I am 34 and diagnosed w/ COLON CANCER!
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| Fri, 11-16-2007 - 9:31pm |
For as long as I can remember, I've had issues w/ IBS. I used to get an upset stomach just by chewing the wrong gum. It's controlled my life in too many ways.
In 2000 I went to Urgent Care after having a bleeding episode. I had corn days prior, so I thought that's what was upsetting my bowels. They ordered a stool culture and did not find any blood, that I can remember. Some Dr. then, should have said, GET A COLONOSCOPY!!!!!!! No one did.
I was pregnant in 2001. Had major diarrhea issues in pregnancy. I've always lost 10-15 lbs. in each pregnancy. I had horrible pain in all 3 of my pregnancies in my upper back on the right side. Dr's were never able to give me an answer. It felt like a 4" knife and the pain would come and go. After my DS was born I had HORRIBLE stomach cramping episodes. I also had extreme itching on my legs after DS was born.
Pregnant with my 2nd in 2003. Same scenerio that I even gave up on long walks so I could be near a bathroom. I also went to the Dr. when pregnant because of a swollen lymph node behind my left ear. Dr. said that can just happen. I also had a patchy hair loss on the back of my head. 4 mos. after DD was born my AST and ALT's (liver enzymes) were a bit elevated. Baffled the Dr's. I actually saw a Gastro then too and he said to eat less and that it's probably fatty liver.
Not long after DD was born (maybe a year)..so in the spring of 2005 I went to the Dermatologist because I began having extreme itching all over my body and especially on my scalp. I developed pimple like areas on my scalp that the Dr. said must be psoriasis? The precript. meds never worked. T-Gel seemed to make it worse. (the problem is still persisting, but only on scalp and not as bad)
I was also told to try Metamucil. It did cut down the diarrhea, but was a pain to stick with. I guess my AST and ALT normalized as I never had it rechecked again (but did several times when it was elevated)
Sept 05 I began having what felt like menstral cramps from the whole left to right side of my abdomen. I saw a Gastro in 1/06 and he told me it's likely IBS and to take anti-diarrheal pills (as much as I needed, but I never took more than 2 a day). He said we could do a colonoscopy. I asked WHY. He said to "RULE OUT CHRONE'S OR IBS" (either or!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
I had also seen my OB-GYN and he ordered a pelvic ultrasound, which turned out to be normal. (It might have been my 2nd ultrasound to look at my abdomen while not pregnant) I debated on getting the colonoscopy, but due to the Dr. saying to rule out Chrone's or IBS, I felt like it wasn't necessary because I was no longer having diarrhea episodes. I've seemed to turn to just feeling bloated all the time and going, but either in-frequent, or too much, or not enough...it was confusing. I'd go back and forth w/ Metamucil and I still took anti-d med. when the cramps would come on. I've learned to keep a bottle w/ me at all times.
9/06 Pregnant w/ my 3rd. 10/06 I was in the ER w/ vomiting I couldn't control and cramping so bad that I thought I was going to die. They left me to wander the hallways in horrible pain for a good 4 hrs. before I was seen. I was 7-9 wks pregnant and they didn't care that I was cramping and in early pregnancy. I felt like everyone I told just looked at me like I was going to lose the baby. I finally was able to go to the bathroom at the hospital and felt a little better, but exhausted from being dehydrated, they gave me IV fluids and anti-nausea pills and after 6+ hrs. they sent me on my way. I was exhausted for 2-3 days after.
In my whole pregnancy I was so nauseous. I kept on telling family members that I was so uncomfortable and that I felt like I had BLOCKAGE. But when you read the info online about blockage, or even when talking to my Dr, I was dismissed, because I WAS PREGNANT and to anyone else, it was NORMAL. MANY MANY times I've thought, I cannot go on like this!!!!!!!! :(
The Metamucil quickly made me have vomiting episodes. It always felt like I needed to go, but I couldn't. I'd sit on the toilet a dozen times in 10 min. Back and forth, even resorting to laying on the bathroom floor on my left side to try to relieve the pain. I'd call my OB nurse so many times, crying, and she'd tell me to take the anti-nausea medication or to just hang in there.
The night I went into labor, I told my mom about my constipation. I had HAD it. I hadn't really gone in a week!? And I was pregnant and eating plenty.
So the same scenerio continued. I ended up vomiting a few times in the next few mos. after my 3rd was born. As in my pregnancy, I could tell that if I ate something and then I'd end up cramping and because nothing was going out, I'd end up throwing up. But it was infrequent, and not enough to make the Dr's think that I truely had blockage.
11/5/07 I saw a new Gastro. He mentioned cancer...and said lets do a colonoscopy. It's been a month or more of the pain being more localized on my left side. I had my colonoscopy on 11/12/07 and they found a 4cm lesion, and called it malignant from the start.
On Mon. 11/19/07 I have to have 12" of my sigmoid colon removed. My biopsy showed it was cancer last Wed.
So that's where I am at. The good news is that my CT scan and bloodwork were normal, other than the area showing on the CT scan. There are more lymph nodes that should be around the area of the diseased colon that worry me. I should find out at this time next week what stage I am in.
If you know of someone who has went through something similar, please feel free to write me thru the ivillage email!
Thank you and God Bless,
Melanie
Edited 11/18/2007 6:20 pm ET by laniemarie427


Hi Melanie,
Welcome to the board.
Halloo Melanie,
Sorry for that..
I have a good news for you, and I'm sure it will help!
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I hope the very best for you