My husband

LinSims
LinSims Member Posts: 7
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
Hello everyone,I joined because I am afraid my husband has cancer. He goes for a colonoscopy and endoscopy this Monday,May 3rd. He has been having thin,flat bowel movements for about 6 weeks. I am expecting a cancer diagnosis but I've not told him that.He had a heart attack in Nov. 2004 and had a stent put in. He is not on any medication except an aspirin a day and fish oil. The gastroenterologist took blood last week, but we have not heard the results yet. Do they wait and tell you everything at once? Will they tell us anything after the colonoscopy? Or wait till we go back to the dr. office? Could it be something other than cancer? He has had no visible bleeding. His muscles get fatigued easier than normal. He will be 50 in September, he is still working, (truck driver) but he has never done anything to take care of his health. Eats lots of meat on the road, sugary stuff too. He smokes even though he had a heart attack!He is home every night, but prefers to eat at restaurants, I think he is addicted to it.He is also about 60 pounds overweight.Also, he is a first year employee where he works and insurance only covers 70% with a $10,000 dollar limit, until September when it will go to 100%,and a higher limit if he can still work. I am scared and if it is cancer he will be devastated. Any advice would be appreciated.Thank-you
Linda

Comments

  • geotina
    geotina Member Posts: 2,111 Member
    Linda
    Welcome to the board. To be honest, his symptoms could be anything. The only thing I can address, from our experience, is that they will give you the results of the colonoscopy (or at least they should) as soon as it is done. With the technology they have, they take pictures along the way of anything they find. Let the person doing the colonoscopy know that you want to know the results when they are finished with the scope and they will come out and talk to you. Even with my colonoscopy (I'm am not the one with the cancer) they came out and talked to George before I was even awake.

    Good Luck

    Tina
  • LinSims
    LinSims Member Posts: 7
    geotina said:

    Linda
    Welcome to the board. To be honest, his symptoms could be anything. The only thing I can address, from our experience, is that they will give you the results of the colonoscopy (or at least they should) as soon as it is done. With the technology they have, they take pictures along the way of anything they find. Let the person doing the colonoscopy know that you want to know the results when they are finished with the scope and they will come out and talk to you. Even with my colonoscopy (I'm am not the one with the cancer) they came out and talked to George before I was even awake.

    Good Luck

    Tina

    My husband
    O.k. that sounds good. This waiting is just crazy and I don't want to wait any longer than I have to. Thanks for the reply!
  • vhtqm1
    vhtqm1 Member Posts: 107
    easier said then done but try
    try not to worry and or think anything negative. it just doesn't accomplish anything and that energy you expell on worrying can be saved for when and or if that moment presents itself. after the colonoscopy you usually do get some results. for example if there were polyps and or a blockage they will let you know but the final information won't be available until pathology is complete. usually about 4 days or so. let's not forget if whatever this is is cancerous then catching it early is the 'key' to beating this. it's amazing how the cure rating on percentage changes with the final staging. there are technically 5 stages. stages 0 - 4. stage 4 being the worse. however, i'm a stage 4 and have even experienced months of being cancer free. glad your husband is getting tested and remember as hard as it may be try not worrying and concentrate on getting information sooner rather then later. hope this helps? oh---i would also think if something in the blood testing revealed something significant i think you would know by now.

    ed
  • LinSims
    LinSims Member Posts: 7
    vhtqm1 said:

    easier said then done but try
    try not to worry and or think anything negative. it just doesn't accomplish anything and that energy you expell on worrying can be saved for when and or if that moment presents itself. after the colonoscopy you usually do get some results. for example if there were polyps and or a blockage they will let you know but the final information won't be available until pathology is complete. usually about 4 days or so. let's not forget if whatever this is is cancerous then catching it early is the 'key' to beating this. it's amazing how the cure rating on percentage changes with the final staging. there are technically 5 stages. stages 0 - 4. stage 4 being the worse. however, i'm a stage 4 and have even experienced months of being cancer free. glad your husband is getting tested and remember as hard as it may be try not worrying and concentrate on getting information sooner rather then later. hope this helps? oh---i would also think if something in the blood testing revealed something significant i think you would know by now.

    ed

    My Husband
    Thanks Ed, I will concentrate on something else for awhile. I have read so much about colon cancer the last few weeks that I believe I have convinced myself that that is what we will have to deal with. Hopefully not,but if so, we will.
    Linda
  • Happyhar
    Happyhar Member Posts: 49
    LinSims said:

    My Husband
    Thanks Ed, I will concentrate on something else for awhile. I have read so much about colon cancer the last few weeks that I believe I have convinced myself that that is what we will have to deal with. Hopefully not,but if so, we will.
    Linda

    So many stories
    I had rectal bleeding last Thanksgiving Weekend. Colonoscopy within 2 weeks and Colon Surgury Dec 28th. I just completed my 6th treatment (of a 12 treatment protocal called FOLFOX 6) and am doing extremely well. Very few side effects. Hopefully your story will not contain that nasty ole cancer, but if it does, the folks on here are evidence of what human beings can and do cope with. I am one of the fortunate ones but draw so much strength, hope, encouragement and faith from these great people, Good luck and God Bless. Frank
  • LinSims
    LinSims Member Posts: 7
    Happyhar said:

    So many stories
    I had rectal bleeding last Thanksgiving Weekend. Colonoscopy within 2 weeks and Colon Surgury Dec 28th. I just completed my 6th treatment (of a 12 treatment protocal called FOLFOX 6) and am doing extremely well. Very few side effects. Hopefully your story will not contain that nasty ole cancer, but if it does, the folks on here are evidence of what human beings can and do cope with. I am one of the fortunate ones but draw so much strength, hope, encouragement and faith from these great people, Good luck and God Bless. Frank

    My husband
    Frank, that is wonderful! And yes, I have read some of the stories on here and I am amazed!I am glad I found this group.
    Linda
  • Patteee
    Patteee Member Posts: 945
    They will let you know
    They will let you know immediately- I was awake and actually heard, "there it is, colon cancer, damn almost totally obstructed". I had a friend tell me later that they don't know that, that the pathology has to come back and my regular doctor will call me. Ah no. I believe that in most cases the doc can tell, it is pretty obvious. Plus this is the doc doing it, not a tech person.

    There is no point whatsoever in worrying about it- trust me, it doesn' help :) I do see your concerns- your husband has all the red flags- from flat stools (mine were actually more like ribbon strips), he is a smoker, overweight, truck driver (meaning he sits a lot and probably doesn't get adaquate exercise) red meat, processed food and so forth. I'm not a trucker, but everything else fit for me. A family history? My Dad had polyps, his sister CC- there is some connection with polyp development in families. I was 50.5 months at dx.

    I don't remember being devastated- horrible shock, yes. I knew something was very wrong- but I also knew I would get through it. And I did. Please keep that in mind. No matter what happens on Monday- both of you will get through this.
  • John23
    John23 Member Posts: 2,122 Member
    Whew~~~

    Re:
    "He will be 50 in September, he is still working, (truck driver)
    but he has never done anything to take care of his health. Eats
    lots of meat on the road, sugary stuff too. He smokes even though
    he had a heart attack!He is home every night, but prefers to eat
    at restaurants, I think he is addicted to it.He is also about 60
    pounds overweight"


    Healthy young , well-to-do vegetarians that eat only the best of
    organic items get cancer, so please forget trying to assign blame.

    Normal cells die; they split, with the dying half getting carried off,
    and the other half remaining alive. When a cell stops following
    the order set, it tries to live, and does so by living by the
    fermentation process.... That's what a cancer cell is.

    Trying to solve cancer by removing all the things that could possibly
    cause it to happen, is fruitless to all but the industry that's reaping
    the cash from this insidious disease.

    The docs will give you their diagnosis after the colonoscopy.

    It could be cancer, and it could be a non-malignant tumor, or
    it could be some other type of obstruction.... A KFC chicken
    leg edged sideways, perhaps..... Ya'know how these things
    get tossed into the mouth between CB rants and hollering at the
    jerk in the VW? Yeah, well.... could be that KFC leg...

    Relax and take things a day at a time.

    Oh.... and no energy at age 50? I pooped out somewhere around 35....
    You'd think that'd be a blessing, ehh?

    R E L A X


    John
  • Shayenne
    Shayenne Member Posts: 2,342
    John23 said:

    Whew~~~

    Re:
    "He will be 50 in September, he is still working, (truck driver)
    but he has never done anything to take care of his health. Eats
    lots of meat on the road, sugary stuff too. He smokes even though
    he had a heart attack!He is home every night, but prefers to eat
    at restaurants, I think he is addicted to it.He is also about 60
    pounds overweight"


    Healthy young , well-to-do vegetarians that eat only the best of
    organic items get cancer, so please forget trying to assign blame.

    Normal cells die; they split, with the dying half getting carried off,
    and the other half remaining alive. When a cell stops following
    the order set, it tries to live, and does so by living by the
    fermentation process.... That's what a cancer cell is.

    Trying to solve cancer by removing all the things that could possibly
    cause it to happen, is fruitless to all but the industry that's reaping
    the cash from this insidious disease.

    The docs will give you their diagnosis after the colonoscopy.

    It could be cancer, and it could be a non-malignant tumor, or
    it could be some other type of obstruction.... A KFC chicken
    leg edged sideways, perhaps..... Ya'know how these things
    get tossed into the mouth between CB rants and hollering at the
    jerk in the VW? Yeah, well.... could be that KFC leg...

    Relax and take things a day at a time.

    Oh.... and no energy at age 50? I pooped out somewhere around 35....
    You'd think that'd be a blessing, ehh?

    R E L A X


    John

    Hi Linda!
    Welcome to this wonderful family! I sure wouldn't worry myself over something that hasn't happened yet. Just take it easy, and breathe, think the best of things, and not think of bad things to come, when they may not even come.

    I don't even have a history of CC in my family, and I was diagnosed over a year ago in the ER room through X-Rays, because of this discomfort I felt in my abdomen area, like a "hardness" otherwise, I was fine, my bowels were fine, no blood in stools, I ate, I quit smoking over 7 years ago, and my gyno told me I didn't need a colonscopy till I was 50, I was diagnosed when I was almost 44. The dr. could tell from the X-ray that I had a thick mass in my colon, and spots on my liver (I am Stage 4) and then sent me off in an ambulance for 5 days of tests at the James Cancer Center, which was 2 hours away, but he said they were great, and they had accepted me, and that's when I found out about my cancer. I also needed blood transfusions because I am anemic, and my blood was so low, they needed to give me some.

    Let us know what happens when you find out, and you may be relieved that it may be nothing as well. I know the most unhealthiest of people, who even drink alcohol like fishes, and they're as healthy as my non-drinking, non-smoking vegetarian friends ;)

    Hope to hear from you soon!

    Hugsss!
    ~Donna
  • LinSims
    LinSims Member Posts: 7
    Patteee said:

    They will let you know
    They will let you know immediately- I was awake and actually heard, "there it is, colon cancer, damn almost totally obstructed". I had a friend tell me later that they don't know that, that the pathology has to come back and my regular doctor will call me. Ah no. I believe that in most cases the doc can tell, it is pretty obvious. Plus this is the doc doing it, not a tech person.

    There is no point whatsoever in worrying about it- trust me, it doesn' help :) I do see your concerns- your husband has all the red flags- from flat stools (mine were actually more like ribbon strips), he is a smoker, overweight, truck driver (meaning he sits a lot and probably doesn't get adaquate exercise) red meat, processed food and so forth. I'm not a trucker, but everything else fit for me. A family history? My Dad had polyps, his sister CC- there is some connection with polyp development in families. I was 50.5 months at dx.

    I don't remember being devastated- horrible shock, yes. I knew something was very wrong- but I also knew I would get through it. And I did. Please keep that in mind. No matter what happens on Monday- both of you will get through this.

    Actually the way he
    Actually the way he described the BMs was slivers, or like sliced pickles. Yeah he will be shocked alright. He can't stand to be sick and not be able to go places. His older brother had polyps removed several years ago.Thanks for your answer.
    Linda
  • tootsie1
    tootsie1 Member Posts: 5,044 Member
    You'll know
    I believe the doctor will tell you after the colonoscopy. If it is cancer, and that's not for certain by any means, they won't be able to tell with certainty what stage it is until they get a pathology report. But they should be able to give you a very good idea. I pray it will be not cancer at all!

    *hugs*
    Gail
  • LinSims
    LinSims Member Posts: 7
    John23 said:

    Whew~~~

    Re:
    "He will be 50 in September, he is still working, (truck driver)
    but he has never done anything to take care of his health. Eats
    lots of meat on the road, sugary stuff too. He smokes even though
    he had a heart attack!He is home every night, but prefers to eat
    at restaurants, I think he is addicted to it.He is also about 60
    pounds overweight"


    Healthy young , well-to-do vegetarians that eat only the best of
    organic items get cancer, so please forget trying to assign blame.

    Normal cells die; they split, with the dying half getting carried off,
    and the other half remaining alive. When a cell stops following
    the order set, it tries to live, and does so by living by the
    fermentation process.... That's what a cancer cell is.

    Trying to solve cancer by removing all the things that could possibly
    cause it to happen, is fruitless to all but the industry that's reaping
    the cash from this insidious disease.

    The docs will give you their diagnosis after the colonoscopy.

    It could be cancer, and it could be a non-malignant tumor, or
    it could be some other type of obstruction.... A KFC chicken
    leg edged sideways, perhaps..... Ya'know how these things
    get tossed into the mouth between CB rants and hollering at the
    jerk in the VW? Yeah, well.... could be that KFC leg...

    Relax and take things a day at a time.

    Oh.... and no energy at age 50? I pooped out somewhere around 35....
    You'd think that'd be a blessing, ehh?

    R E L A X


    John

    I'm just saying that he has
    I'm just saying that he has many of the risk factors, the same ones that also cause heart disease.My mom never smoked or drank alcohol, ate plenty of veggies and we lost her to cervical cancer back in 1988. My sister had a brother in law who had flu-like symptoms and it turned out to be colon cancer. There was nothing the drs. could do, no surgery or anything. He lived 8 months.He was an attorney and 61 and had never had a colonoscopy.
  • LinSims
    LinSims Member Posts: 7
    tootsie1 said:

    You'll know
    I believe the doctor will tell you after the colonoscopy. If it is cancer, and that's not for certain by any means, they won't be able to tell with certainty what stage it is until they get a pathology report. But they should be able to give you a very good idea. I pray it will be not cancer at all!

    *hugs*
    Gail

    Thank you Gail.

    Thank you Gail.
  • msccolon
    msccolon Member Posts: 1,917 Member
    John23 said:

    Whew~~~

    Re:
    "He will be 50 in September, he is still working, (truck driver)
    but he has never done anything to take care of his health. Eats
    lots of meat on the road, sugary stuff too. He smokes even though
    he had a heart attack!He is home every night, but prefers to eat
    at restaurants, I think he is addicted to it.He is also about 60
    pounds overweight"


    Healthy young , well-to-do vegetarians that eat only the best of
    organic items get cancer, so please forget trying to assign blame.

    Normal cells die; they split, with the dying half getting carried off,
    and the other half remaining alive. When a cell stops following
    the order set, it tries to live, and does so by living by the
    fermentation process.... That's what a cancer cell is.

    Trying to solve cancer by removing all the things that could possibly
    cause it to happen, is fruitless to all but the industry that's reaping
    the cash from this insidious disease.

    The docs will give you their diagnosis after the colonoscopy.

    It could be cancer, and it could be a non-malignant tumor, or
    it could be some other type of obstruction.... A KFC chicken
    leg edged sideways, perhaps..... Ya'know how these things
    get tossed into the mouth between CB rants and hollering at the
    jerk in the VW? Yeah, well.... could be that KFC leg...

    Relax and take things a day at a time.

    Oh.... and no energy at age 50? I pooped out somewhere around 35....
    You'd think that'd be a blessing, ehh?

    R E L A X


    John

    hahahahahahaha!
    "It could be cancer, and it could be a non-malignant tumor, or
    it could be some other type of obstruction.... A KFC chicken
    leg edged sideways, perhaps..... Ya'know how these things
    get tossed into the mouth between CB rants and hollering at the
    jerk in the VW? Yeah, well.... could be that KFC leg..."

    I always say when I first heard from my gastro that my symptoms sounded like an obstruction, I was thinking, did I swallow a tennis ball? Is it a fur ball? Obstruction of WHAT? I like your KFC chicken leg theory! Thanks for the laugh
    mary
  • abmb
    abmb Member Posts: 311
    hi
    welcome to this board. I am a caregiver and this board is wonderful. they are full of support and info. when my husband had his colonoscopy 4/8/09, his doc knew right away that he had cancer. my husband was still out of it and the doc came in and talked to me. he even showed me the pictures of his 3 tumors. i know this isn't easy waiting, but this is truly a waiting phase. try to take things along tomorrow to read or what ever you do to relax while your husband has his scope. it really doesn't take too long, i think he was out after the procedure longer than the entire procedure took. post back tomorrow and let us know how your husband is doing. take care and God Bless. margaret
  • Patteee
    Patteee Member Posts: 945
    praying that last Monday's
    praying that last Monday's colonoscopy went well....
  • Annabelle41415
    Annabelle41415 Member Posts: 6,742 Member
    Update
    How did all of it go. Thinking of you and your husband and hoping that all went well. Please let us know.

    Kim
  • Nana b
    Nana b Member Posts: 3,030 Member

    Update
    How did all of it go. Thinking of you and your husband and hoping that all went well. Please let us know.

    Kim

    Update
    Thinking about you!!