Colonoscopy Jitters
Posted , 3 users are following.
So about three weeks ago I went in for a colonoscopy. I am always nervous before these kinds of tests. I am scared of the damage that will be done removing Polups and taking multiple biopsy samples. In the changing room I noticed that I was so scared that I could hardly reason with myself to take off my clothes, knowing full well what I would be putting myself through. I felt like I was not protecting my body from harm and I was sick about it. I went through with it, but after I was upset and I noticed that the pad they put under you was covered with blood. I have had several of these and I have never seen that much blood before. Years ago I was sexually abused by a male doctor and it is the only reason I can come up with as to why I have these jitters. This time was the worst experience of my life. It has been over three weeks now and I am still in pain with some bleeding. I feel like I was hacked up and I am upset with myself for allowing this to happen. Everyone I have talked to said that it was for the best and they removed three large growths that were not cancerous, but the bleeding is scary and no matter what they say I will not go in for another one any time soon. Unfortunately, I seem to have some side effects from this one and I am scared they will want to do another one to figure out why I am still bleeding, as the nurse I talked to was suprised that I was bleeding still. I am really getting scared. I have pain in each location, where the polyps were removed and the worst pain in the decending colon. That is where the largest polyp was removed. It was 10mm in size. The other two were 8mm and 9mm. Plus because I suffer from inflammatory bowel disease they had to take hundreds of biopsy samples. I did tell my doctor that I didn't want any biopsies taken, but she did anyway. Now I am still bleeding and I never want to have another one of these. This bad experience may cost me my life in the future as I could develope colon cancer, but we will never know because I am done having these. I will NOT Allow them to damage me like this again. I really need to know how I can cope with this so I can have one again without feeling like I let myself down. Anyone else have a similar experience or am I alone in this? I just feel like I allowed them to harm me and I am really upset about the whole thing. Even worse I now have trouble urinating and one of my doctors wants me to have a PSA test. If that is high then they said they will want to do a biopsy on that as well. That I hear is done through the rectum and after what I just went through I think I will pass on it. I am just fed up with all the tests and I wish that I was healthy so I didn't have to bother going through this any longer.
0 likes, 10 replies
etheremail craig84609
Posted
You sound as if you have had a bad time of it. Polyps do need removing because they risk becoming cancerous and the treatment for that makes what you are saying look like a walk in the park. It might be worth testing "free" PSA as well as the usual test. That is done by bloods and unlike the ordinary test, higher numbers are good news. If both tests indicate trouble then you should consider the biopsy. I know a lot of people who have had it done. It is not pleasant but it saved at least two people's lives that I know. The alternative is to do nothing and take your chances but if that is what you do you should consider the treatments you would need if you developed cancer.
craig84609 etheremail
Posted
Yea, I had a tough time, that is for sure. I stil am passing blood weeks after and hurting. So I am a bit upset. I think after I settle down a bit I can be more reasonable, but at this time I would decline any more medical tests and wouldn't consider a prostate biopsy at all. I guess that is kinda stupid of me, but I don't think I could mentally handle it at this time. So I hope that my PSA is low.
etheremail craig84609
Posted
If it is a bit elevated (like 4-7) then it may be worth having a second blood test after a couple of months. If it is very elevated or, if you have the "free PSA" test too and that is below 15 then I would not wait too long. It may be being caused by your gut being angry after the colponoscopy or a touch of prostatitis (which I had for about 9 months many years ago and which nearly drove me mental). When I had prostatitis, that sent my PSA up to 7 for a couple of months so it isn't only the big C that causes a mildly elevated reading. You may just be completely stressed out and need a bit of a break from doctors. Anyway, good luck!
craig84609 etheremail
Posted
Thanks for the reply. I may have no choice, but to have a PSA. I don't want one but my doctor said it is a condition of his, because I am on Testosterone replacement therapy. If it is high I will seek a 3T MRI or a PCA3 test before I will ever submit to a biopsy. I told the nurse this and she asked me why. I said, would you like needles poked through your rectum into your private parts? I think not. I don't understand why she has a tough time with it. It has become so routine that they just don't think about how bad it really is. Plus, if I do have cancer, then putting needles through it and drawing them back through my bowel will probably cause it to spread. I just think I need a break from doctors right now. One more screwie diagnosis would make me loose my mind.
mattyfezzer craig84609
Posted
I think you maybe a hypocandriact and maybe overreacting on the situation but never the less you need to get checked, not passing urine can be many things it can be because your in pain, drink plenty of water and add some cordial that will help you urinate and see what comes out check if it's normal colour check if any blood as urinal is bladder related and not the bowel I think, it's a separate issue, sounds like you have a fistula and has it effects the muscles you can't pee because when we pee we tense our ass muscles, so you have mouth ulcers or a fever or tummy pain ?
etheremail craig84609
Posted
I would start with the things you KNOW are happening and separate them from the things that MIGHT be happening. Clearly you suffer from polyps and you do need those removed if possible to avoid the risk of bowel cancer. If you have a fissure that should be possible to find relatively simply or anything else such as piles or a sentinel pile. If you are bleeding more than a few spots then you should get that checked anyway to rule out infection at the site of the operation wound. The peeing problem is more difficult to assess. It depends what you mean by "difficulty". If you are not passing urine properly then that is a serious medical emergency. If however you are taking longer to start the flow or it is painful then that is more suggestive of either a prostate problem (of which there are a number of possibilities and most in fact not serious), a constriction or muscular spasm. If this came on after your surgery it is obviously likely that there is a connection for which muscular spasm of some kind (which may be physical or psychological in origin) may be responsible or that coincidentally you had something else wrong which only played up at the same time for some reason. That is obviously possible but I would personally think less likely. Pain in the rectal area can be both very unpleasant but also of simple origin. Louis XIV was a terrible sufferer and indeed had an op for piles which was no fun in those days. It seems to me to be more likely to be coming from the gut than the prostate because of the bleeding although the prostate can cause a kind of rectal aching which has nothing to do with the gut at all. So, in short, my advice would be to get the definite sorted first (the bleeding) and not put that off, then make an assessment of the "mights" and decide whether anything needs checking further. Then have a break from the doctors and destress. But I would not decline further colponoscopies because you are obviously at greater risk of serious bowel problems if you have large polyps that recur and bowel cancer is the daftest cancer to die of because, as a primary cancer, it is virtually totally preventable.
craig84609 etheremail
Posted
The trouble urinating is bad, but not medical emergency bad. About 7 months ago I had Prostatitis and I got to the point of medical emergency, however it did clear up with antibiotics. I was going fine until my bowel disease flared up and now it is a slow urination. It takes a while to urinate and I have to squeeze to get it out at times. This is why I am apprehensive about PSA testing as it just looks for inflammation rather that cancer. I truely don't believe that I have PC, but when one has a high PSA they want you to prove it isn't cancer. At my age a cancer there would most likely be of the agressive type. I do have a problem with polyps, but I am more scared of the colonoscopy than the polyps. I will have to go to the hospital next time and be put totally out for it. That is the only way I can have one now. Like I said I really felt like I was putting myself at risk before the colonoscopy. I was really having trouble getting undressed as I knew what was to come. I don't know how to get over that feeling. I would really have a hard time with a Prostate biopsy. In fact I doubt that I would allow it. I would however get a 3T MRI if my PSA is high. I will know the answer to that soon. Thanks for the reply and you are right I will not worry about the PSA yet. I am on Prednisone and that has been proven to lower PSA by as much as 80%, so my PSA results might not be high or even accurate. I will let the doctor know this.
mattyfezzer craig84609
Posted
craig84609 mattyfezzer
Posted
As far as I know I don't yet have a fistula. My skin on my butt and near my tail bone itches really ad and it feels odd, like it has changed. I can feel a line of skin that is raised like a bump, but it is long in length like a green bean. Same size and shape. Really odd. It could be there is a tunnel waiting to erupt. I went through a lot during this colonoscopy. They took biopsies in my rectum and that can cause a fistula. I had been hurting ever sinse this test. I will never have another.
mattyfezzer craig84609
Posted
The symptoms you have just mentioned sounds exactly like a fistula when you wipe your back side you feel a small lump which is the swallow gland I believe and the fistula has dug a tunnel and you will put pressure on the tailbone or sometimes can go to the cheek, mention it on your next visit to rule it out