Looking For Input

Stibbs37
Stibbs37 Member Posts: 4
in Anal Cancer #1

Hi everyone, I'm sure these posts get annoying but I'm worried and am waiting to see the doctor again. I'm a 27 year old male, overweight but loosing weight due to a change in lifestyle and diet. I've lost over 50lbs in the past year or so. Anyway, about a month and a half ago I started having some pain that I thought were fissures. I've felt the same sensation before so didn't think much of it. The pain stayed for over a week though and I got nervous especially after feeling a small bump around the outside of my anus. I started using the medicated wipes and cream you can get OTC and didn't have much luck but the lump would go away then come back depending on the BM. I ride a stationary bike a lot and started having a sore deep tender feeling pain after riding that sometimes lasted all day. I have insane anxiety and am on medication for it but once my mind gets going I get convinced I have cancer. So after a week of that and a day of massive panic attacks I called my doctor.

So I go to the doctor and explain what's going on, he asks the usual questions, takes a look, and also takes a fecal sample test for blood and that came back negative. He said he could feel a small internal hemorrhoid and the outside looked irritated so gave me some dispository capsules to use and some tips on loosing up stools.

A few weeks later now and I can't say I'm 100% better and I'm having some other symptoms that aren't new but together have me freaked out.

- Back pain. Mainly when walking or standing long periods of time. 

- Numbness almost like my legs are falling asleep after riding my bike and sometimes after long walks.

- Still an aching feeling in the anal area, I can't decipher where the feeling is. 

So I have another appointment lined up including a full physical and blood work but am worried. Did any of you have these symptoms? My mom fought through leukemia and my aunt is in her final stages of terminal breast cancer so needless to say I'm petrified of cancer. I know nobody online can determine if I have cancer but just looking for insight, should I be afraid and demand immediate tests or is my doctor doing the right course of things?

i have no unexplained weight loss, no other changes I have noticed, the pain isn't even bad it's just A. Scary and B. Annoying because I want to ride my bike and not have fear the rest of the day afterwards.

Thank you all for reading my silly post.

 

Comments

  • mxperry220
    mxperry220 Member Posts: 496 Member
    #2
    Make Appointment

    If you have not done so you might want to make an appointment with a colon rectal surgeon.  They are specialized in diagnosing issues related to the colon, rectum and anus.  Gastroenterologists and PCPs may not properly diagnose the problem.

    Mike

  • Stibbs37
    Stibbs37 Member Posts: 4
    #3
    mxperry220 said:

    Make Appointment

    If you have not done so you might want to make an appointment with a colon rectal surgeon.  They are specialized in diagnosing issues related to the colon, rectum and anus.  Gastroenterologists and PCPs may not properly diagnose the problem.

    Mike

    Thanks for the reply Mike,

    Thanks for the reply Mike, I'll look into that if my doctor doesn't refer me to one on my next visit I was thinking a lot of the time for specialists it's easier to get in with a referral. 

  • Cazz
    Cazz Member Posts: 106
    #4
    Stibbs37 said:

    Thanks for the reply Mike,

    Thanks for the reply Mike, I'll look into that if my doctor doesn't refer me to one on my next visit I was thinking a lot of the time for specialists it's easier to get in with a referral. 

    Hi Stibbs

    I would ask your doctor to schedule you for a colonoscopy and/or anoscopy.  I have read too many posts on here where doctors (or in my case, I) thought something was just an internal hemorrhoid - if the colonoscopy is clear then you can rest easy on that score as well as for the anal area.  I wish you a clear everything and hope that maybe you just have a mild food allergy or something easy to fix.

  • mp327
    mp327 Member Posts: 4,440 Member
    #5
    Stibbs

    As Mike has suggested, I would schedule an appt. with a colorectal specialist.  An anoscope exam would allow the doctor to view your anal canal.  A colonoscopy would examine the rectum and large intestine.  If you are concerned, I would ask for both to rule out any type of tumor.  Tumors can sometimes press on nerves, which in turn can cause numbness in the legs and back pain.  I certainly hope that is not the cause of your issues, but it would be best to get things checked out by a specialist.

    Martha

  • Ouch_Ouch_Ouch
    Ouch_Ouch_Ouch Member Posts: 508 Member
    #6
    Greetings, Stibbs37.

    It can be awful to have anal problems. You never really appreciate how many nerve endings the area has until something goes wrong. I wholeheartedly agree that you need to be examined by a colo-rectal surgeon (C-R) and have a possible anoscopy. Although there's no rule preventing it, you are young to have anal cancer. It usually waits a lot longer to spring upon a victim.

    Here's an illustration of anal anatomy so you can know what forum members are talking about: http://id.medicine.ucsf.edu/analcancerinfo/diagnosis/anatomy.html

    As you can see, the anal sphincter opening leads into the anal canal. Skin tissue wraps around from your exterior body into the anal canal. This means that all the pain receptors you have outside are also in that inner skin. This = OUCH! Next, there's the involutary inner anal sphincter that holds the waste inside until it's go time. Beyond that is the rectum. This is not skin tissue and therefore lacks those pain receptors. The rest of the colon is like that, too, thank goodness.

    Fissures occur in that anal canal area. They sometimes have a "sentinel tag" at the end of the cut that you might feel as a small lump. Fissures can be extremely painful and can be tricky to heal. The C-R doc will help you with that. Scroll down to see the "Fissure" section, but don't let anxities carry you away when looking at the other topics! http://www.aafp.org/afp/2001/0701/p77.html  In the photo, you can see an anoscope tube.

    Colonoscopy is a different procedure. It involves a long, flexible scope and camera that goes way beyond the anal canal to look all the way through the colon for problems. It has the ability to turn back on itself to see the anal area, but (according to my gastroenterologist) it is inable to take the deep biopsies needed for anal lesions. Unless there are risk factors in your case, the current thought is that regular colonoscopies begin at about age 50.

    You're in pain right now, but the odds are that you're in a good position not to have anal cancer. Get to a C-R specialist and get treated whatever is causing you trouble. Then feel better and put your engeries towards your family members that need you. Give your aunt big gentle hugs from us.

  • Tra2Tra
    Tra2Tra Member Posts: 1
    #7
    Agreed

    Stibbs, I'm in agreement with MXPERRY, MAKE AN APPOINTMENT. Speak candidly with your physician(s) about your concerns and don't fear or reserve getting 2ne or even 3rd opinions. Peace of mind will do you a world of good whether it turns out that you have cancer or (prayerfully) do not.

    I was diagnosed with Anal Cancer the day after Christmas. I had no itching, pain or irritation whatsoever but i did have a bulging tumor that protruded from my retum with BMs, sometimes it would retract on it's on and sometimes I'd have to send it back. I had bleeding but not a lot. I THOUGHT hemorroids and fissures prior to talking with my doctor.

  • Stibbs37
    Stibbs37 Member Posts: 4
    #8
    Thanks you all, I have a

    Thanks you all, I have a regular appointment for a checkup on that and a physical Wednesday and I'll ask to have it checked by a specialist. For the record the small bump did go away after some typical hemmorhoid medication. 

    Thanks again. 

  • Stibbs37
    Stibbs37 Member Posts: 4
    #9
    Stibbs37 said:

    Thanks you all, I have a

    Thanks you all, I have a regular appointment for a checkup on that and a physical Wednesday and I'll ask to have it checked by a specialist. For the record the small bump did go away after some typical hemmorhoid medication. 

    Thanks again. 

    Just wanted to update this in

    Just wanted to update this in case someone else runs across it.

    I'm still in pain and go back to the doctor again this week to get referred to a specialist. Yes I was suppose to do that last time but it started improving with some additional care but now it's back. I did have a physical 6 weeks or so ago, the condition was better then which is why I decided to wait and he told me in six weeks if it's not completely gone to come back and he'll send me to a specialist.

    The back pain and numbness feeling has gone away and I am 99% sure that was/is a back issue depending on how I exercise and some stretches in the morning have helped a lot with that. 

    The deep aching feeling is also gone and instead I have very painful sharp pain. Going to the bathroom is like being stabbed or passing glass. There's not really any blood, sometimes a very small amount of bright red blood on the toilet paper. I tried wipes, creams, the things my doctor gave me, I've tried baths, tried Vaseline, tank now have tried coconut oil in case it's a fissure.

    Needless to say I'm freaked out and have an appointment this week so I'll update this again. I just know sometimes I browse the web (bad idea) and run across threads that sound like me but I never see an update to how it all ended.

  • mp327
    mp327 Member Posts: 4,440 Member
    #10
    Stibbs37 said:

    Just wanted to update this in

    Just wanted to update this in case someone else runs across it.

    I'm still in pain and go back to the doctor again this week to get referred to a specialist. Yes I was suppose to do that last time but it started improving with some additional care but now it's back. I did have a physical 6 weeks or so ago, the condition was better then which is why I decided to wait and he told me in six weeks if it's not completely gone to come back and he'll send me to a specialist.

    The back pain and numbness feeling has gone away and I am 99% sure that was/is a back issue depending on how I exercise and some stretches in the morning have helped a lot with that. 

    The deep aching feeling is also gone and instead I have very painful sharp pain. Going to the bathroom is like being stabbed or passing glass. There's not really any blood, sometimes a very small amount of bright red blood on the toilet paper. I tried wipes, creams, the things my doctor gave me, I've tried baths, tried Vaseline, tank now have tried coconut oil in case it's a fissure.

    Needless to say I'm freaked out and have an appointment this week so I'll update this again. I just know sometimes I browse the web (bad idea) and run across threads that sound like me but I never see an update to how it all ended.

    Stibbs37

    Wishing you all the best with your upcoming appt.  May you get all good news!

    Martha

  • Ouch_Ouch_Ouch
    Ouch_Ouch_Ouch Member Posts: 508 Member
    #11
    Stibbs37 said:

    Just wanted to update this in

    Just wanted to update this in case someone else runs across it.

    I'm still in pain and go back to the doctor again this week to get referred to a specialist. Yes I was suppose to do that last time but it started improving with some additional care but now it's back. I did have a physical 6 weeks or so ago, the condition was better then which is why I decided to wait and he told me in six weeks if it's not completely gone to come back and he'll send me to a specialist.

    The back pain and numbness feeling has gone away and I am 99% sure that was/is a back issue depending on how I exercise and some stretches in the morning have helped a lot with that. 

    The deep aching feeling is also gone and instead I have very painful sharp pain. Going to the bathroom is like being stabbed or passing glass. There's not really any blood, sometimes a very small amount of bright red blood on the toilet paper. I tried wipes, creams, the things my doctor gave me, I've tried baths, tried Vaseline, tank now have tried coconut oil in case it's a fissure.

    Needless to say I'm freaked out and have an appointment this week so I'll update this again. I just know sometimes I browse the web (bad idea) and run across threads that sound like me but I never see an update to how it all ended.

    Ouchness!

    For a few months post-treatment, I had lower abdominal pain and lower back pain. The oncologist felt that it was due to the radiation. It eventually went away.

    Ask the MD to examine you for fissures. Moi painful - like a deep paper cut filled with lemon juice! If it turns out to be so, the MD will probably tell you to keep up the sitz baths 2-3 x day to relax the inner shincter, clean the wound, and increase blood flow; keep up with the prescription ointment that keeps the inner shincter relaxed; and temper your stools so they aren't hard or loose.

    I also suggest trying "Comfort Shield Cream Cloths". They are sooooooooo much better than baby wipes. They are like soothing rectangular clouds! The 8-1/2 x 8-1/2 sheets ("large" size) can be cut into 4 toilet-paper size squares. A very kind nurse gave them to me during my last hospitalization when I screamed aloud with each stool. The most affordable source that I've found is through the manufacturer, Sage Products: http://shopsageproducts.com/store/p/56-Comfort-Shield-reg-Barrier-Cream-Cloths-Portable-Pack.aspx  The other vendors are more expensive.

    (CAUTION - They are too thick and fluffy to flush down the toilet.) 

    (No, I don't work for Sage Products, but am just someone who is grateful to have found these life-savers.)

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