Worried while waiting

t519
t519 Member Posts: 31
in Anal Cancer #1




I have an appointment with a surgeon for the 21st of June. The colonoscopy done last week has not come back with the pathology report, but I wanted to give some background for support. I had been bleeding off and on since August of 2018. I was told that it was probably a hemorrhoid and to come back if the light blood when wiping got worse. I didn't do any searching and had blood off and on for years without any pain associated. No weight loss....no other symptoms. 

I am a single paret without the father involved with my son, sadly, and I live away from family (only child with my mom providing care to my father who was diagnosed at Stage IV for kidney, lung, and bone)...so I am trying to sort all of this out in my head..and I am not doing well with it. 

I am waiting on the pathology report, but one small polyp was removed, and another polyp was listed as anorectal polypoid lesion and I woke up at the end of the colonoscopy to hear four doctors speaking about it. I called the surgeon today and she mentioned that they don't have report back but she was trying to rule out SCC and had the additional doctors in because they were trying to see if it was more towards the rectum or more towards anal. She said the mass was moderate size (around 1cm) and looked like it was more towards the anal. She can't say it's cancer, but I am trying to brace myself...as it's not looking good. 

I am incredibly nervous and can't focus on anything else. Waiting for the report and praying, but also trying to stay encouraged by survior stories on this. 

Thanks to each of you for writing and sharing your stories of hope. I am impressed with the strength that is shown and hope to be half as strong if I am diagnosed. 

T




Comments

  • annie4145
    annie4145 Member Posts: 218 Member
    edited June 2021 #2
    I posted in the other post. 

    I posted in the other post.  Should have posted here.  Any news yet?  Wishing you the best....

     

  • t519
    t519 Member Posts: 31
    #3
    annie4145 said:

    I posted in the other post. 

    I posted in the other post.  Should have posted here.  Any news yet?  Wishing you the best....

     

    Thank you so much for the

    Thank you so much for the well wishes. I wrote back on the other post, as I saw it first. I was told that they had difficulty placing my polyp at first, but are now saying it's a 1cm adenomatous polyp in my rectum. The biopsy came back okay, and I met with the colorectal surgeon on Monday, who still wants to do an endoscopic ultrasound which will be done tomorrow. I am hoping they can remove it tomorrow endoscopically, but I will see tomorrow what the next steps are regarding it. 

    Thanks again for reaching out. I am hoping you are doing well. I imagine you have one about my son's age now. 

    Also, wishing you all the best!

     

  • br_bernardo
    br_bernardo Member Posts: 23 Member
    #4
    t519 said:

    Thank you so much for the

    Thank you so much for the well wishes. I wrote back on the other post, as I saw it first. I was told that they had difficulty placing my polyp at first, but are now saying it's a 1cm adenomatous polyp in my rectum. The biopsy came back okay, and I met with the colorectal surgeon on Monday, who still wants to do an endoscopic ultrasound which will be done tomorrow. I am hoping they can remove it tomorrow endoscopically, but I will see tomorrow what the next steps are regarding it. 

    Thanks again for reaching out. I am hoping you are doing well. I imagine you have one about my son's age now. 

    Also, wishing you all the best!

     

    Love & prayers your way

    t519, keep us posted, we hope you are doing well!

    I pray for your well-being and for you to receive strength and peace through this process.

  • t519
    t519 Member Posts: 31
    edited July 2021 #5
    br_bernardo said:

    Love & prayers your way

    t519, keep us posted, we hope you are doing well!

    I pray for your well-being and for you to receive strength and peace through this process.

    Thanks for the prayers

    Good evening, 

    The colorectal surgeon sent me for EUS and they were able to remove a 2cm polyp through endoscopic resection. They had not been sure initially where the polyp was located, but it turned out to be a rectal polyp. The polyp had abnormal cells on the margin, but the doctor feels he was able to take care of these while cauterizing the margins. I will be back in 6 months since it was a villous adenoma. As I continue to have night sweats and back and abdominal pain, I have a follow up appointment for the beginning of August (as I will be traveling to spend time with my father in the coming weeks due to his Stage 4 diagnosis).  My prayers are with each of you during your fight and your journey. I have been humbled by reading these posts and recognizing what each person is experiencing in life. The strength shown on these posts, as well as the kindness I received, is inspiring. Thanks!

  • annie4145
    annie4145 Member Posts: 218 Member
    #6
    t519 said:

    Thanks for the prayers

    Good evening, 

    The colorectal surgeon sent me for EUS and they were able to remove a 2cm polyp through endoscopic resection. They had not been sure initially where the polyp was located, but it turned out to be a rectal polyp. The polyp had abnormal cells on the margin, but the doctor feels he was able to take care of these while cauterizing the margins. I will be back in 6 months since it was a villous adenoma. As I continue to have night sweats and back and abdominal pain, I have a follow up appointment for the beginning of August (as I will be traveling to spend time with my father in the coming weeks due to his Stage 4 diagnosis).  My prayers are with each of you during your fight and your journey. I have been humbled by reading these posts and recognizing what each person is experiencing in life. The strength shown on these posts, as well as the kindness I received, is inspiring. Thanks!

    Good news!  Safe travels and

    Good news!  Safe travels and best wishes

  • t519
    t519 Member Posts: 31
    edited July 2021 #7
    annie4145 said:

    Good news!  Safe travels and

    Good news!  Safe travels and best wishes

    Thanks! I was thinking of you

    Thanks! I was thinking of you, as I noticed you had treatment at

    UCSF. I am in the Bay Area, and my doctors moved up additional 

    testing for me to tomorrow. I will definitely keep in touch and hope you and 

    your children are doing well. 

  • Ddorson
    Ddorson Member Posts: 4
    edited July 2021 #8
    same story

    Your experience sounds a lot like mine... same syptoms.  However, I was sent to a GI specialist who wasted the better part of a year with all sorts of tests and never once even did a physical exam. Hindsight tells me I could have been diagnosed much sooner.  Later I had a regular check up with my general practitioner and told him about what I thought was an external hemmorhoid and pain when pooping, he immediately sent to me colon/rectal surgeon. 2 weeks later, surgery and biopsy indicated anal cancer.  It has been a whirlwind since then.  Met with chemo and radiology doctors, provided with a schedule of treatment, given a TON of information to digest and totally lost it!  It was too much all at once.  I completed treatment at the end of June 2021 and still can not make it through a day, physically, and mentally I have trouble getting out of the "what now/next?" mindset.  I will not have follow up scans for a few weeks yet and that has me on edge... big time!  I Have been looking for local cancer support groups but can not find any.  So, for now, I focus on getting through each day, doing normal chores, errands, etc., and I am supposed to return to work in September.  The idea of being stuck in an office for 9 hours a day makes me crazy, but I guess it beats being alone all day.  I know it will get better, but it is hard not to think about 

  • annie4145
    annie4145 Member Posts: 218 Member
    edited July 2021 #9
    DDorson - you just finished

    You just finished at the end of June 2021, and you are still healing now.   It takes time to build up your strenght and energy again.  Just give it a couple of more weeks to see how you feel at the end of July.  Do you think that your company would let you return part-time to start, or at least let you have some flexibility?  But if not, I am sure that a couple of more weeks, you will probably be feeling a little better.  

  • t519
    t519 Member Posts: 31
    #10
    Ddorson said:

    same story

    Your experience sounds a lot like mine... same syptoms.  However, I was sent to a GI specialist who wasted the better part of a year with all sorts of tests and never once even did a physical exam. Hindsight tells me I could have been diagnosed much sooner.  Later I had a regular check up with my general practitioner and told him about what I thought was an external hemmorhoid and pain when pooping, he immediately sent to me colon/rectal surgeon. 2 weeks later, surgery and biopsy indicated anal cancer.  It has been a whirlwind since then.  Met with chemo and radiology doctors, provided with a schedule of treatment, given a TON of information to digest and totally lost it!  It was too much all at once.  I completed treatment at the end of June 2021 and still can not make it through a day, physically, and mentally I have trouble getting out of the "what now/next?" mindset.  I will not have follow up scans for a few weeks yet and that has me on edge... big time!  I Have been looking for local cancer support groups but can not find any.  So, for now, I focus on getting through each day, doing normal chores, errands, etc., and I am supposed to return to work in September.  The idea of being stuck in an office for 9 hours a day makes me crazy, but I guess it beats being alone all day.  I know it will get better, but it is hard not to think about 

    I have not been on here in a

    I have not been on here in a while, but I hope

    you are starting to feel better, DDorson. You mentioned returning to work in September. Please let us know how you are feeling. 

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