The Colon Club

Guys i need your help.

Few months ago while my husband was still getting his chemoradiation, i had another bout of anxiety and shock. It was the day when my at that time 14 year old yelled for me from the restroom to go and check on something. When i went to the restroom, she looked scared and confused and was pointing at the toilet. When i looked down in the toilet i saw clouds of blood all around her poop. Red but not very dark. My heart dropped to my feet. Since my husband was diagnosed, blood in the poop is probably my worst fear and nightmare. It was the first symptom he was having.

My daughter later admitted that her and her sister ate a big bag of Flaming Hot Cheetos the day before and that she was having stomach discomfort after it. And of course as always, the first thing I did is I turned to Google. Was able to find several websites about hot cheetos causing coloration in the toilet mimicking blood and how it sent worried parents and kids to ER only to find out that the color is caused by the chips, etc etc. I honestly didn't buy into that. I even ate a bag of hot cheetos to see if the same thing can happen to me but nothing happened.
So of course, even more terrified, I called her doctor in a panic and asked him to refer us to GI Asap, and because he already knew about my husband's disease, he submitted an authorization request to my Insurance without needing us to go see him first. We were able to see the GI the following week. I explained the GI our family history of CRC. He took an anal culture with a swab and did an instant test on a test strip which showed negative for blood. He then sent us for blood work to check her iron levels, 3 day stool test to detect blood. All came back negative. He told me to rest assured, my daughter doesn't have anything as her tests all came negative, especially my husband's blood genetic test results did not indicate any genetic/inherited mutations. Though he mentioned that because her father was diagnosed with CRC at the age of 49 , she will need to have a colonoscopy 10 years earlier.
I was a little releived for a while, but lately my daughter started complaining about chronic fatigue, is having cold hands and feet, having abdominal pain, burps a lot and is complaining of some indigestion. If these were happening as of last year, the fear of CRC would have been the last thing in my mind. But because we are where we are now, i can't stop thinking about it.

I recently had a long conversation with her GI doctor on the phone discussing all her symptoms, my husband's genetic tests and all the possible screenings my daughter can get.
And although he doesnt think my daughter is at risk for CRC and those symptoms are not representing CRC, he agreed to do upper and lower endoscopy. (He Probably thinks i am crazy and he better do it just to get over with me)

Please tell me if i am overreacting. Am I being ridiculous? Should I push for colonoscopy instead? At the same time I am afraid my girl is too young for colonoscopy. Is 15 too young for colonoscopy? How early is too early?

I must admit, i often overreact about little things related to my kids especially health, and i am afraid this might be one of those times and that I am putting my daughter through unnecessary sedation and colonoscopy without any real cause for it.
Thank you

Your reaction is totally understandable, it seems very rare for a 14 year old to have colon cancer, but it has happened. With your husband’s history I would be a little worried too. 14 is not too young for a colonoscopy, if odd symptoms persist I would go that route, better to be sure.

Based on all of the stool tests, it would seem likely that your daughter does not have CRC—that is what the “head” says, but based on your personal experience with your husband’s health, your “heart” instantly goes in to worst-case scenario. My best friend has FAP which is a genetic condition in which she was a polyp producing factory, until she had her entire colon removed once she was diagnosed. Her two daughters who are now 17 and 19 have each had at least three colonoscopies so far as they get checked every few years to see if they also inherited this gene. So to answer your question, she is not too young for a colonoscopy. I wish you peace with whatever is decided on.

I too was going to mention FAP. I once met someone who told me a colonoscopy at a young age saved her life because some time in her pre teen years (I forgot her exact age - maybe 12-15) she had bleeding and was diagnosed with FAP and that was the first time I had heard of it. Of course it might be nothing like that in this case, but it's good to know that one can see a physician and see if it is something they'd need to check for/rule out/etc.
Best wishes!

This was many years ago, a women was in her late 20's was diagnosed with colon cancer. It was later determined /learned that she had relatives die at a young age from colon cancer. Butt not body ever talked about it. It was determined that her kids would start getting scoped by age 10.

Good luck,

Lee

Thank you all. The only thing i am afraid of are the risks associated with the procedure. I dont know what to do
I dont know what's the right thing to do in her situation. which has the highest risk: her having the colonoscopy or not having it? My family thinks i am crazy and that i am putting my poor child through this because of my paranoia.

I see from your sig line DH was diagnosed at age 49 stage 2A. Try being diagnosed at age29 with stage IV. Her aunt died before seeing age 50. Sorry when it that young, the danger of the procedure are insignificant compare to a cancer diagnoses prior to the age of 30 or 40.

Just my humble opinion. I was 46 with a stage IIIC diagnoses, this came out of no where. No family history, that we have found YET!!!!

All the best,

Lee

I'm pretty sure that a lower endoscopy is a colonoscopy and an upper endoscopy is a gastroscopy. It seems that a lot of people get confused and think that an endoscopy is only an upper endoscopy - an endoscopy also includes colonoscopies. Is your daughter still passing blood - if not, it is highly unlikely it is colon cancer butt for peace of mind, you might as well go ahead with both if that is what he said he will do.

michelle c wrote:I'm pretty sure that a lower endoscopy is a colonoscopy and an upper endoscopy is a gastroscopy. It seems that a lot of people get confused and think that an endoscopy is only an upper endoscopy - an endoscopy also includes colonoscopies. Is your daughter still passing blood - if not, it is highly unlikely it is colon cancer butt for peace of mind, you might as well go ahead with both if that is what he said he will do.

Hi Michelle. Thanks for your reply.
Yes, you are right. I confirmed with her GI and he is going to do endoscopy and colonoscopy
My daughter only had that one incident of what looked like blood. And occasional stomach discomfort or abdominal pain. I told her to check the toilet before she flushes and call me if there is anything unusual. She is assuring me it was the coloring from the hot cheetos she ate and not blood. But i can't just pretend i am convinced by a 14 year old and let it go until its too late. My family is not very supportive of my decision to get her scoped and keep telling me that i must be crazy and to leave the poor child alone.
I have convinced myself several times that there is nothing wrong with my child, but then i come to this group, read stories of really young kids diagnosed with colon cancer and start worrying myself sick again.

I am like you with my kids health. I don’t think it’s too young for a colonoscopy. That said- and you may think I’m crazy- have her eat those Cheetos again. Then check her poop. She may react differently than you. If it is red again, I wouldn’t worry. If it’s not, do the colonoscopy and put your mind at ease if she continues to have the bloating and burping. And I would start colonoscopies sooner then 10 years before your husbands diagnosis.

Not long after my original surgery I was at a middle school ball game and was talking with the lady coach. She told me one of her 7th graders had Stage IV colon cancer and they'd removed her whole colon but the parents were demanding it not be discussed, especially with the child because they didn't tell her what was wrong or her chances of dying.

Since then we've met several who had CRC as kids, but all came from families with the different genes that make them prone to cancer. One girl had no large intestine and her mother was going through chemo for breast cancer at the same time she went through chemo for CRC. The mother died and didn't finish.

dianetavegia wrote:Not long after my original surgery I was at a middle school ball game and was talking with the lady coach. She told me one of her 7th graders had Stage IV colon cancer and they'd removed her whole colon but the parents were demanding it not be discussed, especially with the child because they didn't tell her what was wrong or her chances of dying.

Since then we've met several who had CRC as kids, but all came from families with the different genes that make them prone to cancer. One girl had no large intestine and her mother was going through chemo for breast cancer at the same time she went through chemo for CRC. The mother died and didn't finish.

Oh my god Diane. Thats so sad. Just thinking about it makes me go crazy. The doctor was trying to convince me that my daughter is not at risk for CRC. While i pray and hope that's the case, i can't be calm until she gets tested. I have already made and appointment for her colonoscopy and endoscopy to happen in December.

Once my younger one who just turned nine is about her sister's age she is next to be scoped.

[quote="mymom"]I am like you with my kids health. I don’t think it’s too young for a colonoscopy. That said- and you may think I’m crazy- have her eat those Cheetos again. Then check her poop. She may react differently than you. If it is red again, I wouldn’t worry. If it’s not, do the colonoscopy and put your mind at ease if she continues to have the bloating and burping. And I would start colonoscopies sooner then 10 years before your husbands diagnosis.[/quote

That's a good suggestion mymom, though I want to be 100% sure nothing is wrong in my child and the only way to know is the colonoscopy. Only then I'll have my mind at ease.