I'm back.

[Beansy1]

Hi all, lovely to see CR Guy still here.
I joined in 2006, online name then I think was Jane1, but have had to rejoin using Beansy1.

2005, aged 42, diagnosed with rectal adenoma, chemo/radiation, Ultra low abdominal resection, TME and further chemo. I have had regular colonoscopies and a handful of other polyps, a couple with dysplasia over the years. My surgeon became a friend and he has done all my colonoscopies.

July 2021, he thinks he can see a serrated polyp, tattoos it and refers me elsewhere. It was deemed not urgent and my new surgeon and I agreed to leave it 6 months. He specialises in flat serrated polyps and uses a technique called EMR. Saline and adrenaline is injected in to bulk it up so that it can be snared. Last week I went in for a scope, expecting there only to be the one polyp. 16 were removed, it took 1 ½ hours and I will have to go back for another session. Pathology today has come back as benign!!! I understand they can be tricky to see but I'm surprised and disappointed that my original surgeon only saw one. Am I expecting too much? Should I be upset?

I now have a diagnosis of "serrated polyposis syndrome", which has implications fo my 4 children - all adults now. Still a hard conversation to have. They were aware that surveillance would be required, but at the time, I didn't appear to have very much going on.

I used to spend hours on this site, it was a life saver mentally to know others were going through it too. I haven't "needed" it for some years but now feel I need to keep up to speed again with possible treatments and outcomes. Anyway, here's to another scope in a few months that will hopefully remove them all then, follow up every 2 years to keep on top of it/them. Beansy1

[MadMed]

Welcome back Jane1/Beansy1, glad it's for a "benign" reason. You're right about this site, feels like a great community and CRGuy, PRS and others keep it alive.
I think i would be pretty upset if my surgeon missed 16 polyps, i would ask him how that happened ? I assume you were referred because the new surgeon is a specialist in serrated polyps ? Maybe this type of polyps are hard to spot and that's why old surgeon sent you somewhere else. If that's the case, then kudos for doing the right thing and not winging it.
A quick google tells me they are hard to detect and maybe the EMR etc.. is how they can be found. If that's true, then you should be happy that old surgeon detected one and sent you somewhere where they can be more thorough.

My suggestion is ask new surgeon about how detectable they are and if super difficult, i would thank old surgeon if it turns out they did the right thing.

[CRguy]

Hey homies many thanks for the shout outs !!!
Still here kickin' BUTT and takin' names as we used to say
BUTT ...
not bein' quite as bad a badass as I uzed to wuzz

just FYI Beansy1
you used to post as " jane " back in the day and I checked :
your posts are all still here AND some very memorable conversations with great folks

WORD !!!

Cheers and Harmony
keep ON keepin' ON !

CRguy

[Beansy1]

Thanks Cr Guy and madmed. I'll be checking in again and following to see how others cope with the diagnosis of serrated polyposis syndrome. They are hard to see and my new surgeon is a specialist in them. It means though that I have to travel 2 ½ hours away and need to book 3 nights accommodation to cover prep for colonoscopy and post issues. It was holiday season and it cost us a fortune! We'll make sure it's not in school holidays next time.

Beansy1/Jane

[boxhill]

Consensus of opinion is that my tumor probably originated from a sessile polyp in the hepatic flexure..VERY hard to see.

Last summer I had my first post-surgical, and second overall, colonoscopy, and the Dr found and removed two benign sessile polyps, IIRC one in the descending colon and the other in the rectum. It had been 10 years since my previous (clean) colonoscopy.

I have no idea what it means if one only produces sessile polyps.

[Michmash77]

Hi Beansy1. You and I have a very similar history – I was 42 at diagnosis of rectal cancer followed by ULAR, had similar treatment by the looks of it but my serrated polyposis syndrome was found at the time of my diagnosis. They only found four sessile serrated polyps plus the cancer but my surgeon felt it was probably SPS. I have six siblings, all of them had colonoscopies but only one sister was found with multiple SSPs. I think it was about 10. She had one that was pre-cancerous and quite large which they ended up removing a large piece of her bowel to ensure they got it all. The fact that my sister had so many convinced my doctor I had it too but unfortunately cancer appeared before I knew about the SPS. But out of seven of us, only two seem to have the syndrome.

I had genetic testing done. They told me that as SPS is not common they don’t know what genetic mutations they are looking for but they wanted to test me to see what they could find and to make sure I didn’t have any other things going on. They didn’t really find anything, so it seems to be something they are still in the dark about.

My surgeon told me the SSPs grow fast and are much harder to find but as long as you keep your colonoscopies regular hopefully they will find them before they become cancerous. Originally my surgeon wanted to take out my entire large bowel just to be on the safe side and give me a permanent ileostomy. She changed her mind and decided surveillance may be better and I only had a temporary ileostomy, since reversed. I’m glad she changed her mind!

It’s great you are still cancer free and although frustrating they didn’t realise you had so many polyps, it’s good to know you have the condition before it got worse.

[Beansy1]

Michmarsh, yes we do sound similar! My sister started surveillance colonoscopies after my diagnosis 16 years ago. She had 1 serrated polyp back then but nothing since. However I think she probably needs to start with my new surgeon who specialises in SSP's. I have an appointment with him on March 10 and am keen to get the rest removed. He said in 6 months but I'm hoping that he would be happier to do it sooner.