Colonoscopy on 27/02 - just need to talk...
Posted , 2 users are following.
Hello everyone,
I'm a 24 yo male and for 3-4 months I've been experiencing weird abdominal symptoms.
After finishing my studies at 22, I tried to have a healthier lifestyle, stopped smoking, drank less, eat more fruits and veggies, tried to exercise a bit more ... But back when I was a student I was really unhealthy... Smoking, drinking a lot (students binge drinking...), ate bad foods... This went on for 4-5 years of study...
It all started after strong constipation as a very hard stool with a bit of blood on toilet paper.
After switching from raw toilet paper to baby wipes and preventing constipation the best I could, I haven't seen blood anymore.
I had 6 FIT tests for occult bleeding which came back negative.
Normal blood tests.
I also have sometimes belching / gas or hiccups after eating (but due to stress, although I successfully quit smoking months ago, I just started to smoke again... Not sure if it's related).
Then, about 2 months ago I started to have very strange gurgling, not in a specific spot but around all my bowel. Whether I eat a lot or not does not seem to influence the gurgling. I was scared about skinny and flat stools but it happened just a few times and the other day I had a normal bowel movement, large stool.
After going back to the doctors numerous times and being so scared, I finally have a colonoscopy booked. Given my symptoms and a history of alcohol / poor exercise and smoking, I know I will have an answer soon but, what else than colon cancer could it be ? I don't know what to do, I have no family around me to support me and I had to work in a town with no friends around...
0 likes, 6 replies
dimmy guillaume40488
Posted
Hi
I have had colon cancer twice ...and several colonoscopies. Let me tell you at your age colon cancer is very rare i first got it at 48...and it was in both sides of my family. Diarhoea normally happens with colon cancer with dark tarry stools which you don't have?...the streaks of blood are probably where you have strained. Your blood tests are normal ...and they probably did a CA marker blood test which is an indicator for colon cancer ...so if that was normal that's a good thing. Is there any history of Colin cancer in your family?...if not that good. As for what your symptoms could be ...Maybe piles...diviculertitis etc...or nothing at all..maybe stress. The skinny stools could be due to a narrow back passage....LACTULOSE is good for constipation. As for the colonoscopy itself don't be worried about it ..I've never had any problem just a bit of pressure as the scope goes round your bowel. The worst thing is the prep by far..just make sure you follow the guidelines properly...good luck!
guillaume40488 dimmy
Posted
Thank you so much for your answer !
I'm sorry you had to go through this horrible disease...
I have no family history, my great-grand-mother had ovarian cancer but she was 97. My grandma had breast cancer when she was in her 60s'...
They did not do a CA marker unfortunately ... They did liver enzymes, CBC, CRP among with Iron, calcium and other things ...
I'm in France at the moment as my parents are French and back here they only perform colonoscopies under general anesthesia, so I don't worry too much about the pain or anything, I'm just really scared of the results...
It's my first procedure in a hospital. The "worst" I had in a hospital was a cystoscopy but there was no anesthesia. I'm scared ... Smoking and binge drinking when I was a student sure put me at risk ... I'm an idiot I wasted my health on student parties
dimmy guillaume40488
Posted
The CA marker only gives a rough idea of colon cancer anyway. ..when I had my 2 cancers my CA markers were normal!... I think you'll be ok..I'm all clear now..just have to undergo colonoscopies every 2 years..thanks .
guillaume40488 dimmy
Posted
Maybe I'm getting out of line but how did you manage to survive this twice ? I've seen my grandma on chemo and she looked awful, she was really suffering. Hopefully, she's now in the clear...
As my family lives far away and I don't have any support where I live, I don't know if I could handle a thing like cancer being 24...
dimmy guillaume40488
Posted
first op in 2004 stage 3....6 months chemo. .awful ..no hair loss...2nd op 2009..couldnt go thru with chemo again..seem to have made right decision..all clear 11 yrs later!..just a few non malignant polyps removed during colonoscopy that can turn cancerous years later if not removed...that's how most bowel cancers start!...had my mum and brother and good friend for support ..uk NHS were fantastic.
dimmy guillaume40488
Posted
the doctors think I have a thing called LYNCH SYNDROME..look it up on Google! .