Brand New Here and Concerned

Giggy
Giggy Member Posts: 1
edited March 2014 in Anal Cancer #1
Hello fine people. I have spent the better part of my day perusing this specific discussion board. My name is Kim and I will turn 45 on Friday.

Today, my nurse, Teresa, phoned me with the results of my CT and it seems I have a plethora of issues to contend with on top of old issues. Firstly, I have a kidney stone I'm passing. I figure it didn't alarm them enough to put me in the hospital and since I'm on pain medication anyway for other issues, I'm handling it fine.

I also have a condition called Diverticulitis. They are calling me in antibiotics for this issue.

However, it is the third thing that has me concerned. They found a tumor in my anal canal and are sending me to a general surgeon for a biopsy.

The reason they took the CT to begin with is because for several weeks, I can barely eat and when I do eat, it is mainly soups. I also drink only water and tea. I'm losing weight but you can't tell because I'm so swollen, it looks odd and, of course, makes my tummy look bigger. I have horrible stomach pain, too.

I've always had issues with constipation and figured when I saw blood in my stool a week ago, it was due to strain. Thing is, this time, there wasn't just blood in the toilet. There was blood in the stool, which is very different for me. I am also experiencing a burning soreness around and in my anus and it feels 'puffy' back there, like hemmorhoids. It's also red with a tad of discharge. I've also been noticing a lot of thick mucous in some stools I am passing.

Lately, to combat the constipation, I'm taking Miralax and a stool softener. I am also taking unfiltered, organic apple cider vinegar, raw Vitamin C and Elderberry Syrup. I also have some organic Slippery Bark Elm.

The reason I take pain medication is due to ulcers and severe inflammation of my stomach lining and I have GERD and RA, as well.

I know you won't be able to just come out and say whether you think I have anal cancer or not BUT...did you have any of the symptoms I have, prior to being diagnosed?

Thank you for taking the time to read all of this. I tend to be a bit long-winded, at times.

*hugs*,

Giggy

Comments

  • z
    z Member Posts: 1,414 Member
    #2
    Giggy
    Hi Giggy,

    I had pain and blood. The 1st dr. I went to was my gyno PA, who said this is not a hemroid, who referred me to a gastrologist, who said that could be a hemroid, but then referred me to a general surgeon, who did a biopsy and colonoscopy and did confirm anal cancer. I hope that
    you will find that you just have hemroids. A lot of anal cancer survivors were 1st told that they were hemroids, until finally they were biopsied. It is very good that you'll be having a biopsy. Have you ever had a colonoscopy? If not, you might want to have a colonsocopy and biopsy at the same time. When I had my colonoscopy they found 3 polyps which were then removed and biopsied also. 1 was pre cancerous. I hope everything turns out okay for you. Keep us posted. Lori
  • mp327
    mp327 Member Posts: 4,440 Member
    #3
    Welcome Giggy!
    I am sorry you are dealing with so many issues right now. I can understand why the possibility of having anal cancer is the one you are most concerned about. I was diagnosed with anal cancer in June 2008. Prior to being diagnosed, my symptoms were:
    1) Abdominal bloating
    2) Unexplained weight loss
    3) Always feeling like I needed to have a BM, but nothing would happen
    4) Chronic constipation
    5) Mucous passing with BM's
    6) Thinning in diameter of my stools
    7) Blood in my stools

    I mention blood in my stools last because all of the other symptoms appeared before that one did. However, that's the one that really got my attention. I went first to my internist, who misdiagnosed me with a bleeding hemorrhoid. However, due to the fact that I was 54 and had not yet had my first colonoscopy (my fault, not hers), she referred me to a colorectal doc who could do both the colonoscopy and a hemorrhoidectomy--because she was SURE it was a hemi. A week later, I go to my consult with the colorectal surgeon, and she questioned me about my symptoms. Upon hearing the above list, she immediately did an anosope on me in her office and told me, even without biopsy, that she was 99% sure I had anal cancer. Two days later, a colonoscopy was done with biopsy, which came back confirming her diagnosis. Like suggested, I would recommend having a colonoscopy and getting the biopsy done during that procedure. You will be sedated completely and will not feel a thing. If I were you, I'd also ask about getting a PET scan, which can be more sensitive than a CT. Perhaps you don't need one, but I would at least ask about any benefit to getting one. The only way to know for sure whether or not this is anal cancer is to have the biopsy. I will only say that from some of the symptoms you have listed, it could be, but also that there are other things that can cause some of these symptoms. I hope your appt. with the surgeon is soon so you don't have to wait long to get the answer to this question. Please let us know what you find out and what is next. Take care.

    Martha
  • SueRelays
    SueRelays Member Posts: 485
    #4
    mp327 said:

    Welcome Giggy!
    I am sorry you are dealing with so many issues right now. I can understand why the possibility of having anal cancer is the one you are most concerned about. I was diagnosed with anal cancer in June 2008. Prior to being diagnosed, my symptoms were:
    1) Abdominal bloating
    2) Unexplained weight loss
    3) Always feeling like I needed to have a BM, but nothing would happen
    4) Chronic constipation
    5) Mucous passing with BM's
    6) Thinning in diameter of my stools
    7) Blood in my stools

    I mention blood in my stools last because all of the other symptoms appeared before that one did. However, that's the one that really got my attention. I went first to my internist, who misdiagnosed me with a bleeding hemorrhoid. However, due to the fact that I was 54 and had not yet had my first colonoscopy (my fault, not hers), she referred me to a colorectal doc who could do both the colonoscopy and a hemorrhoidectomy--because she was SURE it was a hemi. A week later, I go to my consult with the colorectal surgeon, and she questioned me about my symptoms. Upon hearing the above list, she immediately did an anosope on me in her office and told me, even without biopsy, that she was 99% sure I had anal cancer. Two days later, a colonoscopy was done with biopsy, which came back confirming her diagnosis. Like suggested, I would recommend having a colonoscopy and getting the biopsy done during that procedure. You will be sedated completely and will not feel a thing. If I were you, I'd also ask about getting a PET scan, which can be more sensitive than a CT. Perhaps you don't need one, but I would at least ask about any benefit to getting one. The only way to know for sure whether or not this is anal cancer is to have the biopsy. I will only say that from some of the symptoms you have listed, it could be, but also that there are other things that can cause some of these symptoms. I hope your appt. with the surgeon is soon so you don't have to wait long to get the answer to this question. Please let us know what you find out and what is next. Take care.

    Martha

    Hi Giggy ( cute name)!!
    The
    Hi Giggy ( cute name)!!

    The only symptoms I had was a pain in my right cheeck ( not my face, that felt like a pulled muscle. The pain kept getting worse though, and was keeping me awake at night. I called my OBGYN ( the only doctor I had at the time, compared to the TEAM I have now :))....and she referred me to a gastro specialist, who scheduled a colonoscopy. Then I started noticing blood in my stools. They bumped up the procedure when I called back to tell them this.
    I received a phone call as I was getting in my car from another appt and the doctor tells me I have cancer....right then and there...in my car! I was devastated!!! That was the absolute LAST thing I thought it would be. It took a biopsy and a couple other procedures for them to determine exactly where the cancer was, but turned out to be anal.
    I sooo hope that it is just hemmis for you...you have certainly had enough other things to contend with without adding this....but we'll be here if you need us!
    It's been two years, and unfortunately, other things have happened during that time....but I am here and feeling great now!!!
    We'll be waiting to hear!!!
  • duckyann
    duckyann Member Posts: 159
    #5
    SueRelays said:

    Hi Giggy ( cute name)!!
    The
    Hi Giggy ( cute name)!!

    The only symptoms I had was a pain in my right cheeck ( not my face, that felt like a pulled muscle. The pain kept getting worse though, and was keeping me awake at night. I called my OBGYN ( the only doctor I had at the time, compared to the TEAM I have now :))....and she referred me to a gastro specialist, who scheduled a colonoscopy. Then I started noticing blood in my stools. They bumped up the procedure when I called back to tell them this.
    I received a phone call as I was getting in my car from another appt and the doctor tells me I have cancer....right then and there...in my car! I was devastated!!! That was the absolute LAST thing I thought it would be. It took a biopsy and a couple other procedures for them to determine exactly where the cancer was, but turned out to be anal.
    I sooo hope that it is just hemmis for you...you have certainly had enough other things to contend with without adding this....but we'll be here if you need us!
    It's been two years, and unfortunately, other things have happened during that time....but I am here and feeling great now!!!
    We'll be waiting to hear!!!

    Hi Giggy,
    I also thought I
    Hi Giggy,

    I also thought I had a hemorrhoid, I had a little discomfort and blood on toliet paper when I first started showing symptoms. Then the loss of weight started and as months went on more blood in the toliet and in the stool. I should of went right away but I really did think it was hemorrhoids. My GP thought it was too but immediately sent me to a colorectal surgeon. He saw it and referred to it as a polyp at first but did a colonoscopy 3 days later and found it to be a tumor. I had a couple of botched biopsies before the definately knew but it came back anal cancer.

    I sincerely hope that yours comes back to be just benign. If not you found a wonderful site with a lot of very supportive and caring people.

    Let us know.

    Nancy

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