Question

incognito1963 · New User Joined: 31 Oct 2005 Posts: 3

Im 42. I have had piles for over 10 years. About 3 years ago they would on occassions bleed. The usual bright red blood. At times in the toilet bowel or just on paper (this could go weeks and months without recurring). I could feel the piles so was never worried.

18 months ago I developed discomfort in my lower left abdominal area (almost as low as the groin / hip) Saw GP who said due to excercise at the gym I had strained a muscle. It improved and then returned. I went back, saw a different GP who again said muscular. The disconfort went away for about 2-3 months. I now began to link it to stress as when I was feeling stressed at work I would notice the discomfort return. I have no bowel habit changes or other symptoms. I have no pain when I press the area I feel discomfort. In fact the discomfort is less than it was 18 months ago. But still comes back!

Could this link to a colan cancer problem or are both GPs right as if it was serious I would have discovered more problems by now?

bev135 · New User Joined: 16 Aug 2005 Posts: 7

Don't try to figure this out on your own! Your symptoms greatly mirror what I went through for several years before my own colon cancer diagnosis. I also guessed at what they could mean (not only what you seem to be doing, but your doctors as well). Perhaps your doctors are assuming that because of your age that they can take this lightly, but what they should be helping you do is get at the root of the problem.
If you have a colonoscopy done, at least you will know for sure if it's colon cancer, or perhaps something else like colitis.
Don't panic, but do seek help. Oh yes, the prep for the colonoscopy is no fun, but it's doable (I've been through it five times). And as far as the procedure itself, you should not remember, or feel a thing (the procedure is the easy part).

incognito1963 · New User Joined: 31 Oct 2005 Posts: 3

Thanks Bev for the reply. Several years is a long time before diagnosis how are you now?

bev135 · New User Joined: 16 Aug 2005 Posts: 7

I'm doing fine now, thank you for asking. I had a colon re-section about four and a half years ago. I was lucky in that even though my symptoms had become much more obvious, my cancer was still at stage II when I was diagnosed. I did not require chemo or radiation. Right now I'm just hoping it doesn't come back. One's body does not really get back to "normal" after a re-section, but I'm alive and very grateful for that.
By saying that I had had symptoms for several years, it was only in retropect, after diagnosis, when I educated myself about the disease that I realized the unexplained fatigue, unexplained weight loss, bleeding, and abdominal pain were all pointing to colon cancer. Frankly, before that, I guess I basically looked at my symptoms as unrelated to each other. Also, in my own defense, my children were young and as a lot of parents of young children do, I was ignoring my own health.
I was fifty at diagnosis, but have since learned that colon cancer usually has been growing for several years before diagnosis. So I was probably in my early to mid-forties when it started. Also, for many people there are no symptoms, which is therefore why screening really is necessary for everyone at least by age fifty.
I guess I've really become an advocate in fighting this disease. Most people don't like to talk about it, but it kills almost 60,000 people a year, more than the amount of women who are killed by breast cancer!
Please post here in the future to let me know how you are doing. And please DO get yourself checked out thoroughly!

incognito1963 · New User Joined: 31 Oct 2005 Posts: 3

I will get checked out Bev. The only "excuse" to delay this a little is a celebration with my wife in a few weeks. I feel to go for the test before that time may spoil things (not as much as if I was diagnosed as cancer mind!).
Im very scared about a colonoscopy as Im a nurse anyway (mental health) so have some knowlage and I dont like what little I know as nurses make the worst patients.
Interesting that you did not need chemo as I though everyone with a cancer had chemo unless it was past a certain point.
I will let you know how I get on. Please you are ok.
Thanks

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