Bowel issues worried about colon cancer?

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Becca123
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Bowel issues worried about colon cancer?

Postby Becca123 » Tue Jan 19, 2021 9:04 am

Hello everyone I'm new here I'm 25 years old. I wanted to see if someone has been in a similar situation as me? I recently had a baby about a month ago on December 15th during the last week of my pregnancy I noticed I had some bleeding on the Tp after a bowel movement during my whole pregnancy even before my stools have been normal and never had issues with bleeding except maybe once or twice. After I had the baby a weeks after I had my 1st bowel movement it was normal then 4 days later I had diahrrhea for about 3 days I assumed it was from the pain medication I was taking so I stopped. A weeks in a half or so after I had painful bowel movements like it stung so much after I had the bowel movement and noticed some bleeding on my toilet paper and on my stool. This lasted about 2 in a half weeks. Then I got constipated couldn't go for 4 days didnt have an urge to go I started taking miralax with colace and I had a bowel movement yesterday it came out pencil thin almost like tooth paste same thing happened this morning to. I have searched on Google everything I read points to colon cancer or hemorrhoid I have a Drs appointment in 2 days.

boxhill
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Re: Bowel issues worried about colon cancer?

Postby boxhill » Tue Jan 19, 2021 1:04 pm

The bleeding sounds as if it is likely to be hemorrhoids, given that you have just given birth. I remember having them then. I don't know about the bowel issues, but certainly there's a lot of uproar in the body after giving birth, what with hormones and so on. Especially if you are breast-feeding, make sure to drink a lot of fluids to avoid constipation. You might want to try taking a daily modest dose of psyllium if you don't seem to be getting enough fiber. Psyllium tends to produce soft, regular stools, rather than boomeranging between constipation and diarrhea.

But definitely get it checked out when you see your ob/gyn. Congratulations on the new baby! :D
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Becca123
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Re: Bowel issues worried about colon cancer?

Postby Becca123 » Tue Jan 19, 2021 1:53 pm

I should have put on here also I had my baby by c section so I didn't have to push. I guess my 1st bowel movements though were difficult to pass because of pain medication.

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Green Tea
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Re: Bowel issues worried about colon cancer?

Postby Green Tea » Tue Jan 19, 2021 2:36 pm

Welcome to the Forum.

For your meeting with the doctor this week, what I would suggest is that you ask the doctor for a referral to a Gastroenterologist for purposes of scheduling a colonoscopy. A colonoscopy is what is needed in order to resolve issues like this.


DarknessEmbraced
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Re: Bowel issues worried about colon cancer?

Postby DarknessEmbraced » Wed Jan 20, 2021 1:51 pm

I agree with Green Teat that i would be good to see a GI in order to schedule a colonoscopy so you can find out what's going on. Good luck.*hugs*
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
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roadrunner
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Re: Bowel issues worried about colon cancer?

Postby roadrunner » Wed Jan 20, 2021 3:14 pm

I agree with others that you should get this checked out. But I would not worry about it at all. Hemorrhoids are very common in general, and even more so in your specific situation (postpartum). Colorectal cancer at your age is very, very rare. Also, you may get some resistance to a request for a colonoscopy at this stage, particularly if your GI doctor can identify a hemorrhoid as the source of the trouble. You (and she) can evaluate what you need as you go forward. Might include a colonoscopy, might not IMO. So my advice is: Look into it in a reasonable way, but be happy and confident in the meantime!
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Becca123
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Re: Bowel issues worried about colon cancer?

Postby Becca123 » Thu Jan 21, 2021 7:35 pm

Hello everyone thought I would give an update I went to the doctors he did a rectal exam and found external hemorrhoids but nothing inside. I told him I was still concerned about the pencil thin stools and me have the feeling that I'm literally pushing to go? I guess he told me to try witch hazel for the hemorrhoids continue miralax and if it doesn't get better in 2 weeks to call and make an appointment and I would have to go see a GI doctor. He said my anal area is tighter than normal and may be causing the thin stools but he thinks it's probably my body acting differently from just having a baby a month ago?

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Maggie Nell
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Re: Bowel issues worried about colon cancer?

Postby Maggie Nell » Fri Jan 22, 2021 5:19 am

Becca123 wrote:Hello everyone thought I would give an update I went to the doctors he did a rectal exam and found external hemorrhoids but nothing inside. I told him I was still concerned about the pencil thin stools and me have the feeling that I'm literally pushing to go? I guess he told me to try witch hazel for the hemorrhoids continue miralax and if it doesn't get better in 2 weeks to call and make an appointment and I would have to go see a GI doctor. He said my anal area is tighter than normal and may be causing the thin stools but he thinks it's probably my body acting differently from just having a baby a month ago?


A c-section is major abdominal surgery - two incisions are made. Your body is still recovering, minimum time is 6 weeks. You have done the
right thing with consulting with your doctor; is this also your ob-gyn? I imagine you would have received information on how to care for yourself
post-partum after a c-section; trouble urinating and passing stool is a known after-effect.
DX April 2015, @ 54
35mm poorly diff. tumour, incidental finding following emergency R. hemicolectomy
for ileo-colic intussusception.
Lymph nodes: 0/22
T3 N0 MX
Stage II CRC, no adjuvant chemo required.

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Green Tea
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Re: Bowel issues worried about colon cancer?

Postby Green Tea » Fri Jan 22, 2021 7:21 am

Becca123 wrote:Hello everyone thought I would give an update I went to the doctors he did a rectal exam and found external hemorrhoids but nothing inside. I told him I was still concerned about the pencil thin stools and me have the feeling that I'm literally pushing to go? I guess he told me to try witch hazel for the hemorrhoids continue miralax and if it doesn't get better in 2 weeks to call and make an appointment and I would have to go see a GI doctor. He said my anal area is tighter than normal and may be causing the thin stools but he thinks it's probably my body acting differently from just having a baby a month ago?

I have a few points I would like to mention:

  1. Not to worry for now
    For now, I think it's best to follow roadrunner's advice and not worry so much, since the primary problem may be hemorrhoids and C-section recovery, not cancer.
  2. Follow doctor's orders
    For the next two weeks it is important to follow the doctor's orders as closely as you can and keep track of your condition to see if it does get better with witch hazel and Miralax, and to contact the doctor immediately for a GI doctor referral if things don't improve at all or even get worse. Try to keep good daily records of your experience so that you have something concrete to show the doctor. You may want to make use of the Bristol Stool Chart to help describe your stools over the next 2 weeks.
  3. Review your risk factors for colorectal cancer
    Meanwhile, you can check to see if you have any high-risk factors for colorectal cancer so that you can share this information with the GI doctor when he/she asks you about your medical history. Be sure to read through all the risk factors in the list. Perhaps the most important ones for a person of your age are the ones related to family history of colon cancer, since high incidence of colon cancer in your family line might mean that you have a genetic mutation that triggers colon cancer at a very early age.
    https://www.cancer.org/cancer/colon-rectal-cancer/causes-risks-prevention/risk-factors.html
  4. Be aware of a possible "It's just hemorrhoids" mis-diagnosis
    For a very, very small percentage of cases, there are patients who have both hemorrhoids and colorectal cancer:
    Mis-diagnosed as "just hemorrhoids". You should be aware of this in case your hemorrhoid treatments do not solve all of the problems. Also, you could ask the doctor about the possibility of surgical removal of your external hemorrhoids so that you don't have to worry about them any more.
  5. Possible long-term after-effects of your C-section surgery
    You should be aware that a major surgery like C-section might cause adhesions to develop and might cause small bowel obstructions (SBO):
    Small bowel obstructions (SBO)
    https://coloncancersupport.colonclub.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=52932&p=417613#p417613
    .

Skylerfelix
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Re: Bowel issues worried about colon cancer?

Postby Skylerfelix » Fri Jan 29, 2021 5:34 am

I'm almost 25 and have a beautiful baby girl, and I'm very worried about my results from my colonoscopy, its taking over 2 weeks, my bowel movements were first pencil thin with blood and mucus, then turned into frequent diarrhea with blood, and the strong urge to go just after I went, I lack my appetite, but also hungry...but also nauseous. My intestines at a glance looked inflamed, small hemorrhoids in multiple areas, and took some samples to biopsy. I'm in pain constantly. My spleen is bruised, I think they bumped it while performing colonoscopy and endoscopy...I had blurry vision in my left eye, palpitations, lightheaded, nausea, upper left side back pain, and I cant go poop after 3 doses of Miralax, and I have trouble urinating as well, somedays are better then others thanks to vicodin numbing the pain...I have been just passing gas, but it take effort... I'm so worried. Hope everything was okay for you
A constant ball of panic and anxiety.


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