28 years old and Scared.

[OuchStomach]

Hi, I had a thread over in the general gastro area if you want to read it.

About a week ago now i felt something in my upper left pelvis kind of, move or give way.  Didn't feel right.  Since then I have been going back and forth between diarreah and a more constapated feeling.  When I go, I usually can easily get out about 10-12 inches of good poo, then after that (if its solid) it is either thin, or flatter with a kind of flip tail and I have to work to get these out.  I went to the primary care and he took blood and urine and said results would take 2 weeks.  Im not right somehow, so I went ahead and I am meeting with a GI today.

My stomach feels bloated or full, in fact yesterday (I'm a big eater around 200 lbs) I hardly ate, and so far today I have no appetite.  I have been scaring myself to death.  Anxiety is hitting an all time high.  I weighed in at the doc on Monday at 205....I weighed myself this morning at 185.

Me being the tech guy I am went online and typed thin stool into google and basically freaked myself out that it is colon cancer.

Also, maybe one day I had dark stool that was runny, but that was after a LOT of Mexican Fajitas and black beans.  I have been watching what comes out for a week now and I cannot see blood in it no matter what form it takes.  A few days ago I had terrible gas, I mean bad.  I usually have bad gas honestly, but this was terrible, even while I slept.  Since then I have had very little gas.

I'm afraid I have partial blockage.  Nothing I can find says stool can be shaped unless something is wrong in your colon. Also the bloating. For the past 2 days I have felt fatigued also....but then again I've been stressing bad about this so that could be the cause.  I am young, and no family history.

Anyway, thats my story, now questions:

I have the appointment today with the GI.  Should I insist on a colonoscopy? I see on here and other boards where cancer patients/survivors went to the Doc and the doc danced around and did not give the colonoscopy and regret not asking for it sooner as it would have caught the cancer earlier.  Even if the doc today does the usual rectal exam and sample, should I insist on the colonoscopy? I can deal with pain and discomfort.  Its the worry thats killing me now.

With partial blockage (likely IMHO), no blood, contapation/diarrhea, bloating, fullness, and thin stool what does it sound like are my chances here of having, and if having surviving? I know everyone is different but I read how people with total blockage and bloody stool go when those symptoms emerge and live long full lives.  Mine doesn't sound as bad, and its only been a short time.

And last, what other problems could this be?  Anything seems better.  The one that drives me nuts is the shapes of my stool.  Especially how when its flatter it has a little curl tail, like it was pushed around something.  Does IBS, Crohn's, Diverticulwhatsis, or anything else do this other that giant polyps?

Like I said I'm scared, and I hope someone can give me a few answers, or ancedotes about their story. THanks for reading.

[GeezLouize75]

My sister (deceased May 13, 2009) was diagnosed with Stage IV Rectal cancer in March 2007.  She had very bright red blood coming from her rectum.  I don't think she had blood in her stools.  They found the cancer when they did the colonoscopy.  If she had had the colonoscopy when she first noticed her constipation and strange stool shapes, etc, they would have found the cancer before it spread to her lung, liver and bones.  As it stood, she found out too late.  She went through vigorous chemo, radiation, etc...including a liver surgery to burn some of the lesions off.....to no avail.  In March of this year, they found another tumor around her pelvic area.  We buried her May 23, 2009.  She weighed 80 pounds.  My point is - Get a Colonoscopy.  Demand it!  We have colon cancer in our family and I have been getting colonoscopy's for years and every year they are finding pre-cancerous polyps.  Colon cancer is preventable and People should take advantage of preventitive maintenance on their bodies.  Good Luck to you.!!!

[OuchStomach]

So I'm going kind of nuts.  Nerves are fried I think.  I was at the ER over the weekend and I got my blood/urine tested and they came back completely normal.  I do have two lesions on my liver and am doing an MRI tomorrow to look into that.

The CT Scan said no to colitis or diverticulitis.  So what is left other than cancer!?

4 doctors now, with all the results from tests so far have all told me cancer is not likely still, even while knocking out colitis and diver.  The fact that there are liver lesions scares me (I do eat and drink badly and the docs said that is likely the reason).

Again, does anyone know.....For the type of blockage I am having, it sounds like only stage 4 cancer could cause it.  If it is stage 4 cancer, would there likely be blood in my stool, or would my vitals not be normal like they are?  I would assume with metasticized cancer something in the blood would be off.  Please confirm or deny this.  Other than my complaints about my abdomen I am feeling better.  Not as tired, and eating a little better.  I think nerves were mostly that.

How likely is it that late stage colon cancer could sneak up on someone, and still show completely healthy vitals?

[OuchStomach]

Back from doctor.  He swabbed the hole, and no signs of blood.  He said with no blood, and no family history, and my age my chances of it being cancer were slim.  This is a good thing.  Hopefully, there will not be a followup to this as it will not be cancerous.  Hopefully.