4cm polyp! Freaking out

[Skoliv]

After a FOBT positive (saw blood in stool) and knowing I have an uncle who died of colon cancer at 36y, I did a colonoscopy and doctor removed a 4 cm polip in my sigmoid, 4 CM!!!! . I am 29 years old. He said that it looks ok despite the size. But I am hypochondriac and this is too hard for me. I can't cope until the biopsy results.
I am shaking all over. 7 to 15 days is too much. I will most probably die of concern before that!
Can a polyp be as aggressive as a full blown tumor? It still looks like a polyp even though is it big. Is that a good sign? Do you know any stories of such large polyps not being malignous? Please help.

[skypup]

You are taking care of things, good for you. Now read a few posts and see what we are facing. Then say you are going to die from the stress. Oh, please...

[mymom]

My husband had a large polyp...benign

[megan120]

All the biopsies taken during my colonoscopy were negative Even the one from my softball sized tumor that was cancer. But my GI guy said it was cancer, so maybe they know what they are talking about sometimes.

[Skoliv]

You are taking care of things, good for you. Now read a few posts and see what we are facing. Then say you are going to die from the stress. Oh, please...

I am sorry if I was insensitive. I have hypochondria and other anxiety issues, so I tend to be a little self centered. I am sorry. I am not completly in control of what I am saying or doing right now. I already had thyroid cancer and I have beaten it, but it left me with a huge pschological scar. I was just looking for confort and advice. Again, sorry if I upset anyone.

[Valorie]

I know you are really scared. Worrying will not change what is. The size of the polyp/tumor doesn't really come into play. Mine was 2-3 cm in the sigmoid and was cancerous. There are some people that have had large masses that have been benign. Listen to your Dr. They are pretty good at recognizing cancer when they see it. I was told during my colonoscopy ( I wasn't knocked out for mine) that the mass looked cancerous. The Dr was right. Keep encouraged that your Dr didn't say it looked like anything. Let us know how it turned out for you.

Valorie

[chemo sabe]

I came to following a colonoscopy and the Dr said "I have some bad news - you have cancer". What I am trying to say is GI docs know what they are looking at. If the Dr said "it looks OK" it probably is. I can understand your anxiety over the long waiting period for absolute results, but based on what the Dr told you, I think you can throttle it back a bit - polyps do not look like tumors. Polyps become cancerous but they stop looking like polyps then also.

Either way, you really gotta get a grip. None of us are doctors, we are listeners only. We can tell you our own stories, we cannot tell your story. I told you mine in an effort to get you to understand that GI Docs do not try and plant false hopes. Yes, you need to wait for the lab results, but you really can start breathing easier.

Wishing good things for you
Gary

[horizon]

If it makes you feel better mine was bigger, was cancerous, and I am doing fine right now. I was freaking out when I was where you were at. Worrying doesn't do anything but make you more upset, but it's so hard not to. Just try to take it one day at a time.

[Skoliv]

Thank you sooo much. I am trying I come to terms with the fact that I will have to wait. It is part of life. But to hear that usually docs know really helps me focus. He did say that, although he cannot be sure, he would guess a precancerous adenoma and congratulated me for checking out my blood in stool problem. If I do have cancer I imagine it would be, most probably, initial because there was no visible cancer and only one polyp. If it is true or not I don't know but will try to hold on to that thought when I start falling into that black hole (feels like my thyroid cancer days all over again, I was 20 years old and had complications).

[Cb75]

Waiting is hard. I had to wait three weeks for my initial path report. Try to keep your mind busy on good things. You'e not sure if you have something to worry about, just yet. However, with the pervious thyroid cancer, please push to get answers. Don't let any doctors push you aside because you are young. I was told I did't need a scope. I was diagnosed stage iv.

cb

[Skoliv]

Waiting is hard. I had to wait three weeks for my initial path report. Try to keep your mind busy on good things. You'e not sure if you have something to worry about, just yet. However, with the pervious thyroid cancer, please push to get answers. Don't let any doctors push you aside because you are young. I was told I did't need a scope. I was diagnosed stage iv.

cb

Could you tell me how did your tumor/polyp look like during scope? Did the doc say it looked good but it was a stage iv? Ok I am officially freaking out again.

[Cb75]

Waiting is hard. I had to wait three weeks for my initial path report. Try to keep your mind busy on good things. You'e not sure if you have something to worry about, just yet. However, with the pervious thyroid cancer, please push to get answers. Don't let any doctors push you aside because you are young. I was told I did't need a scope. I was diagnosed stage iv.

cb

Could you tell me how did your tumor/polyp look like during scope? Did the doc say it looked good but it was a stage iv? Ok I am officially freaking out again.

I know its hard, try not to compare. Everyone is truly unique and what happened to me, is rare. I saw a pic of the tumor, it looked like a lump of flesh, no weird colours just a lump. That was it. It haunted me for quite some time, it was all I could see when I closed my eyes. I wish my surgeon never showed me the pic. However, I think he thought Id need to see it to believe it. I was not told at that time it was cancer, but in retrospect my surgeon knew. I then had a follow up CT, MRI and Ultra Sound on my liver to confirm a small and resectable liver met. This is part of MY story. Just get checked, and go from there....

cb

[Skoliv]

I know its hard, try not to compare. Everyone is truly unique and what happened to me, is rare. I saw a pic of the tumor, it looked like a lump of flesh, no weird colours just a lump. That was it. It haunted me for quite some time, it was all I could see when I closed my eyes. I wish my surgeon never showed me the pic. However, I think he thought Id need to see it to believe it. I was not told at that time it was cancer, but in retrospect my surgeon knew. I then had a follow up CT, MRI and Ultra Sound on my liver to confirm a small and resectable liver met. This is part of MY story. Just get checked, and go from there....

cb[/quote]

Thank you for telling me your story. I hope you are ok now! I admire all of you for being so strong. I don't feel strong at all.

[michelle c]

For what it's worth my doc knew mine was cancer - didn't have to wait for the biopsy results. If the doctor said that yours looks ok then focus on that.

[horizon]

I admire all of you for being so strong. I don't feel strong at all.

When I was first diagnosed my doctor offered to give me a prescription for Xanax because I was so upset. A cancer diagnosis is an overwhelming, scary thing. What you're feeling isn't uncommon.