WHAT DO I DO NOW

martin0528
martin0528 Member Posts: 10
in Anal Cancer #1
I'M NEW. I AM ALSO WORRIED. I DON'T HAVE ALL THE SYMPTOMS THAT SOME OF YOU HAD. NO BLOOD, NO PAIN, NO FLAT STOOLS. ONLY ITCHING. AND A SKIN TAG THAT I'VE HAD FOR YEARS.

I SAW DR. AT DIGESTIVE HEALTH AND HE SAID A TINY TINY HEMMAROID AND TOLD ME TO USE ZINK OXIDE AND DESITIN. I ASKED TO BE REFERRED TO A SURGEON JUST IN CASE (PEACE OF MIND) AND HE WOULDN'T DO IT. SAID IT WASN'T ANYTHING. HE SAID THAT 1 OUT OF 4 PEOPLE HAVE PERIANAL SKIN TAGS AND ITCHING WHEN THE WEATHER WAS WARM. AND THE STERIOD (ANICORT) PROBABLY DRIED ME OUT. I CALLED A SURGEON AND THEY NEED REFERRAL. SO I'M AT A LOSS. MY GP WON'T REFER EITHER. DO PEOPLE REALLY JUST ITCH IN THEIR BUTT FOR NO REASON? THEY SAY IT'S IN MY MIND AND/OR STRESS. HELL YES I'M STRESSED. MY BUTT ITCHES AND NOBODY BELIEVES ME. I SAW SOMEONE ELSE ON HERE (TMP?) HAD THE SAME ISSUE WITH NO HELP. WHY DO THE DOCTORS NOT LISTEN TO US?

Comments

  • mp327
    mp327 Member Posts: 4,440 Member
    #2
    martin
    I would contact another surgeon. Mine did not require a referral. I don't know what type of ins. you have, but if you are really concerned, it might be worth the cost of one visit to get checked by another doctor. I think it is inappropriate for your GP to deny you a referral to see a specialist. Skin tags ARE sometimes cancerous and there is no way for the GP to know if yours are benign without further exam and biopsy. Itching is one of the symptoms reported by many who have been diagnosed with anal cancer. I hope in your case, it's just pruritis ani and nothing else.
  • tmpage1273
    tmpage1273 Member Posts: 92 Member
    #3
    Hi Martin
    Yes, I'm in the same boat you're in. I have called several surgeons to see if I can get in and they all require a referral; however, all my doctors agree it's nothing and tell me to up my anxiety medicine. My insurance said that if the surgeon won't see me without a referral, I can't force them. Two GP's, my gyno and the gastro that treated my H-Pylori all insist nothing is wrong. *shrugs*

    Good luck on your end. If something works for you, please let me know.
  • Captain11
    Captain11 Member Posts: 88
    #4
    Hi, Martin... I had the skin
    Hi, Martin... I had the skin tag for years... and nothing came of it... I used the creams, etc, etc as you mentioned. There is no real way to tell if the skin tag is cancerous until you have it checked. Find another doc who will give a referral, and as Martha said, even if it isn't covered by your insurance. It will be worth your peace of mind to know for sure. I had no pain, symptoms, or anything, until my butt started hemorhaging blood one night... even then I had no pain... but, the ER doc found a mass in the anal cavity... and then the process began. No doc should dissuade you from getting further checked. I am not beyond calling the local news advocate and seeing if they can help get the word out. Until anal cancer gets more "publicity", it may be difficult to get thse referals. I wish you the best. And I hope and pray that you do not have cancer. Take care and keep us posted. God bless.
  • martin0528
    martin0528 Member Posts: 10
    #5
    mp327 said:

    martin
    I would contact another surgeon. Mine did not require a referral. I don't know what type of ins. you have, but if you are really concerned, it might be worth the cost of one visit to get checked by another doctor. I think it is inappropriate for your GP to deny you a referral to see a specialist. Skin tags ARE sometimes cancerous and there is no way for the GP to know if yours are benign without further exam and biopsy. Itching is one of the symptoms reported by many who have been diagnosed with anal cancer. I hope in your case, it's just pruritis ani and nothing else.

    what?
    WAHT IS PRUIRITIS ANI?
  • martin0528
    martin0528 Member Posts: 10
    #6
    Captain11 said:

    Hi, Martin... I had the skin
    Hi, Martin... I had the skin tag for years... and nothing came of it... I used the creams, etc, etc as you mentioned. There is no real way to tell if the skin tag is cancerous until you have it checked. Find another doc who will give a referral, and as Martha said, even if it isn't covered by your insurance. It will be worth your peace of mind to know for sure. I had no pain, symptoms, or anything, until my butt started hemorhaging blood one night... even then I had no pain... but, the ER doc found a mass in the anal cavity... and then the process began. No doc should dissuade you from getting further checked. I am not beyond calling the local news advocate and seeing if they can help get the word out. Until anal cancer gets more "publicity", it may be difficult to get thse referals. I wish you the best. And I hope and pray that you do not have cancer. Take care and keep us posted. God bless.

    SKIN TAG
    WAS IT YOUR SKIN TAG THAT WAS CANCEROUS?
  • Captain11
    Captain11 Member Posts: 88
    #7
    martin0528 said:

    SKIN TAG
    WAS IT YOUR SKIN TAG THAT WAS CANCEROUS?

    No... just an anal skin
    No... just an anal skin tag... which I had for years, and still do... the docs aren't concerned with it... but they do check with a digital rectal exam every time I am in there... and they don't feel any tumors... The thing is to keep getting it checked. God bless.
  • mp327
    mp327 Member Posts: 4,440 Member
    #8
    martin0528 said:

    what?
    WAHT IS PRUIRITIS ANI?

    pruritis ani
    This is the medical term for itching in the anal area.
  • martin0528
    martin0528 Member Posts: 10
    #9
    Captain11 said:

    No... just an anal skin
    No... just an anal skin tag... which I had for years, and still do... the docs aren't concerned with it... but they do check with a digital rectal exam every time I am in there... and they don't feel any tumors... The thing is to keep getting it checked. God bless.

    SELF EXAMS
    I KNOW THIS SOUNDS CRASS, BUT I HAVE DONE SELF DRE'S AND FEEL NOTHING. I'M NOT SURE IF THAT MEANS ANYTHING OR NOT.

    I WILL KEEP TRYING TO GET IN WITH A SURGEON. I HAVE CALLED BOTH OF THE LOCAL SURGEON'S CLINICS IN MY AREA AND THEY BOTH REQUIRE REFERRALS. I THINK THAT'S JUST PLAIN RUDE.

    THANK YOU FOR TAKEING THE TIME TO ANSWER ME.
  • Captain11
    Captain11 Member Posts: 88
    #10
    martin0528 said:

    SELF EXAMS
    I KNOW THIS SOUNDS CRASS, BUT I HAVE DONE SELF DRE'S AND FEEL NOTHING. I'M NOT SURE IF THAT MEANS ANYTHING OR NOT.

    I WILL KEEP TRYING TO GET IN WITH A SURGEON. I HAVE CALLED BOTH OF THE LOCAL SURGEON'S CLINICS IN MY AREA AND THEY BOTH REQUIRE REFERRALS. I THINK THAT'S JUST PLAIN RUDE.

    THANK YOU FOR TAKEING THE TIME TO ANSWER ME.

    No problem... that's why we
    No problem... that's why we are here... I've done my own self-DRE's, too.. and felt nothing.. But, I am not a doc and I don't know exactly what they look for, other than the obvious. Really... keep trying to get in with a doc... another drastic measure would be to go to the ER and complain of the symptoms... they may do a CAT scan right there in the ER, and then, if God forbid it is necessary, they will set you up for further tests. Don't let this go too long. If it is a tumor, you don't know how long it has been there, or how fast it grows, or how fast it spreads to other organs... which you definitely do not want to happen. Keep us posted. Good luck. God bless.
  • sephie
    sephie Member Posts: 650 Member
    #11
    martin0528 said:

    SELF EXAMS
    I KNOW THIS SOUNDS CRASS, BUT I HAVE DONE SELF DRE'S AND FEEL NOTHING. I'M NOT SURE IF THAT MEANS ANYTHING OR NOT.

    I WILL KEEP TRYING TO GET IN WITH A SURGEON. I HAVE CALLED BOTH OF THE LOCAL SURGEON'S CLINICS IN MY AREA AND THEY BOTH REQUIRE REFERRALS. I THINK THAT'S JUST PLAIN RUDE.

    THANK YOU FOR TAKEING THE TIME TO ANSWER ME.

    dre
    i went to a PROCTOLOGIST for 10 months that did about 18 digital rectal exams on me and he missed the tumor. it was there so go to another doctor. sephie
  • tmpage1273
    tmpage1273 Member Posts: 92 Member
    #12
    sephie said:

    dre
    i went to a PROCTOLOGIST for 10 months that did about 18 digital rectal exams on me and he missed the tumor. it was there so go to another doctor. sephie

    WOW
    10 months and he missed that??? That's horrible!
  • sephie
    sephie Member Posts: 650 Member
    #13
    tmpage1273 said:

    WOW
    10 months and he missed that??? That's horrible!

    yes
    i was foolish not to get another opinion quicker. but it never entered my mind that it was cancer because he kept saying it was not cancer. we treated it like hemmy. my mom lived with large hemmy's all of her life so i thought i had them also. but it hurt so much . then i finally got fed up and went to a larger town for 2nd opinion.

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