Am I the Only one who HAS NOT had a colonoscopy?

herdizziness
herdizziness Member Posts: 3,624 Member
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
Just curious, I've yet to have a colonoscopy, and I'm just thinking, if they go ahead and do the surgeries to remove the tumors in my sigmoid, uterus and liver, should I be inquiring if there's some polyps that need to be removed as well?

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  • Unknown
    Unknown
    #2
    This comment has been removed by the Moderator
  • Crow71
    Crow71 Member Posts: 679 Member
    #3
    Spot On
    A board member who hasn't had a colonoscopy - rare indeed.

    I think your question is spot on. I was diagnosed via butt camera in July '09. At that time the doctor could not get the scope past the tumor. With the tumor shrunk down by chemo, my surgeon ordered another colonoscopy prior to surgery in April. They found another spot much higher up from my primary tumor, which my surgeon took out. We were both glad to find no other polyps.

    One of the things I really appreciated about my surgeon is that he gathered lots of info before cutting me open. Prior to surgery he ordered a PET scan, CT scan and colonoscopy. He also went in with a scope to look at my liver, peritoneal mets. uterus etc. He didn't want any surprises.

    Have your tumors responded to chemo? Has surgery been scheduled yet? Are they going to do everything at once or stage the surgeries?

    Take care - Roger
  • herdizziness
    herdizziness Member Posts: 3,624 Member
    #4
    unknown said:

    This comment has been removed by the Moderator

    They found my cancer when I
    They found my cancer when I went to the ER for a pain in my side that wouldn't go away.
    They did CT Scan, saw tumors in colon, kidney, ovary and during hospitablization did further PET/CT Scans and biopsied my liver (that's when they recommended hospice) That's how the cancer was detected. Plus CEA count over 2000.
    They've never looked up my hiney.
    The onc is taking my case to the Tumor Board when they meet on August 12th, I will find out what they say on August 16th at my regular appointment.
    I was just thinking when I was reading about polyps, wait a minute, what good is going everywhere else if I have polyps and they don't get them. So I mean, do they get them when they resection the sigmoid, or do they have to go in the other end?
  • herdizziness
    herdizziness Member Posts: 3,624 Member
    #5
    Crow71 said:

    Spot On
    A board member who hasn't had a colonoscopy - rare indeed.

    I think your question is spot on. I was diagnosed via butt camera in July '09. At that time the doctor could not get the scope past the tumor. With the tumor shrunk down by chemo, my surgeon ordered another colonoscopy prior to surgery in April. They found another spot much higher up from my primary tumor, which my surgeon took out. We were both glad to find no other polyps.

    One of the things I really appreciated about my surgeon is that he gathered lots of info before cutting me open. Prior to surgery he ordered a PET scan, CT scan and colonoscopy. He also went in with a scope to look at my liver, peritoneal mets. uterus etc. He didn't want any surprises.

    Have your tumors responded to chemo? Has surgery been scheduled yet? Are they going to do everything at once or stage the surgeries?

    Take care - Roger

    I believe they are going to
    I believe they are going to stage the surgeries, going to the sigmoid and uterus first. Onc said that was a pretty hard surgery (the uterus part). As for responding to chemo, this is the only reason he is taking it to the tumor board, I was given 6 months, (my 6 months will be up on August 8th) but my response to chemo has been great from over 2000 CEA, at last visit was down to 17 CEA.
    He has me going for another blood test on August 9th (pre-surgery, as he thinks they will approve) and said PET/CT scan after he finds out for sure on the 12th if I qualify for surgery. I just think maybe a colonoscopy aught to be in there somewhere. Or does the CT/PET scan from previous show nothing? Just something I started thinking about this past week.
  • christinecarl
    christinecarl Member Posts: 543 Member
    #6
    only 1 time
    I did not have my first one until about 6 months after my chemo was done. I too ended up in the ER with stomach pain and was diagnosed via CT scan. Ahh fun times :(
  • Kathryn_in_MN
    Kathryn_in_MN Member Posts: 1,252 Member
    #7
    herdizziness said:

    I believe they are going to
    I believe they are going to stage the surgeries, going to the sigmoid and uterus first. Onc said that was a pretty hard surgery (the uterus part). As for responding to chemo, this is the only reason he is taking it to the tumor board, I was given 6 months, (my 6 months will be up on August 8th) but my response to chemo has been great from over 2000 CEA, at last visit was down to 17 CEA.
    He has me going for another blood test on August 9th (pre-surgery, as he thinks they will approve) and said PET/CT scan after he finds out for sure on the 12th if I qualify for surgery. I just think maybe a colonoscopy aught to be in there somewhere. Or does the CT/PET scan from previous show nothing? Just something I started thinking about this past week.

    My first colonoscopy
    My first colonoscopy was over almost as soon as it was started. I had an almost fully obstructing tumor, ready to choke off my entire colon any day. The GI doctor called the surgeon right then and there. They really aren't worried about polyps while you are on chemo. If chemo is going to work to take care of tumors, it will also keep polyps from turning cancerous and turning into tumors.

    I had my first FULL colonoscopy just a couple weeks ago. I was told that I would have to go in for a complete conoloscopy after all my treatments were done. I finished FOLFOX in April, was declared NED in May, went off Coumadin and had my port removed in June, and was able to do the repeat colonoscopy in July.

    There are some of us who did not have colonoscopies, or could not complete them due to obstruction. It actually isn't that unusual.

    I've had a hysterectomy for cervical cancer, and a sigmoid resection for colon cancer - neither surgery was that bad, and recovery wasn't too bad either. I'd rather have surgery again than chemo. So you've been doing the hard part already. I hope they agree to do your surgery. Good luck to you!
  • herdizziness
    herdizziness Member Posts: 3,624 Member
    #8
    Thanks Kathryn and
    Thanks Kathryn and Christine, that explains a lot to me. Appreciate it. My CT Scan had showed a blockage from the tumor which was why I had a nice week stay in the hospital, which was the cause of the pain which sent me to the ER in the first place. Strange how we find out about our cancer.
    I'm especially glad to hear that neither sigmoid or uterus surgery was that bad, I've been a tad bit worried about that. (well, more then a tad)
    I appreciate the feedback!!!!
    Winter Marie
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    #9
    herdizziness said:

    Thanks Kathryn and
    Thanks Kathryn and Christine, that explains a lot to me. Appreciate it. My CT Scan had showed a blockage from the tumor which was why I had a nice week stay in the hospital, which was the cause of the pain which sent me to the ER in the first place. Strange how we find out about our cancer.
    I'm especially glad to hear that neither sigmoid or uterus surgery was that bad, I've been a tad bit worried about that. (well, more then a tad)
    I appreciate the feedback!!!!
    Winter Marie

    This comment has been removed by the Moderator
  • herdizziness
    herdizziness Member Posts: 3,624 Member
    #10
    unknown said:

    This comment has been removed by the Moderator

    Graci, they said my liver
    Graci, they said my liver was so bad, I was not a candidate for surgery nor a Transplant.
    They said chemo would give me a couple of extra months, did I want quality or quantity.

    Which is why it is a miracle to me, that I'm now being offered surgery, (well maybe, the waiting is so hard, he was supposed to go to the tumor board LAST month, but my file got misplaced and it didn't happen, this is my second month waiting to hear about the tumor board results. I talked to my chemo 101 nurse and she's on the tumor board, so I'm going to call her and ask her if my Onc doesn't show up on the 12th to call him IMMEDIATELY, to get there)but with a new grandson to be born in July, I opted for quantity. I'm sooooo glad I did. When I see someone trying to decide between quality and quantity, I just want to scream go for quantity, it could mean a lot more years, the doc's aren't Gods, they can't know. And yes, by the third chemo, I discussed with my husband stopping the chemo and going for the quality, we made a long trip seeing my mother, brothers and sisters in order for me to say my goodbyes (they didn't know it was goodbye)and discuss with a couple of them whether I should continue chemo or not. Their vote was yes, keep trying, and I'm so happy I did.
    And yes, everyone (doc's and nurses) are shocked when they see me now, I have my hair, (I was told I would lose it) I have a glow about me (because I'm still alive, how can I not glow?)and they are all amazed about how I look, after all, I'm supposed to be on death's door.
    My onc informed me, he hasn't had a patient like myself, his partner (one that has been an onc for about 40 years) has only two patient's that have responded like myself. I consider myself lucky.
    Personally I blame all the seafood, caribou, chickens, rabbits, and moose meat (no chemicals, no hormones all natural) that I was forced to eat growing up. We grew our own vegetables, picked our own fruit for jams, made honey out of clover blossoms, raised our own chickens, ate wildlife only, sourdough bread made by Mom, never had store bought food except for MilkMan milk (powdered milk) for the reason I am still here.
    I blame the cancer (have to blame it on something) on the food that I've had to eat (hormones, additives, etc) since I came outside. In my whole family history I am the only one that has gotten cancer. I think it's mostly because I'm the only one in the family that grew fascinated with what they had in grocery stores, so I didn't maintain our way of life. And I truly regret this, for my children, because I didn't teach them about hormone chemical free foods.
    So Graci, I guess all said and done (gosh I'm long winded) I don't have nerves of steel,
    I'm wishy washy, after diagnosed with cancer, I wanted the days to go slowly, savor every moment, I thought at one time why am I saving these memories, when I die, they won't go with me, then I realized, the moments were for my family, they were memories for them. But today I find myself wishing them forward, to the 16th, to know I can have surgery.
    Can you imagine, that some day we would all wish for surgery, for the hope it gives??
    Thank you for your kind words.
    Winter Marie
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    #11
    herdizziness said:

    Graci, they said my liver
    Graci, they said my liver was so bad, I was not a candidate for surgery nor a Transplant.
    They said chemo would give me a couple of extra months, did I want quality or quantity.

    Which is why it is a miracle to me, that I'm now being offered surgery, (well maybe, the waiting is so hard, he was supposed to go to the tumor board LAST month, but my file got misplaced and it didn't happen, this is my second month waiting to hear about the tumor board results. I talked to my chemo 101 nurse and she's on the tumor board, so I'm going to call her and ask her if my Onc doesn't show up on the 12th to call him IMMEDIATELY, to get there)but with a new grandson to be born in July, I opted for quantity. I'm sooooo glad I did. When I see someone trying to decide between quality and quantity, I just want to scream go for quantity, it could mean a lot more years, the doc's aren't Gods, they can't know. And yes, by the third chemo, I discussed with my husband stopping the chemo and going for the quality, we made a long trip seeing my mother, brothers and sisters in order for me to say my goodbyes (they didn't know it was goodbye)and discuss with a couple of them whether I should continue chemo or not. Their vote was yes, keep trying, and I'm so happy I did.
    And yes, everyone (doc's and nurses) are shocked when they see me now, I have my hair, (I was told I would lose it) I have a glow about me (because I'm still alive, how can I not glow?)and they are all amazed about how I look, after all, I'm supposed to be on death's door.
    My onc informed me, he hasn't had a patient like myself, his partner (one that has been an onc for about 40 years) has only two patient's that have responded like myself. I consider myself lucky.
    Personally I blame all the seafood, caribou, chickens, rabbits, and moose meat (no chemicals, no hormones all natural) that I was forced to eat growing up. We grew our own vegetables, picked our own fruit for jams, made honey out of clover blossoms, raised our own chickens, ate wildlife only, sourdough bread made by Mom, never had store bought food except for MilkMan milk (powdered milk) for the reason I am still here.
    I blame the cancer (have to blame it on something) on the food that I've had to eat (hormones, additives, etc) since I came outside. In my whole family history I am the only one that has gotten cancer. I think it's mostly because I'm the only one in the family that grew fascinated with what they had in grocery stores, so I didn't maintain our way of life. And I truly regret this, for my children, because I didn't teach them about hormone chemical free foods.
    So Graci, I guess all said and done (gosh I'm long winded) I don't have nerves of steel,
    I'm wishy washy, after diagnosed with cancer, I wanted the days to go slowly, savor every moment, I thought at one time why am I saving these memories, when I die, they won't go with me, then I realized, the moments were for my family, they were memories for them. But today I find myself wishing them forward, to the 16th, to know I can have surgery.
    Can you imagine, that some day we would all wish for surgery, for the hope it gives??
    Thank you for your kind words.
    Winter Marie

    This comment has been removed by the Moderator

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