larger (then yours) when they find cancer cells.

You can worry it you choose, butt believe me you got BETTER news than I did with my first scope. I wish my 1st scope had gone in your direction.

When do you expect to get the pathology report?

Lee

They told me 7-10 days but to call if I hadn’t heard anything by next Monday. I can see the status of the pathology report in my health record files online too, and goodness knows I’ve checked a couple times already today for any changes.

Thanks for the reply, Lee. I hope to find I’ve put myself through this stress over nothing major.

Called my regular doctor today. She read the report over the phone with me. The polyp was hyperplastic, THANK GOD.

As for the suspected inflammation, the report said mucinous lymphoid reaction, focal, superficial ( I think that was the word? Will get a copy of the actual report from gastro doc ) with no inflammation or dysplasia.

My GI’s office just called as I was typing this too, and said the same thing. I asked about the lymphoid part and she just said that was a normal reaction or change. Which backs up what the doctor thought, that it was a reaction to the prep. No colitis.

This is an answered prayer. I prayed for them to find nothing but instead, they found something, and now I know I should start monitoring earlier than 45. This baseline could save my life in the future.

I appreciate every one of you who replied to me here. I will be praying for all of you to live long, happy lives. So grateful to have found you all.

Wonderful news!