First episode of Diverticulitis, scared to death I have cancer!
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Hi Everyone, Im new here.im scared my recenr "diverticulitis" is really colon cancer. im sitting here writing and crying at the same time. Im 52 yeaes old and only issue I have is a mutation that increases my breast cancerrisk. It can also increase colon cancer risk. My last Colonscopy was Feb 2020. no polyps. i had one in 2017 where one 6 mm was removed from my sigmoid colon (non cancerous).
i had about 25-30 pounds of weight come on over about 10 years or so and decided I would lose weight after Christmas 2021. went on weight watchers and started jogging., eating very healthy. Got down to 141 pounds from 171 by July. Was eating alot of fiber including salads with berries and yes Pecans in early August (A new meal for me I could not get enough of). On 8/17 I developed low back pain and pain in my right lower side (tenderness ache). I had woke up with sweats night before but NO fever at all. Felt intermittently nauseous and couldnt think of eating. Strange feeling like I had to poop but nothing. went to the ER , again no fever. CT scan with IV contrast showed "acute diverticulitis" of sigmoid colon. no abscess or perforation (uncomplicated). my white cell count was up to 12. i was placed on IV antibiotics and fluids. I was discharged three days later. I begged for a repeat CT scan before I left because I was worried about cancer. This time I got oral contrast I drank (no IV) and the reading was "mild eccentric bowel wall thickening and infiltration or inflammation which may be centered around a culprit diverticulum" . Minimal residual remains when compared to prior CT (the one done in the ER). i was sent home on Augmentin for 7 days. Since then, Ive developed horrific anxiety and even panic attacks. (dont have this normally). Convinced im dying. i am so nervous I dont want to eat. no appetite. im convinced Im going to have colon cancer on the colonscopy when i have it. im losing weight. I went back to the ER 9/5 because I felt cold, shaky. My blood pressure was really high. No fever. They rescanned my abdomen (No contrast was given because they were running tests on my thyroid to make sure it wasnt overactive). The iodine in the contrast is a no no if they are concerned about overactive thyroid.
anyway, my labs looked ok. the CT said I was full of poop. It said mild diverticulosis without diverticulitis.
No bowel wall thickenkng. I was sent home with Vistaril for anxiety. Took milk of magnesia and prune juice due to the "severe stool" in the colon.
Why Im so worried is because of them saying on the second CT before I left the hospital that there was slight eccentric bowel wall thickening. That usually means cancer not diverticulitis. The bowel wall thickens uniformly in divertic and not irregularly (non uniformly). I am.also worried because my pain was almost entirely right sided and I didnt have a fever.
has anyone here had more midline and right sided pain? Everything I read says sigmoid diverticulitis pain. and tenderness is left sided!
Also, I could not stop urinating when I had this (one of my symptoms before I went to the ER).
Has anyone here developed anxiety about worryjng about cancer being found? Anyone here with no appetite and losing weight despite supposedly the diverticulitis is gone on CT now? I fear Im losing my mind. When I do eat, I dont vomit. My bowels have never been regular my whole life. So, the fact I feel like I even have to go (nothing comes out) is very different for me. my normal is twice a week, large long and wide poops. Now when I did take milk of magnesia and prune juice, my stool is thinner caliber (what normal is for most people). My normal is very long and thick poo as I mentioned. So definite change in bowel function. No bleeding.
So sorry for the rambling... but Im so upset and anxious about all of it. Any advice and sharing your experience is helpful and appreciated.
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