Tests, More Tests, and a Couple Questions

TheLadySkye
TheLadySkye Member Posts: 203 Member
in Colorectal Cancer #1

It seems like I have spent the last few weeks going from one test to another or knocked out with anesthesia.  Yikes.

It's been a year since surgery, so it was colonoscopy time (even though my tumor was in the small intestine).  Everything looks good!  I do have a hemorrhoid that was described as "fibrous" in nature (not like other ones?  What?  Even my hemorrhoids are weird?).  Nothing to worry about, but a likely (benign) cause of the narrowing stool I've been having.

The nice GI doctor also repeated the endoscopy going into the small intestine to check out the surgical site.  He saw nothing of concern, but took a couple biopsies anyway just to be sure.  Is it weird that I'm nervous about those results even though nothing untoward is expected?

Got the boobs squished (mammogram time) and all looks good.  Alas, my pap showed "atypical cells."  My GYN promises if she was concerned, that she would be the first one to tell me so.  She says it's not cancer.  It's not pre-cancer.  It doesn't even look like anything that some day maybe wants to BE cancer.  She suspects it's because I finished chemo less than six months ago and probably ALL my cells are a bit atypical at the moment.  She'll be repeating the test in six months.  Still, it's hard not to worry and be oversensitive to this.  Have any of you ladies ever had an abnormal pap during treatment?  Not to be prejudiced.  Gentlemen, if you want to weigh in too, that would be just fine.

I have also been having issues with my right hip.  It began during chemotherapy.  Some pain at the front of the hip, difficulty holding weight, though I could usually walk around and loosen it up and it was okay.  Oncologist did not seem overly concerned at my repeated mentionings and indicated that joint pain was pretty common during chemotherapy.  Alas, it has not subsided (though chemo did at the end of April) and continues to worsen.  The pain is near constant now, I can no longer loosen or lessen the pain with activity, and I am often stumbling around because I can't put full weight on it.  Is this a chemo gift?  Temporary?  Permanent?  I see the oncologist next week.  Is there anything in particular I should ask for in terms of testing or expectations? 

Thank you all for your thoughts and insights.  You guys are the best!

Comments

  • ron50
    ron50 Member Posts: 1,723 Member
    #2
    Hi

       I would be getting a check up from your gp on that hip. I commented on another post that we find that cancer hastens a lot of problems that we would have faced in the coming years. I have serious ankylosing spondylitis and psoriatic arthritis. These complaints are less of a problem if treated early. Chemo and the chemistry involved with it can actually take the edge off a lot of joint problems unfortunately we suffer a flare in joint pain when we stop the conrol agent. I had the same problem after high dose prednisone and chemo. I think it is also the cause of Kims hip problems. The chemo agents tend to dampen our immune systems and it is common to suffer auto-immune problems afterwards. I would ask for an mri of the problem area and get your gp to do full bloods as well as urine tests(protein urea is another auto-immune problem following chemo) and even an ultrasound to check your gall bladder as stones can be a common after effect of chemo. You really have to be in charge of your health. I have no gall bladder,I suffer severe neuropathy ,nephrotic syndrome,asthma and the previously mentioned arthritic conditions. I take 150 mg daily of cyclosporine (immuno suppressant). I am nearly 16 years post stage three colon cancer. All the best Ron.

  • Annabelle41415
    Annabelle41415 Member Posts: 6,742 Member
    #3
    Tests

    My colonoscopy was in June and at the same time had an endoscopy.  When he told me that they took some biopsies of course that sends a red flag, but the nurse told me usually all patients get them and it turned out normal.

    As far as the hip pain, please get an xray.  I'm right now dealing with now having to get a hip replacement.  Because of rectal cancer all the radiation was directed right toward the hip and since then (5 years ago) I've always had achy hips that just continued to become more irritating.  Last December getting out of bed was almost impossible, not being able to put weight on it at all and I'd just hop around until it was "walkable".  They took an x-ray and nothing showed up.  For months I'd walk with some sharp pains but in June it got worse and was not able to walk without it hurting all the time.  Just went in last week to Orthopedic and they took another x-ray of my hip and now what used to be the rounded joint is now flat and rubbing bone to bone.  All the blood vessels have died on top and the bone is deteriorating.  Going in tomorrow for MRI and back to doctor's on Tuesday for results.  I'm praying that it is not cancer.  Please just ask for a test of some kind to see why it's bothering you. 

    Glad all your other tests came out good.

    Kim

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