Handling colon cancer warnings

I am dying. I should not have been. I am writing this in the hope that others will not die. It is a tale of colon cancer; how you might survive it, and how to avoid making some of the mistakes that can cost you your life.

First, I got lucky. But I don

[555boston]

-colonoscopy is recommended for every one at age of 50. If there are  members in your family who developed colon cancer, then you should consider getting a colonoscopy at 40. If the colonoscopy is 100% normal, you dont usually need another for 10 years. If the find polyps, like "adenomatous" polys then you should have another in 1-3 years.

-Cutting down on fatty food and eating a lot of green leafy vegetable decrease the chance of colon cancer.

-Taking an aspirin a day (if you have no contradindications like gastritis or bleeding tendencies) can cut down the risk of colon cancer.

-Patients with colon cancer who exercise have less chance of the cancer coming back.

-Black tarry stools are usually from the upper gastrointestinal tract like stomach ulcers.

-Red blood in stool is usually from lower GI tract like colon cancaer , hemorrhoids etc.

-any man who has iron deficiency and any woman after menopause who has iron deficiency should insist on complete GI check up to make sure they dont have colon cancer.

[m120407]

I too had colon cancer and ignored the warnings.  My doctor however did recommend that I get a colonoscopy and the doctor diagnosed it there.  I went on to have surgery to remove it.  4 our of 14 lymph nodes tested positive.  I went on a 6 month regimin of Chemotherapy. (finished this in April 2006).  In December, a blood test for my CEA showed it had gone up.  The doctor ordered a CT and Pet Scan.  A cancerous lesion had metastized in my liver.  He sent me to a surgeon who removed it.  Thank God the margins were clean.  I am on another 6 month regimin of CPT11.

I was horrified to read how you were treated.  You are obviously a lot smarter now than before.

My prayers are with you.

God Bless

Mandy