I know we've all talked about this before

SueRelays

but I still get unnerved when I see blood after a bowel movement. Remind me....assure me...many of you have experienced this I know! I'm almost 3 years out and have had a couple days now of bright blood...quite a bit in my opinion. I remember that they say this is normal due to the radation, but it still makes me naseauted!!!
Thanks All...Hope you are all holding strong!!!

Sundanceh

Unnerving...
Hi Sue

I agree - it's always unnerving to see blood, especially after all we've been through. Of course, it could be a hemorrhoid, or perhaps an anal fissure. Once those crack open, they can bleed until they heal up some.

Since it's "bright red" that leads me to think along these terms, instead of something more sinister.

Radiation is very hard on our lower areas and it was about 3 years for me and I was still having some occasional issues. Now, six years out, I don't see it as much.

I think you're ok, but you can always get your "colon" doctor or a good GI to confirm this. Nice to see you:) Glad you got your magazine and enjoyed the article.

-Craig

SueRelays

Sundanceh said:

Unnerving...
Hi Sue

I agree - it's always unnerving to see blood, especially after all we've been through. Of course, it could be a hemorrhoid, or perhaps an anal fissure. Once those crack open, they can bleed until they heal up some.

Since it's "bright red" that leads me to think along these terms, instead of something more sinister.

Radiation is very hard on our lower areas and it was about 3 years for me and I was still having some occasional issues. Now, six years out, I don't see it as much.

I think you're ok, but you can always get your "colon" doctor or a good GI to confirm this. Nice to see you:) Glad you got your magazine and enjoyed the article.

-Craig

Always love to hear back
Always love to hear back from you Craig!!!

Thanks! I feel better already . Was wondering about the bright red. Forget about fissures....doesn't feel like a hemi.

How are YOU doing????

mp327

SueRelays said:

Always love to hear back
Always love to hear back from you Craig!!!

Thanks! I feel better already . Was wondering about the bright red. Forget about fissures....doesn't feel like a hemi.

How are YOU doing????

Hi Sue!
Yes, I know the panicky feeling that comes with seeing blood with a BM. I'm over 2 years out now and I still have it from time to time, mostly brought on by a bout of constipation. Hard BM's can really make me bleed. This is all due to radiation proctitis, where the blood vessels are very close to the surface now, due to thinning of the lining of the anal canal. Anything passing by can bring on bleeding. This is how it was all explained to me by my rad onc (love that man!). So, with all of that said, I would play it safe and at least make a call to your doctor and let them know about this, especially if this is a new problem for you and not one previously experienced, or at least not for some time. I always go with the better safe than sorry rule when in doubt.

Other than this, I hope you are doing well and settled into your house and new job. It's great to see you back on here, but I'm sorry it's because of a new concern. I hope it all turns out to be something minor.

Martha

dasspears

mp327 said:

Hi Sue!
Yes, I know the panicky feeling that comes with seeing blood with a BM. I'm over 2 years out now and I still have it from time to time, mostly brought on by a bout of constipation. Hard BM's can really make me bleed. This is all due to radiation proctitis, where the blood vessels are very close to the surface now, due to thinning of the lining of the anal canal. Anything passing by can bring on bleeding. This is how it was all explained to me by my rad onc (love that man!). So, with all of that said, I would play it safe and at least make a call to your doctor and let them know about this, especially if this is a new problem for you and not one previously experienced, or at least not for some time. I always go with the better safe than sorry rule when in doubt.

Other than this, I hope you are doing well and settled into your house and new job. It's great to see you back on here, but I'm sorry it's because of a new concern. I hope it all turns out to be something minor.

Martha

Me too!
Finished treatment 2/28/2008 and still occasionally have bright red blood when having a harder than I should bm. Do have a small hemi and do have a chronic fissure. Usually, it's the fissure that's a problem. I take miralax once a day as well as a stool softener. My colorectal surgeon told me to keep the bm's soft. My radiation onc said the same thing about the radiation damage to the anal lining.

When I was diagnosed with my cancer, the blood was alot more and was darker in color. I'm calmer now when I see a little bit of blood than I was just out of treatment.

SueRelays

dasspears said:

Me too!
Finished treatment 2/28/2008 and still occasionally have bright red blood when having a harder than I should bm. Do have a small hemi and do have a chronic fissure. Usually, it's the fissure that's a problem. I take miralax once a day as well as a stool softener. My colorectal surgeon told me to keep the bm's soft. My radiation onc said the same thing about the radiation damage to the anal lining.

When I was diagnosed with my cancer, the blood was alot more and was darker in color. I'm calmer now when I see a little bit of blood than I was just out of treatment.

Thanks Ladies
This is not
Thanks Ladies

This is not new to me....but it comes on, then seems to go away for quite some time.
I have talked to my onc, surgeon, and gastro guy. Surgeon at one point said if next time he sees me there's blood in my stool, then he was going to send me for another colonoscopy, which he did, and it came back clear. Every exam seems OK....but you know how hard it is not to think it's back and they just aren't seeing anything!! The original seemed so hard for them to detect, I always worry that they're missing something!

IT's almost Friday Martha LOL!

mp327

SueRelays said:

Thanks Ladies
This is not
Thanks Ladies

This is not new to me....but it comes on, then seems to go away for quite some time.
I have talked to my onc, surgeon, and gastro guy. Surgeon at one point said if next time he sees me there's blood in my stool, then he was going to send me for another colonoscopy, which he did, and it came back clear. Every exam seems OK....but you know how hard it is not to think it's back and they just aren't seeing anything!! The original seemed so hard for them to detect, I always worry that they're missing something!

IT's almost Friday Martha LOL!

I know it's hard to relax
I know it's hard to relax about all of this stuff. Sorry you are having a little bout with this right now.

Yes, Friday is on the way! Mexican food, Margaritas, fun with the boys! I can't wait! I hope you have a great weekend!

Martha

sissy310

mp327 said:

I know it's hard to relax
I know it's hard to relax about all of this stuff. Sorry you are having a little bout with this right now.

Yes, Friday is on the way! Mexican food, Margaritas, fun with the boys! I can't wait! I hope you have a great weekend!

Martha

Well, I for one am glad you
Well, I for one am glad you ladies brought this to our attention. I have not had any bout of this...yet...but at least if I should I know not to have a panic attack until I see my colo-rectal guy. From what I gather, this happens to us from time to time due to the treatment? Oh boy. Oh Martha, enjoy your margaritas! I sorely miss them. Hugs, Marilyne

sephie

blood
hey, this site helps me sooooo much. I understand your fear. i think we will all have it forever. i am 15 months post and still have a small amt of blood every now and then. but i still have 3-5 BM's each day and can not seem to get them to combine in order to have fewer of them. the more BM's , the more pain and blood. seems that almost all of us have been misdiagnosed in the beginning--- my proctologist TOLD me he was checking for anal cancer because of Farrah but then he told me I was ok for over 9 months with me going to him every 2 weeks complaining of pain and blood. he even did a colonoscopy and said that I had nothing. then i finally got smart enough to get a 2nd opinion. took the 2nd doctor all of 15 seconds to see that i had cancer but he suggested biopsy first to check. I feel a bump now and have inflammation but they keep telling me that i am ok. but of course i am afraid that they are missing it. thanks sephie

z

sephie said:

blood
hey, this site helps me sooooo much. I understand your fear. i think we will all have it forever. i am 15 months post and still have a small amt of blood every now and then. but i still have 3-5 BM's each day and can not seem to get them to combine in order to have fewer of them. the more BM's , the more pain and blood. seems that almost all of us have been misdiagnosed in the beginning--- my proctologist TOLD me he was checking for anal cancer because of Farrah but then he told me I was ok for over 9 months with me going to him every 2 weeks complaining of pain and blood. he even did a colonoscopy and said that I had nothing. then i finally got smart enough to get a 2nd opinion. took the 2nd doctor all of 15 seconds to see that i had cancer but he suggested biopsy first to check. I feel a bump now and have inflammation but they keep telling me that i am ok. but of course i am afraid that they are missing it. thanks sephie

Sephie
Hi Sephie,

If you have a bump is it hard or soft. I know I have scar tissue, as I had my 6 month check up today and was told all thats left is scar tissue. I am 15 months and 2 weeks out of tx. The dr told me if there was a start of a cancer the tissue would be hard. Now your drs should know what their talking about, I don't know if they would do a biopsy for you. I hope you've expressed your concern to them and they are listening. Please keep us posted. Lori

Sundanceh

SueRelays said:

Always love to hear back
Always love to hear back from you Craig!!!

Thanks! I feel better already . Was wondering about the bright red. Forget about fissures....doesn't feel like a hemi.

How are YOU doing????

Sue:)
Well.....I'm doing the "easy ones twice"....LOL:)

I'm back in the middle of treatments again, very aggressive schedule since the last surgery...I'm up to my neck right now, but "I'm in it - to win it!"

We'll talk more soon....fissures sure is what this sounds like. But, you just never get used to it. It's because of what we all know gets us all crazy sometimes.

(((SUE)))

Big Hugs!
-Craig

SueRelays

Sundanceh said:

Sue:)
Well.....I'm doing the "easy ones twice"....LOL:)

I'm back in the middle of treatments again, very aggressive schedule since the last surgery...I'm up to my neck right now, but "I'm in it - to win it!"

We'll talk more soon....fissures sure is what this sounds like. But, you just never get used to it. It's because of what we all know gets us all crazy sometimes.

(((SUE)))

Big Hugs!
-Craig

Back at ya Craig!!
You ARE a
Back at ya Craig!!

You ARE a winner and you are always in my prayers!!!

Thanks so much for the info.

SueRelays

sephie said:

blood
hey, this site helps me sooooo much. I understand your fear. i think we will all have it forever. i am 15 months post and still have a small amt of blood every now and then. but i still have 3-5 BM's each day and can not seem to get them to combine in order to have fewer of them. the more BM's , the more pain and blood. seems that almost all of us have been misdiagnosed in the beginning--- my proctologist TOLD me he was checking for anal cancer because of Farrah but then he told me I was ok for over 9 months with me going to him every 2 weeks complaining of pain and blood. he even did a colonoscopy and said that I had nothing. then i finally got smart enough to get a 2nd opinion. took the 2nd doctor all of 15 seconds to see that i had cancer but he suggested biopsy first to check. I feel a bump now and have inflammation but they keep telling me that i am ok. but of course i am afraid that they are missing it. thanks sephie

I know Sephie. It's
I know Sephie. It's frustrating!! I think our doctors need to become more educated about this type of cancer, and all the after effects!!

Thanks for sharing your story.

mp327

SueRelays said:

I know Sephie. It's
I know Sephie. It's frustrating!! I think our doctors need to become more educated about this type of cancer, and all the after effects!!

Thanks for sharing your story.

I agree!
There is so much more that needs to be learned about this cancer, starting with the doctors! I am so sick of hearing about new people coming on the forums who were misdiagnosed, some of them for long periods of time. Some doctors seem to be ignorant of the fact that this disease even exists! My internist was so sure I had bleeding hemorrhoids--I can still hear her say "there it is!" as she was doing my rectal exam, then telling me it's "just a hemorrhoid and I'm writing you a prescription for some proctofoam." I'll never forget when she called me a few weeks later as I was lying in bed recovering from my port surgery earlier that day. She had just found out that I was diagnosed with CANCER!, not a hemorrhoid. I was too wiped out from the anesthesia to tell her how stupid she was. Needless to say, she's no longer my doctor.

sephie

mp327 said:

I agree!
There is so much more that needs to be learned about this cancer, starting with the doctors! I am so sick of hearing about new people coming on the forums who were misdiagnosed, some of them for long periods of time. Some doctors seem to be ignorant of the fact that this disease even exists! My internist was so sure I had bleeding hemorrhoids--I can still hear her say "there it is!" as she was doing my rectal exam, then telling me it's "just a hemorrhoid and I'm writing you a prescription for some proctofoam." I'll never forget when she called me a few weeks later as I was lying in bed recovering from my port surgery earlier that day. She had just found out that I was diagnosed with CANCER!, not a hemorrhoid. I was too wiped out from the anesthesia to tell her how stupid she was. Needless to say, she's no longer my doctor.

thanks
they have told me at MDA that all is ok for now. but i have a hard time trusting . seems to be scar tissue so i guess what i am feeling is a bump of scar tissue. i try to leave myself alone and not explore so much so that i can perhaps heal up more. i go back in march for another procto, CT, DRE . they do not do repeat Pet scans. i only had one before starting tx. i go for a cystoscope of bladder this wed. to see why hemoglobin and red bld. cells show up in my labs. they stick a camera up thru the urethra. not looking forward to that. hope there is no scar tissue up there from radiation. thanks

SueRelays

mp327 said:

I agree!
There is so much more that needs to be learned about this cancer, starting with the doctors! I am so sick of hearing about new people coming on the forums who were misdiagnosed, some of them for long periods of time. Some doctors seem to be ignorant of the fact that this disease even exists! My internist was so sure I had bleeding hemorrhoids--I can still hear her say "there it is!" as she was doing my rectal exam, then telling me it's "just a hemorrhoid and I'm writing you a prescription for some proctofoam." I'll never forget when she called me a few weeks later as I was lying in bed recovering from my port surgery earlier that day. She had just found out that I was diagnosed with CANCER!, not a hemorrhoid. I was too wiped out from the anesthesia to tell her how stupid she was. Needless to say, she's no longer my doctor.

HAHAHA.....good job Martha!
HAHAHA.....good job Martha! And I know you found a great one! I'm keeping that in mind, just in case.........................

HAPPY FRIDAY!!!!

HeartofSoul

SueRelays said:

HAHAHA.....good job Martha!
HAHAHA.....good job Martha! And I know you found a great one! I'm keeping that in mind, just in case.........................

HAPPY FRIDAY!!!!

To those of us that have
To those of us that have experienced cancer, im not sure how we can ever feel comfortable with our bodies like we did before being dx with cancer. Every pain, bump, site of blood, a change in our bodies that wasnt present before, abnormal lab test, and illness captures our attention and accelerates our heartbeat. Its like a flashback that never quite leaves, lurking in our shadows as it fades in and out. Personally, I juggle not only the threat of a 3rd cancer recurrance but another organ rejection of my pancreas, a relaspe of type 1 diabetes, progression of heart failure & surgery, and the emergence of a new long term complication from previous chemo treatments. Im 53 years old and the day I was dx with type 1 diabetes in Sept 1977 at the age of 20, nothing has ever been the same. I remind myself how fortunate I have been during my life, including the caring doctors, top medical care, a lovely wife, a 32 yr career in the business world, and the numerous opportunities to turn events of misfortune into focusing on helping others where disease has entered in their lives so rudely. Depressison scares the hell out of me and i refuse to let it be the next intruder to steal what every time I have remaining.

For everytime there is a human being that crosses our path within our lives, there is a moment to make a difference and offer kindess, compassion and understanding. I aspire to live for those moments. I love the members of CSN.

thank you

mp327

HeartofSoul said:

To those of us that have
To those of us that have experienced cancer, im not sure how we can ever feel comfortable with our bodies like we did before being dx with cancer. Every pain, bump, site of blood, a change in our bodies that wasnt present before, abnormal lab test, and illness captures our attention and accelerates our heartbeat. Its like a flashback that never quite leaves, lurking in our shadows as it fades in and out. Personally, I juggle not only the threat of a 3rd cancer recurrance but another organ rejection of my pancreas, a relaspe of type 1 diabetes, progression of heart failure & surgery, and the emergence of a new long term complication from previous chemo treatments. Im 53 years old and the day I was dx with type 1 diabetes in Sept 1977 at the age of 20, nothing has ever been the same. I remind myself how fortunate I have been during my life, including the caring doctors, top medical care, a lovely wife, a 32 yr career in the business world, and the numerous opportunities to turn events of misfortune into focusing on helping others where disease has entered in their lives so rudely. Depressison scares the hell out of me and i refuse to let it be the next intruder to steal what every time I have remaining.

For everytime there is a human being that crosses our path within our lives, there is a moment to make a difference and offer kindess, compassion and understanding. I aspire to live for those moments. I love the members of CSN.

thank you

Very well said!
I agree that turning our misfortune into an opportunity to help others is the one blessing in disguise with cancer. And depression is not an option for me either. It runs in my family, but I refuse to go there! I love my 85-year old mother, however, I get really irritated with her when she starts complaining about her current status. She is very healthy, except for the fact that she has very poor balance and has had to begin using a cane or walker within the last year to get around. Other than that, everything is working great for her. She's never had a serious or life threatening disease. Me, on the other hand--I've dealt with a serious neurological disease at the age of 39 and then cancer at the age of 54--both potentially life altering or life threatening. I would have given anything to get to 85 with nothing more than a broken wrist! However, I still feel very fortunate. I'm still here, healthy for the moment, and living life!

lizdeli

mp327 said:

Very well said!
I agree that turning our misfortune into an opportunity to help others is the one blessing in disguise with cancer. And depression is not an option for me either. It runs in my family, but I refuse to go there! I love my 85-year old mother, however, I get really irritated with her when she starts complaining about her current status. She is very healthy, except for the fact that she has very poor balance and has had to begin using a cane or walker within the last year to get around. Other than that, everything is working great for her. She's never had a serious or life threatening disease. Me, on the other hand--I've dealt with a serious neurological disease at the age of 39 and then cancer at the age of 54--both potentially life altering or life threatening. I would have given anything to get to 85 with nothing more than a broken wrist! However, I still feel very fortunate. I'm still here, healthy for the moment, and living life!

Sephie
Who are your doctors at MDA? Mine are Dr. Eng (oncologist) Dr. Crane (radiologist) and Dr. Chang (Surgeon but I never had surgery). Dr. Chang does the DRE's, protoscopies, etc. I was getting them every 3 months but this last trip to Houston he told me I could do 6 months for his exams. I'm a little over a year post treatment. Dr. Eng still wants to see me every 3 months though. I had two small spots on perirectal lymph nodes so she is being cautious. My CT scans are every 6 months as well.

Liz

sephie

lizdeli said:

Sephie
Who are your doctors at MDA? Mine are Dr. Eng (oncologist) Dr. Crane (radiologist) and Dr. Chang (Surgeon but I never had surgery). Dr. Chang does the DRE's, protoscopies, etc. I was getting them every 3 months but this last trip to Houston he told me I could do 6 months for his exams. I'm a little over a year post treatment. Dr. Eng still wants to see me every 3 months though. I had two small spots on perirectal lymph nodes so she is being cautious. My CT scans are every 6 months as well.

Liz

hi lizdeli
my MDA docs are overman for oncologist (whom i see every 6 months), delclos for radiologist, skibber for surgeon( I see him every 6 months) . i have a CT now only 1 time per year ( i am 15 months post tx)---I had procto last month--6 months prior he only did an anoscope but am scheduled for procto again in 6 months. the radiologist said that he was supposed to be seeing me every 3 months for the first 2 years but they have only been scheduling every 6 months -- i think that they did not schedule it correctly in the beginning and just caught the mistake last month. so I see radiology again in Dec. just for a DRE and look at the tissue. I wanted a CT earlier but i guess my oncologist knows what he is doing. I hope!!!! I still have lots of pain and inflammation on the left side of my anus.

sephie

Sundanceh said:

Unnerving...
Hi Sue

I agree - it's always unnerving to see blood, especially after all we've been through. Of course, it could be a hemorrhoid, or perhaps an anal fissure. Once those crack open, they can bleed until they heal up some.

Since it's "bright red" that leads me to think along these terms, instead of something more sinister.

Radiation is very hard on our lower areas and it was about 3 years for me and I was still having some occasional issues. Now, six years out, I don't see it as much.

I think you're ok, but you can always get your "colon" doctor or a good GI to confirm this. Nice to see you:) Glad you got your magazine and enjoyed the article.

-Craig

yea for 6 years
craig, what stage was your's?? i like to hear that you are 6 years post . i am only 15 months post with pain, inflammation, mucous, and a little blood. scary but hopefully just radiation damage. thanks sephie