Where were you when you found out you had ColoRectal cancer?

2

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  • Helen321
    Helen321 Member Posts: 1,460 Member
    #22
    thxmiker said:

    The first time, I went in
    The first time, I went in for a stomach ache to my GP. He asked me to wait for a few minutes because he was going to have lunch with a friend and wanted his friend to see me. I had surgery 3 hours later.

    The second time we were vacationing in Arizona, and I had a stomach ache that as horrible. My wife drove me down 150 miles to Phoenix and we stopped in a hospital. The first Doc talked to me and told me to drive 8 miles further down the road to another hospital. Little did we know it was a colon specialty hospital! I had a great surgeon find 4 tumors, two were smaller then 4mm! I would probably not be here if not for that surgeon!

    Best Always, mike

    Wow 3 hours later! Lucky
    Wow 3 hours later! Lucky for you it all worked the way it did.
  • Phil64
    Phil64 Member Posts: 838 Member
    #23
    my story
    In November I found a lump on my right testicle. I thought it was just swollen but my wife made me promise to go see the doctor, so I made an appointment the next day. The doctor was out but I say our family doctor's assistant. She setup an ultrasound for Friday (the next day) at our local hospital. I was scheduled to leave for Vegas on Sunday. After the ultrasound my family doctor called me up and told me he setup an appointment with a urologist for me on Monday. I told him about vegas and he suggested I cancel the trip (which I did). The urologist saw me around 3pm on the following Monday and he told me he was 99% sure I had cancer. Shock # 1.

    Fast forward a few months to March. I went to see my family doctor again - my wife told me to go since I was having problems with bowel movements. The family doctor didn't waste anytime setting up a colonoscopy. On April 21 I awoke from the colonoscopy and the doctor told me he thinks he found the blockage - it was a tumor and he was pretty sure it was cancer. Biopsy confirmed I had a second primary cancer.

    Fast forward a few weeks later (this past Friday). I had yet another surgery - to remove a nodule from my right lung. We had been watching the nodule as follow-up to the testicular cancer, but now it had grown and there were already two primary cancers found in me... I kind of expected this to be yet another primary cancer (pestimistic outlook I guess). Anyway the lung wedge resection was completed on Friday, 6/1 and the preliminary diagnosis is that it is a metastisis of the colon cancer. But this was not 100% for sure. They are pretty sure it is NOT a metastisis of the testicular cancer but it could be lung cancer and there also may be a fungal infection as well. Official results are expected either today or tomorrow.

    And now I'm trying to understand what life with stage IV colorectal cancer will be like... And how long I might have left to live... And I'm also trying to keep a positive outlook on fighting this ugly disease.

    God Bless us All!

    Phil
  • AlinaM
    AlinaM Member Posts: 18
    #24
    July 2011
    I had been having very bad digestion and poop issues for awhile (blood, etc), and finally was too weak to walk much further than from bedroom to kitchen. Went to GI doc and had colonoscopy. During the procedure, I was in twilight sleep, I woke up and the doc asked if I wanted to see the tumor. He then proceeded to show me the tumor and tell me it was most likely cancer. After the procedure, I laid on the gurney and just cried while the nurses gave me apple juice and waited for my husband to come back. It was all confirmed a couple of days later and then I was in surgery the next week. Whew!
  • Luckygirl2
    Luckygirl2 Member Posts: 308
    #25
    Vacation sort of...
    ....we were on a nine day vacation out west , Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon, Las Vegas .... I didn't have any energy for sight seeing, even contemplated an ER visit in Durango..called my doc got an appt for day after our return. Ended up in ER once home and was told I was very close to requiring a transfusion and that I had a bad case of colitis, ended up a few days later back at my doctor requesting transfusion on a Thursday, had colonoscopy on FRiday, heard my surgeon say, here's our problem, I remember thinking , crap, had surgery on Monday, stage IIIb, aggressive... Will be a year Saturday. Had CT in December after chemo, 2d one in April and scheduled for 3d one J uly 25th... My life as I knew it before June 10, 2011 , no longer exists... Cancer sucks but I think the constant fear of it coming back sucks worse if that is possible!
  • Sonia32
    Sonia32 Member Posts: 1,071 Member
    #26
    I was
    having a colonoscopy, and after the doctor called us into a separate room saying they had found something but not confirming what it was until after biopsy and ct scan. Panicking for a few days, finally got called in to a special evening appointment. Waiting nervously and saw people coming out crying etc, and I knew something wasn't right. Then got to my turn and I was told, 'we found a tumor'. Special nurse was there etc, got told survival rate by accident 5 years lol, was calm at the time lol. Anyway 3 years later, minus a husband and my sanity, (touch wood my head lol) stage 3, 10/11 lymph nodes in remission here.
  • lfondots63
    lfondots63 Member Posts: 818 Member
    #27
    Day before my birthday
    So I was told at 42 that all my problems had to be divirticulitis. I went for a colonoscopy telling my job that I would be into work that afternoon when I was done. I woke up and was told I had a tumor. No going to work for me. They were operating the next day. My birthday. I was actually down waiting for my operation the day of my birthday and someone noticed on my paperwork that it was my birthday. They wished me a happy birthday and I started crying. Not the way I wanted to spend my birthday. I now think of it as my 'RE birthday'. I am much healthier since this happened. It was a call to action for me. Dx 12/19/2005. This board was a life saver and taught me so much. HUGS to everyone here.
  • steved
    steved Member Posts: 834 Member
    #28
    Not a good doctor experience
    I was 31, my wife was pregnant with our first child and went to see surgeon for the results of my biopsy. He walked in a picked up the piece of paper he had left on the desk and in front of the three other people in the room who he hadn't introduced said- 'I suppose you have already read this. It's your histology report and its an adenocarcinoma'. Probably the worst 'breaking bad news' example I have ever come across as a doctor. Never really forginven him for it to be honest. Have had lots of good experiences with docs since but it still makes me angry to think about how poorly he did it- I think he was hoping we would read the report ourselves (both my wife and I are docs) and save him the job of breaking the bad news.

    Idiot.

    steve
  • tootsie1
    tootsie1 Member Posts: 5,044 Member
    #29
    The Big House
    I was in the hospital. The day before I had gone to the bathroom and filled the toilet with blood. What a shock! My wonderful family doctor immediately admitted me to the hospital. The next day I had a series of tests, and the gastroenterologist came in and told me I had cancer. I was too drugged up at the time to get too hysterical. That came later.

    Kim, I feel your pain about the "worst Thanksgiving ever." They kept me in the hospital after the diagnosis, and my surgery was the day after Thanksgiving. So Thanksgiving was spent "enjoying" an IV dinner.

    *hugs*
    Gail
  • marbleotis
    marbleotis Member Posts: 720 Member
    #30
    It was 1/13/12, Friday the 13th. My story - I had no signs of colon cancer. Thought kidney stones because all pain was in left side, the cancer was in the ascending colon (right side). I was very slightly anemic. So since we had every other test done and I still kept on my DRs that something was terribly wrong we did an upper and lower GI. I woke up, opened my eyes and saw the Dr and Nurse that told me they found colon cancer. The spoke to my husband first and said it can be fixed surgically/chemo. You can think of the glass as half full/half empty. Once I heard the word "cancer" I heard nothing after that. I also became completely alert even with the propofal. I met with the surgeon and Onc the next week, had the surgery and I am on chemo #8 of 12. I am very lucky my post surgery scans showed no cancer in any organs. It was in 3 nodes. I look forward to being done with chemo, having the post chemo 6 week scan and colonoscopy in Jan. I will NEVER forget the second the Dr said the word cancer. I knew the old me would be gone and there now is emerging a new me. More easy going, 60 pounds lighter (chemo-Ouch), trying to enjoy life. I saw a baby deer in our backyard this evening and I named her Fern. Cancer can really open up your eyes to a world you never really looked at before. That's my story (so far). To add to the story - this was 2 weeks before my 50th birthday.
    Alice
  • danker
    danker Member Posts: 1,276 Member
    #31
    Momof2plusteentwins said:

    April 11, 2012
    That date changed my life and my family. I had a colonoscopy scheduled for about a month after having poop problems for about 6 months. After the colonoscopy the dr said he found a large tumor in my rectum. He said he biopsied it but he was sure it was cancer. Surgery is June 19th.
    Sandy

    mom of 2+
    ope your surgery goes well with a speedy recovery. We can get beyond this. Best of luck to you.
  • danker
    danker Member Posts: 1,276 Member
    #32
    Brooks
    At hospital after colonoscopy. On a Friday-tough weekend. Monday saw the surgeon, and so it began. But she did a good job. It's now thirty months later and I'm NED. Hard to beat that with a stick. LOL I find it scarey how young most of you are. My first coconoscopy was at age 77.
  • gophergenius
    gophergenius Member Posts: 33
    #33
    steved said:

    Not a good doctor experience
    I was 31, my wife was pregnant with our first child and went to see surgeon for the results of my biopsy. He walked in a picked up the piece of paper he had left on the desk and in front of the three other people in the room who he hadn't introduced said- 'I suppose you have already read this. It's your histology report and its an adenocarcinoma'. Probably the worst 'breaking bad news' example I have ever come across as a doctor. Never really forginven him for it to be honest. Have had lots of good experiences with docs since but it still makes me angry to think about how poorly he did it- I think he was hoping we would read the report ourselves (both my wife and I are docs) and save him the job of breaking the bad news.

    Idiot.

    steve

    Hey Steved
    My heart goes out to you, really. I used to think doctors were the closest things to god's until I had serious illnesses. There just like anyone else in any walk of life or profession. Some are truly great and some are smart enough to get into medical school, but they do not do it to end suffering and pain, but to make a lot of money and perhaps have status.
  • gophergenius
    gophergenius Member Posts: 33
    #34
    danker said:

    Brooks
    At hospital after colonoscopy. On a Friday-tough weekend. Monday saw the surgeon, and so it began. But she did a good job. It's now thirty months later and I'm NED. Hard to beat that with a stick. LOL I find it scarey how young most of you are. My first coconoscopy was at age 77.

    never really had any symptoms
    Never had any real symptoms. Cleaning up after Hurricane Ike came ashore...I started having pain on my right side if I ate anything solid, went to my GP...he ran a scan...sent me to a gastro doctor that did a colonoscopy within a week. It looked like I had diverticulitis...went in for surgery...when I woke up I was told stage 3c. I never had any symptoms like really tired, bleeding, long term pain. Odd, same thing happened with my brain tumor. No headaches, nausea, falling, etc....no symptoms. Then one day a grand mal seizure, ran an MRI and found it. but II must say, I had a great neurosurgeon...very young, but excellent...and my gastroenterologist went the extra mile too.
  • Doc_Hawk
    Doc_Hawk Member Posts: 685
    #35
    My experience
    I'd been having some bad diarrhea for well over a year and on occasion there was some blood afterwards. In 2007 my PCP had given me take home test for colon cancer and it was negative, so I didn't really worry about that. Since the blood was in the water of the bowl and not in the stool itself, I figured hemorrhoids. I didn't have health insurance between the end of 2007 and November 2009, and when I finally got on a plan, I was more concerned about my legs than my "poopage." I was having a lot of pain in my feet, they would get so hot that I'd have to put them in ice water and it felt like fire ants marching up and down my legs.

    In March 2010, my PCP started me on neurontin for neuropathy and it was then that we started to address my bowel problems. By then, every time I'd go to the bathroom, I was screaming so loud that it's amazing my neighbors never called the police. I had bruises on my left forearm from when I'd brace myself on the edge of counter because the pain was so intense. I was scheduled for a colonoscopy on May 19, 2010 and when I came out from the gas, the doctor told me they had found a large tumor. It was so big that I was having to wipe around it after going to the bathroom! I told him that I'd expected something bad, colitis or Chrone's maybe, but not that bad.

    By the time that I got home, the import of what he'd said finally sank in when the gas wore off. All I could do was dial my sisters phone number and have a friend tell her the news while I broke down. I couldn't even talk to anyone about it that day. But, now two years later, cancer better watch out because I'm kicking it's nasty little @$$ all over the place!

    Doc
  • dorookie
    dorookie Member Posts: 1,731 Member
    #36
    Very Interesting stories
    I had a colonoscopy on a Tuesday, I remember the Doctor telling my partner that we should be very concerned. I dont even remember being worried or anything, guess I just wanted to eat some food. The next day I was outside my office having a smoke with a friend of mine, when my cell phone rang, I answered it, it was the doctor that did the scope, he asked me if I was working, I answered yes I am at work, he then started to kind of talk in circles, after a few minutes I realized what he was concerned about, he was hinting about my profession and if I was out on patrol and if I had my weapon with me. I reassured him my weapon was safely locked in my gun locker. Then he just bluntly said they just called him about the path report and that I did have colon cancer, I remember my legs falling out from under me. I started crying, my friend got all white and he started crying after I said I have cancer. I dont really remember much after that, other than us crying in the parking lot. I had to go in and tell my boss, they had a good friend of mine drive me home, they didnt tell her anything but that I needed a ride home. So as we were walking to my car, I said Angel did they tell you, she said no, that all they said was you needed to get home and needed someone to drive me. Well I told her I just got the news that I have cancer. She fell apart, cried all the way to my house, we kind of laughed a bit as it was almost to the point I needed to drive because she was so upset.

    And well the rest is history, I am stage 4, been NED for 3.5 years now, and I thank GOD everyday that he continues to keep me clear. I have no rhyme or reason as to why I am here and so many others are not, other than to say God has a plan for me... I just continue to pray that I am willing and able to do what he needs me to do...

    HUGS
    Beth
  • dorookie
    dorookie Member Posts: 1,731 Member
    #37
    Luckygirl2 said:

    Vacation sort of...
    ....we were on a nine day vacation out west , Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon, Las Vegas .... I didn't have any energy for sight seeing, even contemplated an ER visit in Durango..called my doc got an appt for day after our return. Ended up in ER once home and was told I was very close to requiring a transfusion and that I had a bad case of colitis, ended up a few days later back at my doctor requesting transfusion on a Thursday, had colonoscopy on FRiday, heard my surgeon say, here's our problem, I remember thinking , crap, had surgery on Monday, stage IIIb, aggressive... Will be a year Saturday. Had CT in December after chemo, 2d one in April and scheduled for 3d one J uly 25th... My life as I knew it before June 10, 2011 , no longer exists... Cancer sucks but I think the constant fear of it coming back sucks worse if that is possible!

    I second that one
    The fear of it coming back has literally almost drove me off the deep end, there were times I had convinced myself it was back, just horrible, but it does get a bit easier as it goes...and I pray it will for you too..

    HUGS
    Beth
  • Fourbusykids
    Fourbusykids Member Posts: 2
    #38
    Feb. 18 1992
    Was admitted to the hospital on Feb 16 with intense right lower quadrant pain. After two days laying there waiting for someone to decide what was wrong with me they decided to do exploratory surgery. I woke up afterwards and couldn't figure out why my husband kept leaving the room. He was trying to catch my parents in the hallway. The moment they and the surgeon walked in the door(they live 45 miles away) I knew something was wrong. Was diagnosed stage 2. 6 months of chemo followed by nearly 20 years of no cancer until January 2012. Diagnosed with a totally separate endometrial cancer (UPSC).
  • sammer4u
    sammer4u Member Posts: 37
    #39
    Fun Fun!!
    I went to get a physical when I turned 40 (haven't had one since I turned 18 and went to college). I went because I was getting "cramps" in my stomach and I was passing blood in my stool. Doctor checked me out and said I had hemrroids. Left it at that. 1 year later I go back, cramping getting worse and still have blood in stool. Pain in stomach would go away after a bowel movement. Make an appointment with different doctor and he says I have Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Great take some drugs for that. Condition did not get any better. Then on November 2 I get home after work, running around picking up kids and dropping them off etc. I feel like crap. Lay down for a bit, and finally go to bed. Wake up numerous times through out the night, dry heaves, not able to drink or eat anything. Made a call to work said not coming in, should be in tomorrow. Girlfriend calls me about 4:30 to see how I was doing, and I said not much better. She asked if she should come and take me to ER and I said YES (and I hate going to the doctor, or hospital). It takes her 30 minutes to get me from bedroom to car and 10 minutes to the hospital. Get to ER room hook up IV's and send me for CT Scan. They found blockage in the colon. Discuss with surgeon on call and says to admit me. Get admitted and met with the surgeon on Friday. She wanted to do a sigma scope, so that was scheduled. She had to stop as she could not get past tumor. She said she needed to do surgery to remove tumor, and wanted to know if I wanted to do it tonight (and she was willing to stay) or tomorrow with her colleague. I said lets get this over with. Went in about 8:30pm and come out about 12:30am... Took out 18 lymph nodes as well. Sent in for biopsy. Came out with a ostomy and very sore stomach. Went to girl friends parents house about a week later and got the call that the tumor was cancerous.. set up appointments to meet with Oncologist and was told it was stage IV... and here I am today.. after 8 treatments of chemo, one small liver resection and a Portal Vein Embolization, I am waiting for my major liver resection on June 28. They are talking about taking 80% of the right side of the liver out. I had 6 tumors in the liver and they have significantly shrunk. I feel fortunate that they are doing surgery and the outlook has been positive! Anxiously waiting for it to be June 28th!!!! to answer the originally question.. I was at my soon to be in-laws house when I found out on the phone on a Saturday afternoon!
  • smokeyjoe
    smokeyjoe Member Posts: 1,425 Member
    #40
    sammer4u said:

    Fun Fun!!
    I went to get a physical when I turned 40 (haven't had one since I turned 18 and went to college). I went because I was getting "cramps" in my stomach and I was passing blood in my stool. Doctor checked me out and said I had hemrroids. Left it at that. 1 year later I go back, cramping getting worse and still have blood in stool. Pain in stomach would go away after a bowel movement. Make an appointment with different doctor and he says I have Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Great take some drugs for that. Condition did not get any better. Then on November 2 I get home after work, running around picking up kids and dropping them off etc. I feel like crap. Lay down for a bit, and finally go to bed. Wake up numerous times through out the night, dry heaves, not able to drink or eat anything. Made a call to work said not coming in, should be in tomorrow. Girlfriend calls me about 4:30 to see how I was doing, and I said not much better. She asked if she should come and take me to ER and I said YES (and I hate going to the doctor, or hospital). It takes her 30 minutes to get me from bedroom to car and 10 minutes to the hospital. Get to ER room hook up IV's and send me for CT Scan. They found blockage in the colon. Discuss with surgeon on call and says to admit me. Get admitted and met with the surgeon on Friday. She wanted to do a sigma scope, so that was scheduled. She had to stop as she could not get past tumor. She said she needed to do surgery to remove tumor, and wanted to know if I wanted to do it tonight (and she was willing to stay) or tomorrow with her colleague. I said lets get this over with. Went in about 8:30pm and come out about 12:30am... Took out 18 lymph nodes as well. Sent in for biopsy. Came out with a ostomy and very sore stomach. Went to girl friends parents house about a week later and got the call that the tumor was cancerous.. set up appointments to meet with Oncologist and was told it was stage IV... and here I am today.. after 8 treatments of chemo, one small liver resection and a Portal Vein Embolization, I am waiting for my major liver resection on June 28. They are talking about taking 80% of the right side of the liver out. I had 6 tumors in the liver and they have significantly shrunk. I feel fortunate that they are doing surgery and the outlook has been positive! Anxiously waiting for it to be June 28th!!!! to answer the originally question.. I was at my soon to be in-laws house when I found out on the phone on a Saturday afternoon!

    It's complicated....went to
    It's complicated....went to ER feeling breathless....did x-rays found blood clots in lungs....from there basically they figured it was ovarian cancer after other tests and scans, lots of poking and prodding ...was sent to another facility as my docs. wanted a second opinion...stayed in hospital for a month because of a completely blocked colon and blood clots in lung..there was some talk of doing chemo. for ovarian cancer to shrink the tumors...they did colon and gyno. surgery...surgeons shocked when path came back colon cancer stage 1V.
  • kw3605
    kw3605 Member Posts: 1
    #41
    smokeyjoe said:

    It's complicated....went to
    It's complicated....went to ER feeling breathless....did x-rays found blood clots in lungs....from there basically they figured it was ovarian cancer after other tests and scans, lots of poking and prodding ...was sent to another facility as my docs. wanted a second opinion...stayed in hospital for a month because of a completely blocked colon and blood clots in lung..there was some talk of doing chemo. for ovarian cancer to shrink the tumors...they did colon and gyno. surgery...surgeons shocked when path came back colon cancer stage 1V.

    at my surgery consult appt.
    I'm new here, and feel like I'm getting to know many of you from the posts I've been reading. It's the first chance I've had to hear from others like myself, and I think this will be a great help to me.

    Like others of you, my gastroenterologist (GE) somewhat botched things. I'd been putting it off, but finally decided to get my first colonoscopy at age 57. Had to wait 6 mos. for it (after the Dr. rescheduled). Then was told he'd removed 2 "fairly large" polyps. When he called with the biopsy results he said there were "cancerous cells" in one polyp, but that the margins were clear. He didn't say anything about surgery. 2 mos. later he did a sigmoidoscopy to make sure there was no regrowth (not exactly protocol, come to find out). That was clear, so I thought I was good to go. Another couple of weeks went by and he asked me to come by his office and said he'd been thinking about my case and recommended a procedure done by a colon surgery specialist that would remove more of the mucosa without resecting the colon itself (just to be sure there were no additional "cancerous cells"). I went to see the specialist, who was very arrogant and scoffed at the GE's recommendation. He said I needed a resection but that it wasn't clear from the GE's notes where the polyps were. So I ended up having another sigmoidoscopy then and there. That was my first inkling that things were more serious than I'd been led to believe. I decided that I wanted a second opinion before making a decision about surgery.

    It was at that point that things turned around for me. I saw another surgeon who I loved, because he finally took the time to go through the original pathology report with me and explain everything so that I understood my situation. Turns out the GE had failed to tell me that both polyps were cancerous (and invasive). He had also failed to use dye markers when he removed them, so no one could tell exactly where they'd been. It was this surgeon who also finally came out and told me in plain English that I had cancer, and why the protocol was for me to have the resection. I wasn't exactly happy about everything at that point, but I was satisfied that I was making the right decision. Needless to say, he's the one I went to for the surgery.

    That wasn't quite the end of the story, though. After surgery, he asked if I wanted to consult with an oncologist within his group practice. At first I said no, but later changed my mind and am very glad I did. It turned out that the pathology from the surgery showed a microcluster of cancer in one lymph node, which put me at Stage IIIa. So I guess that's when I finally got the whole picture. The oncologist said I could reduce my chance of recurrence by doing chemo, but it was most effective when started within 6 wks. of surgery. So, 1 week later (with port newly implanted) I began chemo. Finished 12 treatments in Nov. 2011 and everything's been clear so far (fingers crossed).

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