Concerned/scared

samNML
samNML Member Posts: 20
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
Hi everyone,
I came across this website while I was doing some re-search about my wife's most recent symptoms.
Actually, she had light red blood in her stool a week ago for three straight days.I got really scared and we made an appointment with our family doctor. Our doctor prescribed her Proctosedyl to stop bleeding and also an X-Ray test (Barium Enema)to determine the exact cause of the bleeing but suspects Internal hemorroides or Ulcerative Colitis.Now since she has started taking the medication, the bleeding has stopped but I am still really concerned. Could it be something more serious?
She is 29 years old and there is no history of colon cancer running in the family.

Please respond.

Thanks

Sam

Comments

  • NWmom
    NWmom Member Posts: 80
    #2
    Hi Sam,
    We are of the mindset that any bleeding needs to be thoroughly checked out. My husband had bleeding and was told for 5 years that it was just internal hemmorroids. He was then diagnosed with stage IV rectal cancer with mets to the liver in Oct. 06. He first started having symptoms when he was 32. There is no history of colon cancer in his family at all either. His doctor told him that he was too young and there was no chance it was anything serious. Needless to say he does have a new doctor! A colonoscopy, in our opinion, is always the way to go when you are having rectal bleeding. It could be nothing, or something very simple to deal with, but it's always best to be sure.
    Good luck,
    Heather and Carl
  • Betsydoglover
    Betsydoglover Member Posts: 1,248 Member
    #3
    Hi Sam -

    I agree with Heather. Get your wife to a GI doc and get a colonoscopy scheduled - that is the ONLY way to be sure. This bleeding could be any number of things, including colorectal cancer. There are a large number of very young people with CRC on this site, so please don't listen to the "she's too young" story. Insist on a colonoscopy. If it is clean just think how much peace of mind you both will have. And if not, well colorectal is highly treatable and beatable if caught in the early stages.

    Take care,
    Betsy (a Stage IV survivor who really wishes she had had a colonoscopy sooner!)

    (P.S. the colonoscopy is no big deal - the prep isn't fun, but it's only a day and in terms of the procedure itself, your wife won't even know it happened - the drugs today are very, very good.
  • KierstenRx
    KierstenRx Member Posts: 249
    #4
    Sam,
    I also agree with the other 2 posts. Demand a colonoscopy. It's the only way to know for sure. Based on her age it probably is not cancer, but you have to rule it out. I was diagnosed last September with stage III rectal cancer 2 weeks after my 32 birthday. I had gone to the doctor when I was 28 and was told I had hemmorhoids. No one suspected that it could be cancer. Now looking back I had just about every symptom in the book. I will keep you both in my prayers.

    Kiersten
  • chynabear
    chynabear Member Posts: 481 Member
    #5
    KierstenRx said:

    Sam,
    I also agree with the other 2 posts. Demand a colonoscopy. It's the only way to know for sure. Based on her age it probably is not cancer, but you have to rule it out. I was diagnosed last September with stage III rectal cancer 2 weeks after my 32 birthday. I had gone to the doctor when I was 28 and was told I had hemmorhoids. No one suspected that it could be cancer. Now looking back I had just about every symptom in the book. I will keep you both in my prayers.

    Kiersten

    Sam,

    You are an awesome husband to be so caring about your wife's symptoms!!!

    Now, go back to the doctor's office and demand a colonoscopy. A colonoscopy is the best way to determine what is going on within the colon and other tests can sometimes miss significant things.

    Here is a broken record... I was 22ish when I went to the doctor for the first bleeding. Surprise, I was told internal hemmorhoids. I too have zero history of colon cancer (really very little cancer in general), was very young, and was lacking in any other symptoms. Fast forward four years and I have a week of bleeding. I went doctor to doctor until one finally sent me for a full scope, just to be sure. Keep in mind, this doctor also named NUMEROUS reasons that could cause the bleeding but she felt she couldn't make an accurate diagnoses without more testing, THANK GOD. I was diagnosed Stage III colon cancer the day after I turned 27. Had the first doctor scheduled the scope, I would have been stage I. Big difference.

    That being said, I know of three young women, 20's-30's, that have gotten scoped because they experienced bleeding and knew my story. All three of them turned out to be very minor diagnoses, as will likely be your wife. The earlier diagnoses the better outcome.

    Let us know how things turn out or if you and your wife have any other questions.

    Tricia
  • 4law
    4law Member Posts: 110
    #6
    Peace of mind. If you're surfing the net about this, you are concerned and worried. As you can see from earlier messages, the colonoscopy is the way to go. At your wife's young age and recent onset of bleeding, the odds are that even if cancer is found, it will be at an early stage, and therefore your odds at beating it are very good. If the scope shows nothing, you will have peace of mind. Unless your doctor has an explanation for the bleeding, go for the scope -- it's a no-brainer. You found a great resource in our group. Good luck.
  • samNML
    samNML Member Posts: 20
    #7
    Thanks everyone for your replies. You guys are great!!
    I just wanted to ask some of you what are/were the most common symptoms besides bleeding that your love ones experienced a few years back.

    Thanks

    Sam
  • Patti1
    Patti1 Member Posts: 109 Member
    #8
    Sam,

    I only wished I had found this website sooner for my husband. Only after he was diagnosed with Stage IV Colorectal Cancer with Met to his Liver did I find this site. He had been plagued for a year with minor bleeding. I even talked to my doctor and he said probably hemmeroids he's to young. After I complained so much the doctor scheduled him for a colonoscopy.then the shock came on 1/5/06. PLEASE listen to all the previous posts,it can't hurt to get a colonoscopy. We only wish we know what we do today.It sure beets the Chemo,Surgery and Rads he has had. Good luck to the both of you

    Patti & Dennis
  • KathiM
    KathiM Member Posts: 8,028 Member
    #9
    samNML said:

    Thanks everyone for your replies. You guys are great!!
    I just wanted to ask some of you what are/were the most common symptoms besides bleeding that your love ones experienced a few years back.

    Thanks

    Sam

    Stage III rectal here...probably growing for 4-5 years...sigh...

    Symptoms I had, and ignored were Change in bowel habits (diarreha almost every time), low iron (borderline anemia), and low back pain...some people also experience unexplainable weight loss...

    Good luck with your wife...and, yes, she IS old enough to have colon cancer, but I'm sending prayers that she doesn't....

    Hugs, Kathi
  • kerry
    kerry Member Posts: 1,313 Member
    #10
    samNML said:

    Thanks everyone for your replies. You guys are great!!
    I just wanted to ask some of you what are/were the most common symptoms besides bleeding that your love ones experienced a few years back.

    Thanks

    Sam

    Sam,

    Colonoscopy is the ONLY way to go. I had a sigmoidoscopy 6 months before I was diagnosed with Stage 3 colon cancer. My symptoms were anemia, fatigue and frequent VERY loose stools - not quite the diahrrea consistency.

    Colonoscopy NOW!

    Kerry

    P.S. Let us know!
  • robinvan
    robinvan Member Posts: 1,012
    #11
    samNML said:

    Thanks everyone for your replies. You guys are great!!
    I just wanted to ask some of you what are/were the most common symptoms besides bleeding that your love ones experienced a few years back.

    Thanks

    Sam

    Hi Sam
    I was diagnosed stage 4 colon cancer after a colonoscopy discovered a "mass". My only prior symptom was the ocassional blood in the stool. I was in otherwise good health with no fatigue, pain, bowel distress, or anything.

    Hopefully this is something minor. Good on you both for acting so quickly. Lot's of good advice for you upstream. Good Luck.

    Rob
  • ahamilton2
    ahamilton2 Member Posts: 32
    #12
    Everyone who's posted advice to get a colonoscopy is right! Absolutely right.

    I started bleeding, occassionaly, about 10 years ago. I was only 33 years old. I was assured, time and again, after barium enemas, that I had "internal hemmoriods".

    In May of 2005 I was finally diagnosed with Stage IV colorectal. Not fun. I'm ok now, but it was a terrible fight.

    PLEASE make sure your wife gets a colonscopy pronto!

    Good luck!
  • lfondots63
    lfondots63 Member Posts: 818 Member
    #13
    samNML said:

    Thanks everyone for your replies. You guys are great!!
    I just wanted to ask some of you what are/were the most common symptoms besides bleeding that your love ones experienced a few years back.

    Thanks

    Sam

    I agree with everyone else. Colonoscopy is the way to go. I was dx with IBS in my early 20's. It slowly got worse. I rationalized the bad boughts as possible stomache viruses. By the time it got the worse the symptoms were: change in bowel habits, diarehea most of the time, pain that was unbelievable. I was then dx with colitis or diverticulitis. I had a colonoscopy the day before my 41st birthday and found out I had stage 3 colon cancer. Like others said, we are the extreme but it will make you feel better to know. I even had my 19 year old daughter checked because of bowel issues and pain. She is "clean as a whistle" which makes me feel wonderful! Tell us how it goes.

    Lisa F.
  • micheleamw
    micheleamw Member Posts: 62
    #14
    Sam~

    My Dad was diagnosed with Stage III colon cancer in 2004. He had NO symptoms, and colon cancer does not run in his family. He was a very unlikely candidate.

    I recently had a colonoscopy due to some problems I was having. First off, I am a huge baby, and I was petrified...petrified of the procedure itself and of what they might find.

    I can honestly say the worst part of the ordeal was having to go a day and a half without eating...and getting stuck with the IV needle (twice since the nurse didn't get it right the first time -- ugh!) The medicine I had to drink the night before wasn't that bad, honestly. It came with flavor packets, and I chose the orange. I must admit, it felt good to be squeaky clean!

    As far as the procedure itself, I don't remember a thing. They gave me this wonderful medicine in my IV, and I was out like a light. I didn't not have any soreness afterwards either.

    I can't tell you how happy I was that I went ahead and had a colonoscopy. Nothing is as comforting as a piece of mind.

    All the best~
    Michele

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