Diagnostic path - feeling at sea

Here is a questoin. Are you prone to blowing every ache and pain, out of proportion? If the answer is no, then I would say you are not a hypochondriac.  Your body is telling you something is wrong. It may not be Cancer, and we're all praying that it isn't, but something is wrong, so doing what you have to, to find out what it is, is not a bad thing. 

Good luck tomorrow with all the tests, and pray that something innocuous shows up and you can go your merry way and never have to visit our forum again. 

But, if you find that you have the dreaded C, then we are here for you, every step of the way. 

Tru

Colonoscopy is the only answer to your question. I know it sounds like a very unpleasant procedure, but trust me, having cancer is way harder to handle. The earlier is the better in this situation. 

I am 28 yo male, and I had horrible abdominal pain with an unusual diarrhea. I visited two different doctors about it and nobody predicted such diagnosis before colonoscopy. All my test results were looking like I was a healthy person before the colonoscopy. 

If I were diagnosed just 1 month prior than the reality now, the things could have been much easier in many aspects.

Right now, I am a stage 4 colon cancer fighter and waiting for my first unexpected surgery.

I hope you won't have to hang around here, but if you will, we are here.

Good luck with your diagnosis and even if you have something else, keep us posted

Ugur

beaumontdave said:

Before I was diagnosed at 49,

Before I was diagnosed at 49, the only symptoms I had were occassional spashes of blood in my stool, and an ache on my right side that I later learned to be appendicitis. 50 was the standard age to get checked, but my 80yo father was diagnosed when my symptoms were occuring. Then I learned my dad's sister had died of CRC, and I knew I should have been checking for it much earlier. The price of ignorance about my families history has cost me a ton, physically, emotionally, and financially. If I were in your place, I'd get all the tests and the scope. The hassle involved with that is tiny compared to the hassle of being late to find out. Good luck...................................................Dave

I agree. I also should have had a colonoscopy years before I did at 53. After diagnosis I found out my paternal grandfather had CRC, although he survived it. But also two maternal uncles died of CRC, and my maternal great grandmother had it. How in earth wasn't this info shared with all of us? No clue. 

Of course, many have no family history of it, even more reason to go for it. I didn't mind the procedure at all. Even the prep really isn't that bad 

Trubrit said:

Inappropriate conversation

The older generation (we're heading there) did not speak of such things.  My non-biological grandfather died of Bowel Cancer, and I remember it never being mentioned because, well, bowels are gross. 

Allot of lives lost to the inability to talk about our bodies. 

Tru

That is a great observation, Tru. My mother was one of 10 children and we all knew there was cancer in her family, but didn't discuss specifics. Because of my diagnosis, one of my nephews opted for an early colonoscopy and they found some polyps. Had he waited...? 

jhgregg said:

Thanks to those who took the

Thanks to those who took the time to respond.  I’m likely having a colonoscopy as soon as it can be scheduled but am waiting for the doctor to get back to me with some of the lab results from my physical and an indication of what the wait would be.

In the meantime the general physical seems to have turned up nothing out of the ordinary, including upper gastic endoscopy - though I am waiting until at least Wednesday for FOBT and a few other lab results, as I said.  Obviously that test is important.  The main thing that is so challenging is the waiting.  I don’t think I manage this sort of stress well, which is probably what really motivated my original post in the first place.

You had an upper endoscopy but didn't get a colonoscopy?  Doesn't make any sense.

Also, I don't understand why you have to wait on the results of a FOBT.  My GP did it right in the office and was able to tell me right away that it had come up positive.  That's when he immediately referred me to a GI specialist.

Not sure why the endoscopy, but you definitely should have the colonoscopy.  That will help determine if there is anything in the colon that isn't picked up by other tests.  Not all blood tests are accurate for indicating cancer in the colon.  If they do the scope and find nothing, then maybe an MRI might be the next step to determining if something is going on.  Hope you get the answer to the problems.  Thanks for keeping us informed.

Kim