Hi guys, here is my story, I am 52 years old. Two years ago started feeling IBS symptoms, very strong and very sudden. MRI showed 0.7 cyst in my pancreas (with no definite enhancement) and several small cyst in my liver. Which I should monitor (by MRI) every year. Test for h-pylory was positive and it took me two rounds of antibiotics to eradicate it. My IBS symptoms become weaker but didn't go away. Since I was still complaining about my symptoms, in June of 2019 my doctor checked my CEA and it was 6.2 (I am no smoker). I was referred to colonoscopy, and it was negative not even polyp, but gastroenterologist said that it was full of mucus and I have colitis, and I have a Melanosis Coli which means that my colon is dark, and I use laxatives. (but I never used laxative.
My gastroenterologist think to have another colonoscopy in 3 years, in the meantime check CEA every 3 month and if my CEA is not getting higher and my next colonoscopy is clean, I should forget about high CEA and I will be on normal schedule for colonoscopy after that. My general doctor agrees with my gastroenterologist.
My question for you guys, is there anything else I could do to make sure I am not missing something important here? Any tests, procedures? Generally I trust doctors, but they are often overworked, and in my experience sometimes patients have a unique perspective on disease.
and if I have canser, I would like to catch it as early as possible.
Thank you.
Michael.