would you be concerned that these symptoms may be colon cancer?

Unknown

beacon said:

any ideas?

any ideas?

This comment has been removed by the Moderator

chynabear

It is frusterating
It is very frusterating to have doctors with their heads up their... well, nevermind. I was diagnosed the day after I turned 27 with Stage III colon cancer, almost 5 years ago (can't wait). It can and does happen to young adults without previous family history and little to no risk factors. I at least was blessed with the option of doctor bouncing until I found a doctor who listened seriously to my concerns and sent me to a gastro for a colonoscopy.

I think you are wonderful for finding information for your friend to arm themselves with to go to the doctor.

I want you to rest assured that you are doing the right thing in insisting your friend look more seriously at his health. IF it does happen to be cancer... even an advanced cancer that turns out not to be "curable" there are still many treatment options that could give your friend a longer life, with decent quality of life, and he may be able to get to know his baby. That is WORSE CASE. If it is cancer, your friend will only have a shot at being "cured" if it is diagnosed and treated. Without being diagnosed, your friend will die for sure. Now, best case would be that your friend is tested and finds that something simple is causing the problem or nothing at all.

I pray that your friend finds the answers soon.

Patricia

P.S. I am writing this very while very exhausted, so I hope it makes sense.

CherylHutch

msccolon said:

my thoughts
I think that if it looks like a monkey and sounds like a monkey, it might be a monkey. Being afraid that not only might he have cancer but that it is at an advanced stage already should make it more imperative that you get him to understand your concern and he get to a doctor soonest! Ignoring cancer doesn't make it go away, and if it ISN'T cancer, he can get some intervention to fix whatever ails him! And he will be ever so grateful that it isn't cancer and that you cared about him enough to get him in to insist he be checked out! Even other intestinal issues such as ulcerative colitis, diverticulitis and Crohn's can be VERY serious and be just as dangerous to one's health; my sister has ulcerative colitis and wound up in the hospital. Had my mother not insisted she go to the hospital she wouldn't still be with us today.
mary

Ditto
I echo what Mary says. Sounds like the doctor he is going to is a real flake and I have no respect for anyone who passes themselves off as a professional and doesn't practice the oath they took at medical school.

Let's face it.. the average person respects and looks up to their doctor (just as we do to lawyers, dentists, police, etc). When a doctor tells us something, we listen and if their opinion differs from ours, we tend to believe them ... after all, they are the doctor who hast gone to school and gotten the knowledge and skills that we don't have. So when a doctor abuses that authority and won't even listen to their patients, let alone be concerned themselves with the symptoms that are presented... that doctor should be stripped of their rights to practice.

Ok... I'll get off my soapbox on that one.

Let's get back to your friend. The fact that he is asking you questions and seeking your opinion now, this is a sure sign that either sub-consciously or consciously, he feels there is definitely something wrong. The question is... what?

I think it would be a wonderful idea to print off the research you have found. Not only would it be good for him to read it and arm himself with the information, it is also something he can take to his doctor and demand these tests and give her the information as to why he insists on having them.

I don't understand the NHS... but I take it this is still left over from the Thatcher era where she and her government privatized some parts of the system and not others? I won't get into regulation and de-regulation but even the part of the system where you are "assigned" a GP, surely there must be a way of being able to change to another GP? What happens if the GP retires or dies or moves away? Is there no way your friend can request a new GP referral and then take the information you will have printed for him and explain his fears/concerns to a new GP... and explain that the reason he is a new patient for this GP is because his other GP would not listen to his concerns? I don't believe for a second that every single GP in the UK is a flake like the one he is currently going to... so it's time he demanded the respect and proper care that he is entitled to.

If he does get a new GP, gets tested and finds out what the problem is... be it cancer or something totally different, then there must be a place where he can write and give a formal complaint against the current doctor. I'm not sure how folk in the UK do that, or for that matter, folk in the US. Here in the province of BC (Canada) we have the "BC College of Physicians". The College is governed by an elected body of ten physicians together with five public representatives who are appointed by the Ministry of Health.

The role of the College is to:

* Establish standards that must be met by physicians in order to get a license to practice medicine in BC
* Ensure physicians meet high standards of practice and conduct
* Address and deal with complaints about physicians; and where necessary, discipline physicians
* Ensure that medical facilities such as private surgical clinics, labs and diagnostic imaging centres meet established standards through a formal accreditation process
* Administer the Methadone Maintenance Program
* Answer public inquiries about policies, guidelines, patient care, and medical records
* Provide guidance to physicians in all aspects of practice – especially in the areas of ethics, professionalism and statutory compliance
* Work collaboratively with government, universities, hospitals and other organizations to address issues such as:
o Improving access to health care services
o Improving the quality of care patients receive
o Ensuring the privacy of patient information / records


So perhaps you can do some more research and see if in the UK where there is a similar set up. There has got to be somewhere where citizens can take their complaints otherwise there would be no standards whatsoever. I'm hoping this one doctor is the quack here and that your friend can get the treatment he needs... and a new doctor that actually understands what medicine is all about!!

:::off my soapbox:::

Huggggggs,

Cheryl

lisa42

beacon said:

hi all
my friend got his
hi all

my friend got his results back from having his ferratin retested after 3 MONTHS of supplement, and THE LEVELS HAVEN'T CHANGED!

its still the same level as it was 3 months ago!

so i asked him what his doctors thought about that, as i was certainly hearing major alarm bells that a 35 yr old male that has been taking iron supplements for so long has had no rise in iron levels....

their advice and opinion was JUST TO KEEP TAKING IRON SUPPLEMENTS THEN AND IT WILL GO BACK UP!
my god!
what sort of monkeys do we have here in the uk!

so anyway, he is now open to hearing some advice, and asked me some stuff and what he should push to get done...
i suggested the FOC test and a colonoscopy?
i did mention that if there is a cancer the foc test can still miss it if it isn't bleeding at the time of the stool sample.

it doesn't sound like his doctor has even a marble for a brain, so how can he make sure he gets the outcome he wants when he goes back in and asks for tests for cancer on thursday?
remember, this is the tight fisted nhs that we are talking about, who seem to give you no testing unless you come in half dead already!
i have a number of links i have found on the internet from medical type sources for doctors suggesting investigations if patient presents with xyz etc, that i thought maybe he could print out to take in as ammo for the doctor, so she knows hes informed, and if it was me i would also tell the doctor that i am noting down what actions i am asking her to take and if she refuses to send me for tests and it turns out down the track i have xyz which was not picked up as she refused me testing, i will take appropriate legal action! (is that a bad thing to tell a doctor?)

it seems anyway, that my friend is now open to the possibility that something may be lurking and needs to be investigated, so now he just has to convince the doctors of the same, o any suggestions as to how to get the nhs to comply, and where to go if they still refuse to send you for tests ,that would be great.

also, is it a good idea, or a bad idea to send him links of things i have found ?
on the one hand, they are rather frightening, as he fits the bill for some of the stuff, and i don't want to cause undue stress (particulary as some of it talks about ADVANCED staged etc symptoms, and i don't him to assume hes dying from cancer) but on the other hand, if the doctor sees that material she may be more inclined to take him seriously and the penny may drop with her too...

thanks for your time..

horrible
This is absolutely horrible to me that a doctor could be so very inactive in pursuing the real problem, and he instead just treats the symptoms! I went to my father in law's Dr. appt with him a little over a year ago. He eventually ended up getting diagnosed with merkel cell carcinoma- a rare (but increasingly more common) skin cancer, but it took a while to get to that point because his doctor wouldn't listen to him. He had a bluish-red bump on his scalp. My in-laws are in their 80's. I researched it on the internet, looked at pictures of it & it seemed to definitely fit the descriptions of merkel cell skin cancer. When I stated all I had learned to his doctor, the doctor got angry that I was even there and told me "Ralph can tell me this himself". I replied that, "Ralph asked me to the appt with him because he always felt a bit intimidated to speak up during his appts. with you." That made the Dr. all the more angry and he insisted that it couldn't be merkel cell because it's a "very slow growing cancer" (this one had grown very quickly). Well, I retorted that I had learned that merkel cell carcinoma had to be treated immediately because it was in fact a very FAST growing cancer- the complete opposite of what he was telling us.
I asked if my father in law could be referred to get a CT scan because I also read oftentimes this kind of cancer has already spread to other parts of the body by the time the external lesion is seen. He retorted back, "you read too much!" and "no, he doesn't need a CT scan. At his age, we very well will see things there and that wouldn't mean it's spread cancer- then what would we do?" I answered that if there were something there, he'd then need a PET scan to see if it was metabolically active, and maybe a biopsy if it was possible or needed."
He cried out, "He's 80 years old! I will not refer him for a CT scan!"

So, anyhow- we then made an appt. with my oncologist for him. Fortunately, his insurance allows him to go to a specialist without a referral from his GP (mine never would). So, the oncologist saw him and thought right away that it's probably merkel cell & he also referred him right away to get the CT and a PET done. Fortunately, his CT and PET came back okay, but he did end up having the lesion removed and had 6 weeks of radiation for it.

My point of telling this long story of my father in law was just to show how there are idiot doctors out there who don't like to be made to feel stupid in front of their patients, so they get mad if their patient seems to know more than they do.
If your friend doesn't get referred immediately to have a colonoscopy, he definitely needs to change doctors! Even if he does get the colonoscopy, I'd still change doctors!
I don't know how that works in the UK, but I would think there would be someone higher up to plead to, that the doctor isn't being proactive enough and isn't listening to the patient.

I will pray that your friend will take all this seriously and will INSIST on getting a colonoscopy done.
You are a great, caring friend and I know this a great stress on you to be carrying the burden for your friend.

Blessings to you,
Lisa

spongebob

beacon said:

any ideas?

any ideas?

Fe
Beacon -

Ferratin levels are not, in and of themselves, an indicator of anything specific. I have notoriously low ferratin levels. I attribute it to lifestyle and metabolic idiosynchracies - NOT cancer. I would suggest that the fact that your friend's levels have not dropped in over three months would be an indicator that there is not a systemic problem. If s/he has cancer or some other advancing medical issue, I would expect that there would be a change in ferratin levels - AND other test results that would support the hypothesis of a medical issue. My opinion is that, while your concerns are heartfelt, you are unnecessarily feeling much ado about nothing. Others have recommended good additional testing such as a colonoscopy or even something as simple as a fecal occult blood test. Urge your friend to have one or more of these relatively simple tests done. If s/he does, you should have your answer... er s/he should have the answer (it is, after all, his/her health issue)... if not, well, you can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink.

My strongest advice is to not obsess or worry yourself sick over this. Low Fe levels are not at all uncommon - and people are typically tired when they have low Fe levels. On the other hand, constant stress and worry are great cancer enablers. Don't literally worry YOURSELF sick!

- SB

PhillieG

chynabear said:

It is frusterating
It is very frusterating to have doctors with their heads up their... well, nevermind. I was diagnosed the day after I turned 27 with Stage III colon cancer, almost 5 years ago (can't wait). It can and does happen to young adults without previous family history and little to no risk factors. I at least was blessed with the option of doctor bouncing until I found a doctor who listened seriously to my concerns and sent me to a gastro for a colonoscopy.

I think you are wonderful for finding information for your friend to arm themselves with to go to the doctor.

I want you to rest assured that you are doing the right thing in insisting your friend look more seriously at his health. IF it does happen to be cancer... even an advanced cancer that turns out not to be "curable" there are still many treatment options that could give your friend a longer life, with decent quality of life, and he may be able to get to know his baby. That is WORSE CASE. If it is cancer, your friend will only have a shot at being "cured" if it is diagnosed and treated. Without being diagnosed, your friend will die for sure. Now, best case would be that your friend is tested and finds that something simple is causing the problem or nothing at all.

I pray that your friend finds the answers soon.

Patricia

P.S. I am writing this very while very exhausted, so I hope it makes sense.

?
I can't believe half of what I've read...
Amazing on so many levels...

Mike49

Colonoscopy
I was lucky that the center i go to immediately sent me for Colonoscopy, even though the FOBT card is mass screening, the types of false positives make it require a colonoscopy to validate a positive reaction on the card. With a scope they found my mass, I was having similar symptoms, constipation and sluggish bowels for years, and I ate more fiber than the average joe. I was sent for general surgery to be followed by Chemo. Colonoscopy is not to be feared it is awkward and a little uncomfortable but it saves lives to diagnose cancer of the Colon as early as possible.

A friend of mine went to a CT scan colonoscopy and they ended up having to do a flexible colonoscopy anyway to validate what showed up on the CT scan. With any luck, the scope will find some poliips and his bowel habits may improve by the removal of these alone. We don't know until we have a look.

I am currently nearing the end of my Chemo regimen 6 months of FOLFOX 4 and I have done very well, I'd rather do alot of things but I and your friend can fight this if they know what they are fighting, Good luck, I hope he goes to a colonoscopy specialist soon.

choihe

Being unusually Tired
Dear K,

I would be concerned of the possibility. My husband is going through his 10the Chemo T. and I wish I raised the question earlier you have here. He's been always low energy and "unusually tired " all the time. He also had hemorrhoids issue as well, which made him to think any blood in the stool was related to the hemorrhoids.

I would definitely push for the thorough check up to be on a safe side. Anyway, he can prevent a possibility would be a wise thing to do, in my opinion.

Amy