symptoms

beelover
beelover Member Posts: 5
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
Hello-I am a 28 year old healthy female that has recently started having major GI issues. I have been to 5 doctors in the past 2 months and no one is taking me seriously. I started having slight bright red rectal bleeding on the stool in January, occassionally. I just opted to watch it after OBGYN said it was probably hemmorroids. In March, I was diagnosed with kidney stones-because of lower back pain, blood in the urine (no infection) and rectal pressure. I have had horrible constipation for the last 2 months until this last week and no i seem to go two or three times a day. The stool is formed but has blood on it-sometimes very bright, other times it seems darker. I have mucus occassionally, abdominal pain, left pain right above my hip off to the side, insomnia, leg pains...I'm a mess. The doctors keep telling me that my risk in a colonospy outweigh my odds of having cancer, but honestly I can't think of anything else that it would be. Hemmorroids would be felt (I have had two rectal exams where the dr. didn't feel anything). An anal fissure is painful (so I've heard) and I have no pain except for the pressure. Crohn's, Ulcerative Colitis, ummm anything else? I need some hope here because I feel like I'm losing my mind. I did have a CT done for kidney stones (no contrast) and no spots on my lungs or liver were noticeable and nothing jumped out as unusual-no kidney stones either. My question is if I'm having all these symptoms, how far long do you think it is? I know thats probably a guess but I don't know what to do. I can't find a doctor that I trust and that listens to me, we live in a rural area. ps...I had blood work done and I was not anemic, no infection, no inflammation-i assume this is a good sign. any feedback would be greatly appreciated!
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Comments

  • dixchi
    dixchi Member Posts: 431
    Docs
    So sorry to hear about your problems, beelover, they sound really difficult.
    A couple of questions: have you been to a gastroenterologist, a specialist
    in gastro problems? It sounds like you may have but if you haven't I would
    suggest that, they know more about that area than a general doctor would.
    Also, has anyone in your family ever had colon cancer? There is a familial
    type of colon cancer and that can hit people under the age of 50 and some
    of them are on this site and it would be helpful to hear from them. Not sure
    what concerns the doctor has who says the risks of a colonoscopy outweigh
    the benefits......there is such a thing as a virtual colonoscopy that is
    not invasive that can rule out the presence of polyps which are the forerunner
    to colon CA and if removed early enough can eliminate the risk of colon CA.
    But the virtual colonoscopy has to be followed up by a regular colonoscopy
    if polyps are found so they can be removed. My personal opinion is to get
    some form of colonoscopy....it is better than the worry and the not knowing
    what is happening. If you are in a rural area, you would have to go to
    the nearest large city to find a place that does the virtual colonoscopies.
    Sorry you had to come here but this is the place where you can get wonderful
    support and information that may be helpful to you.

    Barbara
  • This comment has been removed by the Moderator
  • dianetavegia
    dianetavegia Member Posts: 1,942 Member
    Colon club calendar
    A calendar you can view off www.colonclub.com has a girl who was dx'd at 17! Another site where I post has a young woman who went through what you're going thru and it was her mother who got in the doctor's face and insisted. Her cancer had spread but she's now 25, I think, and still hanging in there.

    I would insist on a colonoscopy. Your insurance may refuse to pay unless cancer is found. These are not cheap tests.

    Our oldest son has Celiac's Disease. You might check out those symptoms on the internet. He had numerous tests before he was sent to a specialty hospital where they found this.

    Diane
  • NWGirl
    NWGirl Member Posts: 122 Member
    Find a doctor who will listen
    How frustrating to not be able to find a doctor who will listen to your very valid concerns over your symptoms. I would try to seek out a specialist - a GI doc or a colo-rectal surgeon (both can do colonoscopy's) and push for a colonoscopy. I think it's insane the the doctors you have seen have told you that the risks of a colonoscopy outweigh the chance that you might have cancer. What century are they living in????!!!!! Of course there are risks to any medical procedure - but if you have a doctor who does LOTS of colonoscopies, your risks are very minimal. And it would give you and the doctor a much better idea of what's going on inside your colon. If all is well in your colon - it can rule out a number of things and the doctor can move on to other possible causes for your symptoms. But honestly, if there's blood and mucous in your poop, chances are SOMETHING is going on in your colon!

    Why don't you post your city of residence and perhaps there are members on the board who live near there who can recommend a good GI doctor or colo-rectal surgeon close to you. Another chat board you might try is The Colon Club - it has lots of young colo-rectal cancer patients on there - another place to check to see if someone knows a good doctor near you.

    Obviously none of us are doctors and couldn't give you any idea of how far a cancer has progressed IF it's even cancer at all - you have to see a doctor for that sort of information. Whatever it is you don't deserve to live with this type of discomfort and/or worry - so please do whatever you have to do to find a doctor who will listen.
  • Annabelle41415
    Annabelle41415 Member Posts: 6,742 Member
    Run
    Run to another doctor that will listen to you. The symptoms you have are not normal for your age or any age for that matter. You need to have a colonoscopy to rule out polups and possible other issues. Fissures can bleed a lot and are very painful, so are hemmorhoids. You just need to get to a doctor that is going to do something for you besides a rectal exam. You have to be proactive if the doctor isn't. It does sound like you are trying to get this figured out which is good. You need to keep being persistent in getting to the bottom of this issue and find out what is going on.

    Keep us informed. Kim
  • KellyT05
    KellyT05 Member Posts: 3
    symptoms
    Hey there-

    Please insist on a colonoscopy. I was 37 when I was diagnosed. No symptoms other than the bright red streak and a little bloated feeling every now and then. I had the same trouble with my doctor and was told I probably had IBS. After 4 months of wondering why this thing wasn't going away and my doctor repeatedly telling me it was highly unlikely it was anything to worry about I had to insist on a colonoscopy for my own peace of mind. If I had had one when I first started going to my doctor instead of having to second guess myself and wait another 4 months to convince her, I might have had stage II instead of stage III. Trust your gut - literally. You know your body a lot better than anyone else. Be bold!

    I'll be praying for ya!!
  • dianetavegia
    dianetavegia Member Posts: 1,942 Member
    KellyT05 said:

    symptoms
    Hey there-

    Please insist on a colonoscopy. I was 37 when I was diagnosed. No symptoms other than the bright red streak and a little bloated feeling every now and then. I had the same trouble with my doctor and was told I probably had IBS. After 4 months of wondering why this thing wasn't going away and my doctor repeatedly telling me it was highly unlikely it was anything to worry about I had to insist on a colonoscopy for my own peace of mind. If I had had one when I first started going to my doctor instead of having to second guess myself and wait another 4 months to convince her, I might have had stage II instead of stage III. Trust your gut - literally. You know your body a lot better than anyone else. Be bold!

    I'll be praying for ya!!

    Hurrah for Kelly!
    Four years NED? Right?

    Congrats! I'm also Stage III with 5 of 17 nodes 'positive for a few cancer cells'. DX'd Jan. 2nd of this year.
  • beelover
    beelover Member Posts: 5

    Hurrah for Kelly!
    Four years NED? Right?

    Congrats! I'm also Stage III with 5 of 17 nodes 'positive for a few cancer cells'. DX'd Jan. 2nd of this year.

    thank you-but still more questions
    thank you everyone for the quick responses. i'm heading back to yet another doctor today (my primary) but yes I have been to TWO different GI doctors. The last one said "well I will give you the colonscopy but I dont think its necessary". So, I'm having a difficult time insisting because of fear that something will happen during the colonscopy-I know that it is what I will do though, for a greater fear of not knowing. Anyways, is this a cancer that is fast spreading? Is the level of symptoms that I'm feeling make it likely that it has been there for awhile? I'm clueless. No one in my family has had cancer except a great-grandmother and a grandfather. Everyone else is healthy. I live in central IL/IN-could travel to Indy or Chicago, but not sure how to do that without a referral or reference or anything. The doctors have made me start to feel like I'm a little crazy and imagining everything, but the blood is very visible-so i'm not crazy about that part. Do people with Stage I or II have symptoms? How about bloodwork-does it show anything or mean anything if mine was fine? Thanks again
  • beelover said:

    thank you-but still more questions
    thank you everyone for the quick responses. i'm heading back to yet another doctor today (my primary) but yes I have been to TWO different GI doctors. The last one said "well I will give you the colonscopy but I dont think its necessary". So, I'm having a difficult time insisting because of fear that something will happen during the colonscopy-I know that it is what I will do though, for a greater fear of not knowing. Anyways, is this a cancer that is fast spreading? Is the level of symptoms that I'm feeling make it likely that it has been there for awhile? I'm clueless. No one in my family has had cancer except a great-grandmother and a grandfather. Everyone else is healthy. I live in central IL/IN-could travel to Indy or Chicago, but not sure how to do that without a referral or reference or anything. The doctors have made me start to feel like I'm a little crazy and imagining everything, but the blood is very visible-so i'm not crazy about that part. Do people with Stage I or II have symptoms? How about bloodwork-does it show anything or mean anything if mine was fine? Thanks again

    This comment has been removed by the Moderator
  • wesparris
    wesparris Member Posts: 11
    unknown said:

    This comment has been removed by the Moderator

    My advice would be to DEMAND
    My advice would be to DEMAND a colonoscopy. I had to work for a year to get my doctors to agree to do mine. I have very minor symptoms...a bit of diarrhea, and some minor blood (but this was rare). I was just concerned because I had followed the whole Katie Couric/Jay Monahan story. I was 41 at the time and the docs just kept saying you have irritable bowel, etc...that I was too young for a colonoscopy. Once they finally agreed to do it, I woke up and the first thing I remember the GI saying is "you saved your life by coming in here today".

    I had to have my entire colon removed, but I am healthy right now and the prognosis is great. Had I listened to the first doctors "I would be dead or dying" (and that is what my surgeon..the Chief of Colorectal surgery at Mt Sanai said!!!!

    Good luck!

    Wes
  • lisa42
    lisa42 Member Posts: 3,625 Member
    you need a colonoscopy!
    Hello,

    It really irks me that doctors are still putting people off from having a colonoscopy when they have symptoms like this just because of their age. I was diagnosed at 41, but I had symptoms of rectal bleeding for a few years beforehand. I had always heard constipation and weight loss were the other symptoms- I had neither. I had diarhea off and on (but I was someone who had always been prone to getting diarhea if I was stressed, ate the wrong foods, etc.) I hadn't had any weight loss either- in fact, I had tried to lose 10 lbs. before then and couldn't lose more than a couple of pounds. When I was diagnosed at 41, it was already stage IV and in both lungs and in my liver as well as the rectal tumor was grown through my bowel wall. If my doctors had taken me seriously, maybe it would have been diagnosed before I had gotten to stage IV. I was told a few years before that I "had hemorroids", when I went in concerned with rectal bleeding. Now, I know that hemmoroids and fissures DO cause bleeding and so when my symptoms got more severe (major bleeding- the whole toilet turned red), I went back again. My primary care Dr. wasn't available, so I saw the nurse practicitioner who rectally examined me and told me I had "a very large hemorroid" and that my major bleeding incidient was probably due to a hemorroid bursting. I later learned that she had actually felt my tumor and called it a hemorroid! How she didn't question what she felt, I don't know, because my tumor was very hard and unlike a hemorroid. Anyhow, I still asked for a referral to a GI and said I wanted to still get a colonoscopy. In the next few weeks after that, however, I didn't really have any symptoms, so I thought that the nurse pract, must be right and that it was just a burst hemorroid. I knew that I did have hemerroids also, so I figured I was just being a hypochondriac by thinking it might be more than that. So, it wasn't for a couple more months that I finally went to the GI. He just had a "consultation" with me to discuss my symptoms and he gave me no physical exam. He told me it "was probably nothing", but we could schedule the colonoscopy if I really wanted to. I had no family history at all of any kind of cancer, I hadn't lost any weight recent so none of the doctors were alarmed at all by my symptoms & kind of made me feel like I was overreacting. So, because of all that, I was told colon cancer was very unlikely. So, again- I put the colonoscopy off for a couple of more months (until after a Hawaiian vacation which now in retrospect, I'm glad I got to have before knowing I had cancer).

    I finally got the colonoscopy done and was instantly told afterward they found something that had to be removed surgically and it could be cancer. A couple of days later I got my dreaded diagnosis. It wasn't until I had a CT scan a couple of days after that, that it was discovered that it had already spread to my liver and lungs- so I was already a stage IV.

    This is not to scare you, because you may not have cancer at all- there ARE definite other reasons for rectal bleeding. BUT- you won't know that until/unless you get the colonoscopy done! That's why I can't understand why these doctors of yours are trying to dissuade you from having it. I know there are possible problems with getting a colonoscopy and they make you sign that you're aware of all that, but I have never heard of anyone having problems from the procedure itself. Either you'll find out you don't have cancer and you won't have to keep wondering, waiting, and worrying about it, or- if it actually is cancer, treatment can begin and you hopefully will have caught it in its early stages.

    God bless you during this stressful time- I will be thinking of you and praying for you.

    Take care-
    Lisa
  • dixchi
    dixchi Member Posts: 431
    Chicago
    Beelover, you are quite fortunate in that you live within driving distance
    of Chicago and the University of Chicago Medical Center which is designated
    by the National Cancer Institute as a comprehensive cancer center. I would
    suggest you call them and talk with them about going there for a colonoscopy
    and check-up; they see so many cancer cases that there is just about nothing
    they haven't seen and are the experts....at one point I considered going
    there myself even though I live in Cincinnati. People go from all over
    the country because the NCI CCCs are always on top of the latest developments.


    Barbara
  • tootsie1
    tootsie1 Member Posts: 5,044 Member
    beelover said:

    thank you-but still more questions
    thank you everyone for the quick responses. i'm heading back to yet another doctor today (my primary) but yes I have been to TWO different GI doctors. The last one said "well I will give you the colonscopy but I dont think its necessary". So, I'm having a difficult time insisting because of fear that something will happen during the colonscopy-I know that it is what I will do though, for a greater fear of not knowing. Anyways, is this a cancer that is fast spreading? Is the level of symptoms that I'm feeling make it likely that it has been there for awhile? I'm clueless. No one in my family has had cancer except a great-grandmother and a grandfather. Everyone else is healthy. I live in central IL/IN-could travel to Indy or Chicago, but not sure how to do that without a referral or reference or anything. The doctors have made me start to feel like I'm a little crazy and imagining everything, but the blood is very visible-so i'm not crazy about that part. Do people with Stage I or II have symptoms? How about bloodwork-does it show anything or mean anything if mine was fine? Thanks again

    Stage 1 can have symptoms
    I was diagnosed Stage 1 in November, 2007. I had experienced some blood in the stool and rather severe stomach pains. The only reason I delayed at all going to the doctor was that I have IBS, and I assumed it was that. What sent me to the doctor was a sudden episode where I basically unloaded a toilet full of water. So, yes, you can have symptoms and be Stage 1. And, yes, you should be persistent and get a colonoscopy. Even if it turns out that you don't have cancer, there's something going on with your body, and you need to know what it is.

    *hugs*
    Gail
  • NWGirl
    NWGirl Member Posts: 122 Member
    Symptoms
    When I had rectal bleeding (I thought it was hemmerhoids) I saw my OB/GYN. I was soooo embarrassed. Even more embarrassed when they referred me to a colo-rectal surgeon. When I met with the surgeon I flat out told her how embarrassed I was - especially if she found nothing - and that I would have wasted her valuable time and mine. She was so kind to me - and said if she found nothing - GREAT! But best to just check it out. At 43 years old I was stage 3 with 27 of 38 nodes affected. In retrospect, I'm sure it had been there for years. Lucky for me, I had doctors who did not dismiss my symptoms. My father did die of colon cancer - but I had some basic genetic testing done and my cancer is not genetic from what they can tell - I just have bad luck.

    It's sad, but when it comes to your health - YOU have to be very proactive and be your own advocate. Please don't let doctors dismiss your symptoms - you need a colonoscopy.
  • beelover
    beelover Member Posts: 5
    NWGirl said:

    Symptoms
    When I had rectal bleeding (I thought it was hemmerhoids) I saw my OB/GYN. I was soooo embarrassed. Even more embarrassed when they referred me to a colo-rectal surgeon. When I met with the surgeon I flat out told her how embarrassed I was - especially if she found nothing - and that I would have wasted her valuable time and mine. She was so kind to me - and said if she found nothing - GREAT! But best to just check it out. At 43 years old I was stage 3 with 27 of 38 nodes affected. In retrospect, I'm sure it had been there for years. Lucky for me, I had doctors who did not dismiss my symptoms. My father did die of colon cancer - but I had some basic genetic testing done and my cancer is not genetic from what they can tell - I just have bad luck.

    It's sad, but when it comes to your health - YOU have to be very proactive and be your own advocate. Please don't let doctors dismiss your symptoms - you need a colonoscopy.

    It's finally done!
    Well I just wanted to check back in and let everyone know that I had my colonscopy today-cried until the meds kicked in because I was soooo worked up. It was a breeze. I can't believe I fussed over it as much as I did....the prep wasn't even anything compared to how I have felt the last 2 months. They found a "very large" polyp right where I told them it hurt, my left descending colon. The doctor said he was very surprised by my age and I get to go for colonscopy's every 3 years for the rest of my life-fun :) They are sending it away for pathology reports but he did not think that it was cancerous. I go back May 15th. Thank you for everyone that posted. It's wonderful that there are sites like this where people can share stories. Many of these stories have been inspriration. I thank God that I had all the symptoms I did so I could get it checked out early. Please please please-go get a colonscopy if you have rectal bleeding-there is nothing to it.
  • jenben59
    jenben59 Member Posts: 136 Member
    beelover said:

    It's finally done!
    Well I just wanted to check back in and let everyone know that I had my colonscopy today-cried until the meds kicked in because I was soooo worked up. It was a breeze. I can't believe I fussed over it as much as I did....the prep wasn't even anything compared to how I have felt the last 2 months. They found a "very large" polyp right where I told them it hurt, my left descending colon. The doctor said he was very surprised by my age and I get to go for colonscopy's every 3 years for the rest of my life-fun :) They are sending it away for pathology reports but he did not think that it was cancerous. I go back May 15th. Thank you for everyone that posted. It's wonderful that there are sites like this where people can share stories. Many of these stories have been inspriration. I thank God that I had all the symptoms I did so I could get it checked out early. Please please please-go get a colonscopy if you have rectal bleeding-there is nothing to it.

    Good for you Beelover
    I was not told/taught to get a colonoscopy before 50. I think this should be a standard at any age, especially with family history. We were taught to go to our gynocologist once a year for check up and tests...why not colonoscopies? I've read the earlier you "catch" the disease the better the odds of beating the cancer or getting polyps removed and not even getting cancer. If these insurance companies want to "save money" allow people to get these tested before it advances and they have to pay for Chemo and everything else. I proud of your posts...tell young people that have symptoms, suspect or have a strong family history to get a colonoscopy.
  • beelover
    beelover Member Posts: 5
    jenben59 said:

    Good for you Beelover
    I was not told/taught to get a colonoscopy before 50. I think this should be a standard at any age, especially with family history. We were taught to go to our gynocologist once a year for check up and tests...why not colonoscopies? I've read the earlier you "catch" the disease the better the odds of beating the cancer or getting polyps removed and not even getting cancer. If these insurance companies want to "save money" allow people to get these tested before it advances and they have to pay for Chemo and everything else. I proud of your posts...tell young people that have symptoms, suspect or have a strong family history to get a colonoscopy.

    I Agree!
    I completely agree Jenben. I have always been very good about going to the gyno, and when all this started that is where i went first. I've been to 12 doctors in 2 months (some of them the same, just multiple times!) But, with no family history and the normal bloodwork they just summed it up as Irritable Bowel. I am just thankful that I had a dr. that would do the colonscopy and that I had symptoms to tell me something wasn't right. I think all people should get one maybe at 30 and then not again until 40 and then 50 if everything is clean. With it being such a common procedure I agree that it would save them money in the long run. I pray that the path reports come back clean and that we caught it and I'll be knocking on my dr. door every 3 years, or sooner, if need be. Rectal bleeding, unusual abdominal pain, gurgling/bloated stomach, feeling of not being able to empty the bowels, constipation/dirrehea....don't ignore it!!!! Go Go Go :)
  • chynabear
    chynabear Member Posts: 481 Member
    Oops
    I was so frantic that I posted this before I read through the rest of the post... now I will go back and read haha. I'm glad you had a colonoscopy and will find out what is going on. Now, back to reading... sorry

    Please do whatever you need to do to make them listen to you. Do you have to have a referral to see a specialist? If you have to, please take my story to them... just make them listen I am sure even my past GI doc would even be willing to help get you a colonoscopy.

    I was nearly in a panic when I read your message because it was so frighteningly like mine.

    My first blood-in-stool incident started when I was 23. I was told the same exact thing. Finally, my story closely follows yours when I was 26. After visiting doc after doc I FINALLY visited a doctor fresh out of school who was new to the pracice my mother-in-law uses who told me it could be any number of things BUT we would only be able to answer that question with a colonoscopy.

    The GI that did my colonoscopy came to me in the hospital with full apologies and said he will NEVER practice medicine the same. He asked me if he could use my story. He never fully believed I had cancer. He only performed the scope to give me peace of mind. Even after snaring a polyp, he doubted I had cancer. Sadly, he and each and every doctor that told me I was too young, told me that the chances of me having cancer were low, told me that I had nearly zero risk factors WERE WRONG. By the time I was diagnosed, the day after I turned 27, I was Stage III. They estimate that I had been living with cancer for five years at that point. If I could have had a colonoscopy the first time, I would have had a Stage I or so I believe.

    I really do pray that you do not have cancer and instead have something a little less dramatic. That said, IF you do have cancer, which your visit here confirms your fears, the earlier you start treatment and get a diagnoses, the better your chances are of getting a CURE.

    Unfortunately, there are more and more youngsters being diagnosed with cancer... even at later Stages of the disease as well. I hope you aren't one of them.

    Please keep us updated and let us know if there is anything we can do to help.

    Tricia
  • beelover
    beelover Member Posts: 5
    chynabear said:

    Oops
    I was so frantic that I posted this before I read through the rest of the post... now I will go back and read haha. I'm glad you had a colonoscopy and will find out what is going on. Now, back to reading... sorry

    Please do whatever you need to do to make them listen to you. Do you have to have a referral to see a specialist? If you have to, please take my story to them... just make them listen I am sure even my past GI doc would even be willing to help get you a colonoscopy.

    I was nearly in a panic when I read your message because it was so frighteningly like mine.

    My first blood-in-stool incident started when I was 23. I was told the same exact thing. Finally, my story closely follows yours when I was 26. After visiting doc after doc I FINALLY visited a doctor fresh out of school who was new to the pracice my mother-in-law uses who told me it could be any number of things BUT we would only be able to answer that question with a colonoscopy.

    The GI that did my colonoscopy came to me in the hospital with full apologies and said he will NEVER practice medicine the same. He asked me if he could use my story. He never fully believed I had cancer. He only performed the scope to give me peace of mind. Even after snaring a polyp, he doubted I had cancer. Sadly, he and each and every doctor that told me I was too young, told me that the chances of me having cancer were low, told me that I had nearly zero risk factors WERE WRONG. By the time I was diagnosed, the day after I turned 27, I was Stage III. They estimate that I had been living with cancer for five years at that point. If I could have had a colonoscopy the first time, I would have had a Stage I or so I believe.

    I really do pray that you do not have cancer and instead have something a little less dramatic. That said, IF you do have cancer, which your visit here confirms your fears, the earlier you start treatment and get a diagnoses, the better your chances are of getting a CURE.

    Unfortunately, there are more and more youngsters being diagnosed with cancer... even at later Stages of the disease as well. I hope you aren't one of them.

    Please keep us updated and let us know if there is anything we can do to help.

    Tricia

    questions
    I am wondering if the polyp is cancerous would they be able to tell during the colonscopy, Or is the dr. still assuming that its not cancerous because of my history and my age? If it is cancerous how will they find out what Stage I am at? I guess I'm asking where do we go from here? Not cancerous then I go every 3 years and hope that I catch them??? If it shows cancer then what? Any stories or input would be helpful
  • chynabear
    chynabear Member Posts: 481 Member
    beelover said:

    questions
    I am wondering if the polyp is cancerous would they be able to tell during the colonscopy, Or is the dr. still assuming that its not cancerous because of my history and my age? If it is cancerous how will they find out what Stage I am at? I guess I'm asking where do we go from here? Not cancerous then I go every 3 years and hope that I catch them??? If it shows cancer then what? Any stories or input would be helpful

    They will only be able to
    They will only be able to tell if the polyp is cancerous by having it tested at the lab. IF it is cancerous, you will be able to tell the staging by at least one of two ways or a combination. You can have a CT scan or a PET and CT scan that will give a good indication (though not fool proof) of the staging or surgery to tell the staging. My word of advice, especially as to your story hits so very close to mine, is to insist on a CT (minimum) or a PET/CT (ideal) before surgery IF it is cancerous.

    The GI did not believe my polyp was cancerous during the colonoscopy. The flesh was pink and healthy looking, though the polyp was large. After finding out it was cancerous, they were certain that the cancer hadn't advanced. In fact, my surgeon told me that she had to do another colonoscopy to find the spot where the polyp was snared and still nearly missed it because everything looked so healthy. See a pattern? I was too young to have cancer, there was no way I had cancer: but I did. Well, I have cancer but there is no way that it could have spread: but it did. The reason I say have a scan before (I would push for a PET/CT) is that in my case they assumed it hadn't spread and just did the surgery. My surgeon only took 5 lymph nodes, I believe under the assumption that it hadn't spread. Unfortunately, one of those nodes was positive for cancer. Most surgeons I believe take at least 20, or so I've read. I have also had scans post treatment and have had one node near the surgical site that was enlarged. I will always wonder if any of the other nodes had cancer that they maybe didn't take. I have lost sleep over this.

    Luckily, I am nearing my 5 year mark in October and nothing else has cropped up... but, I would have felt better if more of my nodes taken and 1 out of 20 was cancerous instead of 1 out of 5.

    I would also request blood work before surgery, again IF it is cancerous. Colon cancer has a blood marker called a CEA. Now, by itself, the CEA isn't a great indicator of whether you have cancer or not. For some people it is elevated, but not for others. If you have a pre-surgical blood test and see whether the CEA is elevated IF you have cancer, you will have more knowledge about whether it is a good marker for you in the future or not.

    Now, as to where you will be heading now... that will be up to the advice of your GI. Since mine was cancerous, I had another scope 1 year out, 2 years out, and will have one at the 5 year mark. If that one is still clear, I will go every 5 years. If your polyp is not cancerous, I would think that the schedule would still probably be close. They want to make sure no new polyps develop.

    I hope this information helps and does not scare. I'm praying that your experience will be very different from mine in that hopefully you do not have cancer. However, I think that I would have done things differently if I had more knowledge when I was diagnosed. I was so freaked out that I wanted the cancer out and I wanted it out NOW. I was truely in a panic and didn't stop to learn anything because I was too scared. Now, I know that knowledge is more powerful than being scared when it comes to decision making. I didn't stop to make sure that we were working with the best plan. Don't get me wrong, I loved my team (still do) and they saved my life... but I would still have done a few things differently.

    Let us know when you find out.

    Tricia