27 yo, Worried and Scared

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Singledad0709
Posts: 5
Joined: Sun Apr 09, 2017 5:20 pm

27 yo, Worried and Scared

Postby Singledad0709 » Sun Apr 09, 2017 6:01 pm

Have recently been reading this forum. Find it really helpful and resourceful. I know nobody here can give me a diagnosis, I'm just worried and don't have a lot of people to vent too. Super sorry for the long post.

My story is; On New Year's Eve my mom told me she was diagnosed with inflammatory breast cancer. A rare and aggressive forum that sort of came out of nowhere. After weeks of tests and scans all was confirmed, stage 4 with mestasis to her liver. Literally my whole world got flipped upside down. Panic, fear, stress, couldn't eat couldn't sleep. Constant nightmare. Around this time I started getting weird pains in my stomach. I spent a lot of time on google, googling stuff about my moms cancer diagnosis and I sort of stumbled across colon cancer and its symptoms. All of a sudden I started to think back about my stomach issues and made myself even more worried.

In what I believe was January of 2014 (could've been a little before then) I noticed my left lower stomach stuck out a little more then my right side. Barely noticeable. Didn't think much of it. Around the summer of 2015 I noticed I would wake up with a flat stomach (still had the slight left lower distention) and by night fall I would be bloated. Still didn't think much of it just maybe thought I was getting older and metabolism was slowing down. Always been really thin 6'1 145. Started getting lower abdomen almost pelvic pain? Not sure how to word it. Right where your pubic hairs are (sorry) also had pain in right testicle and inner right thigh. It would come and go so I didn't think much of it just knew I should get it checked out.

Fast forward to January of this year after my moms diagnosis. I started getting pain under left rib. Started getting gassy sounds after I ate anything. Still had the bloating and the pelvic pain. Went to urgent care for pelvic pain. Had a pelvic ultrasound and testicular ultrasound. Was told it was epydimitis. Gave doxycycline for 10 days. Haven't had the testicular pain or pain in inner thigh but still get the pelvic pain maybe 3-4 days a month. Saw my primary care doctor told her I was concerned about the bloating and the lower abdomen pelvic pain. She ordered a complete blood test and a hplyori test. Blood test and hyplyori came back regular. She told me I had ibs and work on my diet and not to worry. Asked her if she could recommended me to a GI just in case so she did.

I met with the GI and we talked for maybe an hour about my symptoms and my recent life experiences. He's leaning towards ibs as well but I expressed my concerns about colon cancer and he said he won't ignore that and scheduled some tests. I had a fecal occult blood test that came back regular no signs of blood. I've never noticed any blood in stool or on toilet paper. I had a lactulose breath test for SIBO which came back positive for having bacteria in my small intestine. He put me on Flagyl and neomycin for 10 days. I just finished the antiobiotics but still have the bloating and the left lower distention.

I have a follow up appointment this Friday the 14th and I'm just wondering what tests I should push for if any? Ive always been a really anxious and stressed person and I know stress and anxiety have effects of the digestive system. I've been a single dad for the last 7 years and my mom and my daughter are super close so it's just been extremely hard. On top of that me and my girlfriend of 3 years just broke up so everything's just been super stressful and emotional. I'm wondering if it's the stress that's causing all these problems but I want to have a colonoscopy just in case. I have a good job and I'm hoping my insurance will cover it but talking to my therapist she said she doesn't know if insurance will cover it for people under 50? I'm only 27.

Sorry for the long post just kind of a wreck right now and feel bad talking to my mom about it, she has a lot on her plate.

jhocno197
Posts: 817
Joined: Mon May 11, 2015 9:33 pm

Re: 27 yo, Worried and Scared

Postby jhocno197 » Sun Apr 09, 2017 10:25 pm

Get a colonoscopy.
DH - dx Dec 2014, stage IV with bladder & peritoneal involvement - non-resectable
Colostomy
FOLFOX failed
FOLFIRI failed
Tumor actually distending pelvic skin
Not a candidate for last-ditch pelvic exenteration
Stivarga finally begun 2/19/16
Tumor growing/fungating
Lonsurf started 11/18/16
Died 3/10/17

Singledad0709
Posts: 5
Joined: Sun Apr 09, 2017 5:20 pm

Re: 27 yo, Worried and Scared

Postby Singledad0709 » Mon Apr 10, 2017 8:52 am

jhocno197 wrote:Get a colonoscopy.



Thanks for the reply

JudeD59
Posts: 726
Joined: Sun Apr 12, 2015 12:16 pm

Re: 27 yo, Worried and Scared

Postby JudeD59 » Mon Apr 10, 2017 12:33 pm

Sorry for what both you and your mom are going through. Cancer sucks and can affect so many parts of your life and the lives of those who love you. It's no wonder you are stressed out.

The digestive system is complex and can be affected by a lot of different things. No one here can tell you if your symptoms are caused by colorectal cancer, but your best option is a colonoscopy to rule it out. During the colonoscopy, they can also test for colitis and check for diverticulitis and generally see what else is going on in there.

Good luck and please let us know what the colonoscopy reveals. There are a lot of threads on here about colonoscopy prep and what to expect during the procedure, if that would help you.

Judy
56 yrs old, wife, mother to 4 daughters
RC Stage II T3N0M0 DX April 2, 2015
6 cm. mid-rectum-CEA 121
Xeloda and radiation finished 06/15/15- CEA 242
CEA right before surgery 81
LAR performed 8/12/15 Temporary ileostomy
CEA 10-21-15 1.6
PET scan 11-4-15 All clear
Port installed 11/11/15
Folfox started 11/18/15
Folfox stopped due to bad reaction
Reversal 2/17/16
CEA 2/3/16 1.7
CEA 3/31/16 1.3
CT Scan 4/12/16 All Clear
Port removed 4/21/16
CEA 5/24/17 1.4

DarknessEmbraced
Posts: 3815
Joined: Sat Nov 01, 2014 4:54 pm
Facebook Username: Riann Fletcher
Location: New Brunswick, Canada

Re: 27 yo, Worried and Scared

Postby DarknessEmbraced » Mon Apr 10, 2017 5:55 pm

I'm sorry you and your mother are going through so much!*hugs* I hope you will be able to get a colonoscopy so you will know for certain.*hugs* Good luck.
Diagnosed 10/28/14, age 36
Colon Resection 11/20/14, LAR (no illeo)
Stage 2a colon cancer, T3NOMO
Lymph-vascular invasion undetermined
0/22 lymph nodes
No chemo, no radiation
Clear Colonoscopy 04/29/15
NED 10/20/15
Ischemic Colitis 01/21/16
NED 11/10/16
CT Scan moved up due to high CEA 08/21/17
NED 09/25/17
NED 12/21/18
Clear colonoscopy 09/23/19
Clear 5 year scans 11/21/19- Considered cured! :)

Singledad0709
Posts: 5
Joined: Sun Apr 09, 2017 5:20 pm

Re: 27 yo, Worried and Scared

Postby Singledad0709 » Mon Apr 10, 2017 6:08 pm

JudeD59 wrote:Sorry for what both you and your mom are going through. Cancer sucks and can affect so many parts of your life and the lives of those who love you. It's no wonder you are stressed out.

The digestive system is complex and can be affected by a lot of different things. No one here can tell you if your symptoms are caused by colorectal cancer, but your best option is a colonoscopy to rule it out. During the colonoscopy, they can also test for colitis and check for diverticulitis and generally see what else is going on in there.

Good luck and please let us know what the colonoscopy reveals. There are a lot of threads on here about colonoscopy prep and what to expect during the procedure, if that would help you.

Judy



Thank you so much! I will push for a colonoscopy. Will be sure to keep you updated.

Singledad0709
Posts: 5
Joined: Sun Apr 09, 2017 5:20 pm

Re: 27 yo, Worried and Scared

Postby Singledad0709 » Mon Apr 10, 2017 6:09 pm

DarknessEmbraced wrote:I'm sorry you and your mother are going through so much!*hugs* I hope you will be able to get a colonoscopy so you will know for certain.*hugs* Good luck.



Thank you! I will push for colonoscopy and keep you updated.

Singledad0709
Posts: 5
Joined: Sun Apr 09, 2017 5:20 pm

Re: 27 yo, Worried and Scared

Postby Singledad0709 » Mon Jun 12, 2017 4:58 pm

Had the colonoscopy this morning, everything came back normal. Thanks for all the info.

Lee
Posts: 6207
Joined: Sun Apr 16, 2006 4:09 pm

Re: 27 yo, Worried and Scared

Postby Lee » Mon Jun 12, 2017 6:43 pm

Singledad0709 wrote:. . . and scheduled some tests. I had a fecal occult blood test that came back regular no signs of blood. . .


First I just want to say, I don't think you have colon cancer. For me, I had no pain. I also had a couple of those fecal occult test come back negative. My PCP ran a bunch of tests that should have been a red flag for cancer. My only symptom were my bleeding hemorrhoids. Dr. figured those bleeding hemorrhoids would be my excuse to get my baseline colonoscopy early in life.

As other have stated, get a colonoscopy. That will give a true diagnoses of what or if anything is going on. Anything else is just a speculation. This is your life, you have a right to get a true and correct diagnoses, not a speculation.

Good luck and keep us posted,

Lee

Edit to add the following info, this is what happens when I'm doing 2 different things at once. I did not pay attention to the dates nor the final comment. Glad all is well.
rectal cancer - April 2004
46 yrs old at diagnoses
stage III C - 6/13 lymph positive
radiation - 6 weeks
surgery - August 2004/hernia repair 2014
permanent colostomy
chemo - FOLFOX
NED - 16 years and counting!

DarknessEmbraced
Posts: 3815
Joined: Sat Nov 01, 2014 4:54 pm
Facebook Username: Riann Fletcher
Location: New Brunswick, Canada

Re: 27 yo, Worried and Scared

Postby DarknessEmbraced » Thu Jun 15, 2017 2:22 pm

I'm glad your colonoscopy was clear! :D
Diagnosed 10/28/14, age 36
Colon Resection 11/20/14, LAR (no illeo)
Stage 2a colon cancer, T3NOMO
Lymph-vascular invasion undetermined
0/22 lymph nodes
No chemo, no radiation
Clear Colonoscopy 04/29/15
NED 10/20/15
Ischemic Colitis 01/21/16
NED 11/10/16
CT Scan moved up due to high CEA 08/21/17
NED 09/25/17
NED 12/21/18
Clear colonoscopy 09/23/19
Clear 5 year scans 11/21/19- Considered cured! :)


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