colon cancer help

[Trigger Mike]

wife had stomach problems for a few months, dr said hemoglobin was 8 so figured she is bleeding somewhere. ordered colonoscopy. she had one last year but it was clean so the stomach dr opted for upper gi instead. when that showed nothing two weeks later he did what the first dr ordered the colonoscopy. before he began he said not likely cancer, just lactose intolerant or gluten. Afterwards he called me in and said the news was not good, a mass, two inches long is in the colon and she will need surgery, chemo and radiation. He said, "i'm not going to wait for the pathology report, it's cancer".

 

Does that seem normal? to call it before the test like that? is it normal for it to grow two inches in a year? do they normally declare all levels of treatment without the pathology report?

[Calamity Kris]

Wow that's tough. Very sorry to hear this. Prayers up for you and your wife.

[Allie Mo, SASS No. 25217]

wife had stomach problems for a few months, dr said hemoglobin was 8 so figured she is bleeding somewhere. ordered colonoscopy. she had one last year but it was clean so the stomach dr opted for upper gi instead. when that showed nothing two weeks later he did what the first dr ordered the colonoscopy. before he began he said not likely cancer, just lactose intolerant or gluten. Afterwards he called me in and said the news was not good, a mass, two inches long is in the colon and she will need surgery, chemo and radiation. He said, "i'm not going to wait for the pathology report, it's cancer".

 

Does that seem normal? to call it before the test like that? is it normal for it to grow two inches in a year? do they normally declare all levels of treatment without the pathology report?

Hi Mike,

 

I've been told most Colon Cancer is slow growing.

 

I had no symptoms before the first colonoscopy. There was a mass too large to remove during the procedure, so surgery was scheduled. When I had the colon resection, they found cancer, and did not recommend another Colonoscopy for three years. I did not have to have post operative treatment. However, I was sick off and on for five months.

 

If you have concerns, ask around for recommendations to another doctor. I did not like my surgeon and switched before the follow-up colonoscopy. I really like the new one. Also look on WebMD or the Mayo Clinic sites. They may be able to tell you what is "normal." I can only say what happened to me.

 

I hope all goes well.

 

Sincerely,

 

Allie

[Moose Wesson]

Prayers up for y'all. Stay strong, this can be beat.

 

Moose

[guitar_slinger]

Sorry to hear that. Prayers up.

 

My wife is an Xray tech (does mammograms but has been involved in many other procedures). From what she's told me, the path report is usually to confirm what the Dr. thought but an experienced doctor has seen enough cancer that they are more frequently right than wrong.

 

My brother-in-law had color cancer about 5 years ago, had the surgery and post op treatments. He's been cancer free for the past 5 years. My father in law died from it but his had gone untreated for a number of years and had spread.

 

Please don't mess around with this. Early stages are treatable and your wife will be fine. Not so much if she waits around until it spreads.

 

Let's pray your doctor was wrong and it's a benign mass.

 

Guitar Slinger

[Badger Mountain Charlie SASS #43172]

Colon cancer is slow, but it can spread very fast to the other organs. Get treatment as soon as possible.

I had part of the colon removed and chemo for the better part of a year. It is never easy, but it can be arrested.

[Cherokee Charlie Regulator #4967]

TM,

We haven't seen you for quite awhile but you are still remembered. God be with you and your wife in you time of need. The only advice I can give is to move quickly on this matter so that you wife will have the best chances in this world of being a survivor. Prayers up. Praying that all goes well.

 

CC

[Roman T. Range, SASS #44722]

Prayers on the way.

 

Roman T. Range

[Big Sage, SASS #49891 Life]

As a colon ca survivor, I can say that the Dr is probably right. He sees enough of these problems that he can be pretty sure. Everything depends on what stage it is and they will only know that after they have had a chance to really look at it during surgery.

 

Mine spread to my rt lung 18 months later. My dr said he was sure it was ca before any pathology tests and he was right. More chemo. I was told I had a one in 10 chance to make it 5 years. Been 18 years....and counting.

 

Prayers up and hope everything goes well.

[Seldom Seen #16162]

There is nothing "normal" about cancer.

 

Do your own research about treatment options and get a second opinion

 

The good news is the survival rate after treatment is very high.

[Guest Hoss Carpenter, SASS Life 7843]

Lots of great advice here; my Prayers will be with you and your Family. Hoss

[Rooster Ron Wayne]

Prayers are on the way to the TOP !

[Trigger Mike]

well the official report came today. Adeno carcinoma. In the meantime she spent the last two nights vomiting so they admitted her and think a large kidney stone is lodged in her urethra. More test tomorrow.

[Big Sage, SASS #49891 Life]

well the official report came today. Adeno carcinoma. In the meantime she spent the last two nights vomiting so they admitted her and think a large kidney stone is lodged in her urethra. More test tomorrow.

The important part is what stage . This is an indicator of how far it has spread.

[Bugs Bonney SASS # 10171]

Very sorry to hear this. The only advice I can give is Do Everything they recommend. The long term survivors that beat it that I know have all done everything they recommended. Those that cut corners didn't make it to the remission stage. Best of luck to you and especially to your wife.

[Trigger Mike]

along with everything else she got a kidney stone stuck below her kidney and vomited all monday night so they admitted her and while there did the MRI and it shows the cancer has not spread. They have not staged it yet but the oncologist has not seen the mri. they let her come home tonight so we are glad. She missed our son's 5 year old birthday but some church friends came over and gave him a great time, my wife was on speaker phone and cried, sad she had missed it.