30 and scared

Please feel free to read, share your thoughts, your stories and connect with others!
mamaof31991
Posts: 7
Joined: Mon Nov 30, 2020 7:55 pm

Re: 30 and scared

Postby mamaof31991 » Sun Apr 11, 2021 1:19 pm

Nicknack wrote:
mamaof31991 wrote:Thank you all for your words and advice. I've gone back to this post many times for reassurance and to calm my fears a bit. I had mt first GI appt. and he didn't do so much as examine me and barely glanced at my photos. He said the only way to know for sure would be a colonscopy but at the moment all the beds were full due to covid. So for now I did blood work, stool sample and will be doing an U/S and an xray.

However meanwhile I am still struggling with extreme anxiety over this. This morning was especially bad. My poop was a really obvious reddish brown. Im not sure if it is because of the magenta iced cupcake I had last night although I only had 1. Would anyone be so kind as to tell me how blood would present itself? Would it turn the toilet bowl red because in my case it was just the poop itself. Would the blood be able to be removed from the poop? in my case my poop is actually red. any advice would be greatly appreciated.


Hi @mamaof311991 - Have you heard back or learned anything new here? I'm sharing similar worries and my bloodwork was just sent out on Friday. Thank you.


Hi there- My blood work came back fine. I believe he did a CBC as well as liver check and everything checked out okay. I have a colonscopy scheduled for the end of this month.

mamaof31991
Posts: 7
Joined: Mon Nov 30, 2020 7:55 pm

Re: 30 and scared

Postby mamaof31991 » Sun Apr 11, 2021 1:28 pm

CancerBum21 wrote:I’m not sure how accurate these test are, but if your worried about blood I’m your stool, you could always pick up a test kit from your local drug store, CVS, Walgreens, etc. It’s usually something that you put in the toilet after a bowel movement and will chance color if there is blood present.

When I had blood present it was on the toilet tissue when I wiped. I saw some along the sides of my poop. But I had rectal cancer so it’s really close to the exit. I guess if it’s in your colon your stool would be black.


Was it obvious that it was blood? Did it turn the toilet water red? was it a bright red? like In clots? I'm so sorry to bombard you with questions. I have a colonoscopy scheduled for the end of the month. The closer it gets the more anxious I am feeling.

User avatar
Green Tea
Posts: 451
Joined: Mon Oct 24, 2016 10:48 am

Re: 30 and scared

Postby Green Tea » Sun Apr 11, 2021 1:34 pm

mamaof31991 wrote:.... He said the only way to know for sure would be a colonscopy but at the moment all the beds were full due to covid...

So, have you managed by now to get an appointment to have a colonoscopy? What are the doctor's plans for you?

mamaof31991
Posts: 7
Joined: Mon Nov 30, 2020 7:55 pm

Re: 30 and scared

Postby mamaof31991 » Sun Apr 11, 2021 2:03 pm

Green Tea wrote:
mamaof31991 wrote:.... He said the only way to know for sure would be a colonscopy but at the moment all the beds were full due to covid...

So, have you managed by now to get an appointment to have a colonoscopy? What are the doctor's plans for you?

Yes. I have a colonscopy scheduled for the 29th. very anxious about it all.

Koreysue
Posts: 258
Joined: Mon Apr 30, 2018 2:36 pm

Re: 30 and scared

Postby Koreysue » Sun Apr 11, 2021 6:51 pm

Hi there,
Sorry for your stress. Getting checked is the right thing to do. As to your questions about the blood-
Everyone is different, but here is my experience:
Blood on toilet paper was the first thing I noticed. Then I started to see it along the sides of the stool. Never enough to color the water red...just streaks. For me it was bright red, and for others it is dark red, or blackish.
I’ll be thinking of you...the waiting is rough.
Ksue
Dx: 6/2017 stage 3 CC
Sigmoid, 2 nodes
CEA at dx: 6.1
Sigmoid Colectomy/folfox (last chemo (1/31/18)
CEA 4/2018: 2.4
CEA 7/2018: 3.7
Colonoscopy 8/18 clean
PET scan 8/20/18 NED
CEA 11/2018: 3.8
CEA 2/2019: 3.2
CT NED 6/18/19 / CEA : 3.4
CEA 10/21/19: 3.2
CEA 3/9/20: 3.8
CT NED /CEA 6/17/20: 3.8
CEA 11/4/20 4.6 <——— whyyyy? (will retest in a few weeks)
CT NED 12/1/20 CEA: 3.5
CEA 5/21 4.2
CEA 10/21 3.4
colonoscopy 10/21 10mm polyp
CEA 4/22 3.7
CEA 7/22 3.8
CEA 12/22 4
CEA 1/22 3.2 and NED 5yr scan

CancerBum21
Posts: 29
Joined: Fri Feb 26, 2021 6:27 am

Re: 30 and scared

Postby CancerBum21 » Thu Apr 22, 2021 3:14 pm

I hope you’ve gotten your colonoscopy already. But to answer your questions, no it wasn’t super noticeable. I kept thinking maybe I ate something red until I started seeing it on the toilet paper.

One thing that my Dr keeps telling me is that rectal cancer is typically very slow growing.

mamaof31991 wrote:
CancerBum21 wrote:I’m not sure how accurate these test are, but if your worried about blood I’m your stool, you could always pick up a test kit from your local drug store, CVS, Walgreens, etc. It’s usually something that you put in the toilet after a bowel movement and will chance color if there is blood present.

When I had blood present it was on the toilet tissue when I wiped. I saw some along the sides of my poop. But I had rectal cancer so it’s really close to the exit. I guess if it’s in your colon your stool would be black.


Was it obvious that it was blood? Did it turn the toilet water red? was it a bright red? like In clots? I'm so sorry to bombard you with questions. I have a colonoscopy scheduled for the end of the month. The closer it gets the more anxious I am feeling.
34/M
DX:(Rectal Cancer) 2/15/21
Stage: T1N0M0
TAMIS Surgery 3/10/21
Pathology: T1NxM0 - LIV positive, 1/1 lymph positive Stage IIIA
FOLFOX 6 rounds
Radation & Xelota 5 weeks

mamaof31991
Posts: 7
Joined: Mon Nov 30, 2020 7:55 pm

Re: 30 and scared

Postby mamaof31991 » Fri Apr 23, 2021 9:11 am

CancerBum21 wrote:I hope you’ve gotten your colonoscopy already. But to answer your questions, no it wasn’t super noticeable. I kept thinking maybe I ate something red until I started seeing it on the toilet paper.

One thing that my Dr keeps telling me is that rectal cancer is typically very slow growing.

mamaof31991 wrote:
CancerBum21 wrote:I’m not sure how accurate these test are, but if your worried about blood I’m your stool, you could always pick up a test kit from your local drug store, CVS, Walgreens, etc. It’s usually something that you put in the toilet after a bowel movement and will chance color if there is blood present.

When I had blood present it was on the toilet tissue when I wiped. I saw some along the sides of my poop. But I had rectal cancer so it’s really close to the exit. I guess if it’s in your colon your stool would be black.


Was it obvious that it was blood? Did it turn the toilet water red? was it a bright red? like In clots? I'm so sorry to bombard you with questions. I have a colonoscopy scheduled for the end of the month. The closer it gets the more anxious I am feeling.



Thank you for replying. My procedure is next Thursday

User avatar
Green Tea
Posts: 451
Joined: Mon Oct 24, 2016 10:48 am

Re: 30 and scared

Postby Green Tea » Fri Apr 23, 2021 9:53 am

mamaof31991 wrote:
Green Tea wrote:
mamaof31991 wrote:.... He said the only way to know for sure would be a colonscopy but at the moment all the beds were full due to covid...

So, have you managed by now to get an appointment to have a colonoscopy? What are the doctor's plans for you?

Yes. I have a colonscopy scheduled for the 29th. very anxious about it all.

Getting Ready for your Colonoscopy
http://www.westchestergi.com/docs/WCGI_colonoscopy_brochure.pdf

NoVA21
Posts: 13
Joined: Thu Feb 25, 2021 7:15 pm

Re: 30 and scared

Postby NoVA21 » Mon Apr 26, 2021 5:02 pm

mamaof31991 wrote:
NoVA21 wrote:Have you had any update on your diagnosis?
I get it. The anxiety alone can be very difficult. I have been there. Do not get discouraged. There are so many advancements in cancer treatment these days if it is even cancer.

That said; In my personal experience, the blood was in the stool itself. It was not dripping like hemorrhoids would be nor was it on the toilet paper.



I have a colonoscopy scheduled for the end of the month finally. I'm absolutely terrified. About everything. The prep. the procedure. being put to sleep. And of course the news they will tell me at the end.
was the blood you were finding in your poop dark red or light red?


Hello Mamaof31991 - mine was bright red and it was in the stool. The blood was not dripping or anything.
I know the anxiety. It can be difficult and whatever anyone or I say, at the end we are all human and this kind of emotion comes with it whether we like it or not.

My only suggestion is to think of it this way - Once we find out, you can rest easy if it is nothing. If it is something, whatever it is, you can actually have a game plan to do whatever needs to be done.

On the flip side if you don’t know, that anxiety would continue and if there is something, you wouldn’t know it.

Take a deep breath and let’s do it one step at a time. Please keep us posted.
Dx Jan 2015
Colon Resection Feb 2015 stage 3B
Folfox started Mar 2015
Could only finish 11 out of 12 rounds
Mar 2016 dx mets on both lungs - officially stage 4
Apr 2016 double lung resection
By the grace of God, am still clear today.


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



Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 114 guests