# Colon Cancer obsession - please respond.



## Patrick70 (Oct 15, 2007)

It all started about 4 weeks ago.I ignored the urge to go when I had to and became constipated. I read some posts on this board about how if you go longer than a week it might be an obstruction. So I became panicy - I thought obstruction = tumor = cancer. So I forced myself to go - and I went small amounts.I should mention I was eating a lot less - so I am not really sure if I was constipated - or if there really wasn't anything to go.In the last week things seems to be regulating out a bit - I was going more, having urges for BM etc. Although my BM's were thin - and this worried me - again I obsessed over cancer.Yesterday was a bad day, I felt gasy, and achy legs - I ended up having a normal BM - a little thicker than the others - but better. Then after supper I had the urge to go again - a little straining - and them BAM almost total liquid D.I don't think it was D caused from constipation because I was starting to get regular again (albiet with narrow stools).I worry constantly about having colon cancer. I read up on all the personal stories out there of people would have colon cancer - and their symtoms.I should mention that this isn't the first time I have had GI problems. I have suffered from GI problems since a kid. 4.5 years ago I was having diarrhea problems - at that time I went for testing. I had stool tests, blood work and a Barium enema. I also saw a GI doc back then - but it was 6 mos later - and by then I was feeling better. I remember him telling me that if I was over 50 he would insist on a colonoscopy - that a barium enema wouldn't be enough. I had the option then to get a colonoscopy - but I feeling fine so I didn't. (I was 33 then - now 37) I have peroids of problems with D off and on since the barium enema test.Now I read that the barium enema can miss things - and I worry they missed colon cancer that is growing and causing me all these problems. I cannot get that idea out of my head and I am sick with worry.I am going to go see the GP and go through all the testing again. But the waitlist times to see a GI doc are crazy - and I don't know how to cope with my anxiety and worry in the meantime. I do take a lose dose of Effexor - which I think maybe isn't working for me.I know people cannot diagnose me here but I need a friendly voice - someone to tell me that I shouldn't worry about having colon cancer. I am so scared - I think rationally that if was colon cancer those 4.5 years ago it wouldn't have waxed and waned in symptoms (at least I wouldn't think so) - but I am still freaked out about it.


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## Cherrie (Sep 1, 2006)

Hi PatrickCompletely understand. It's natural to have "worst case scenario" in mind when one is feeling really bad. Like you said, IBS tend to wax and wane, which is something colon cancer can't. And it also depends on your age. If you're under 40 or 45 or something and if you don't have family history of colon cancer, then it's highly unlikely that you have it. Plus, if you don't have nausea, vomitting, bright red blood that can't be explained by hemmeroid (sp?), and (dramatic) weight loss that can't be explained by diet change (like you've been eating less so if you've lost some weight, it's normal), and lethargy, you probably have nothing to worry about. Here's a great link to colon cancer symptoms: http://coloncancer.about.com/od/cancerprev...er_Symptoms.htmAnd please read esp. the last paragraph of this passage -- even dr.s do NOT rely on symptpms alone, becasue symptoms are highly inaccurate in giving any diagnosis. Or if you are really worried, you may also talk to your dr about your worries.Hope that helps a lil in easing some of your worries...Cherrie


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## Tex (Sep 16, 2007)

Colon cancer tends to be an extremely slow growing type of cancer. It can take years to grow to a point where it can be fatal. So that is the first thing to keep in mind. The second thing to keep in mind is that diarrhea and constipation, whether separate or alternating, are only symptoms which are common to an endless number of causes, not only colon cancer. I've had chronic diarrhea for 13 years and was diagnosed with IBS last year. And the third thing to keep in mind, the only proven way to diagnose colon cancer is to have a colonoscopy. Colon cancers tend to start out as polyps. Very few polyps ever become cancerous. I had a colonoscopy done last year and my GI specialist found and removed a polyp during the colonoscopy. She sent it to a pathology lab and they reported to her that it was a precancerous type of polyp that would have eventually become cancerous, although many years into the future. Because of this incident, I have to have a colonoscopy done every 3 years now to check for any new polyps. The point is you have both probability (chances very, very high alternating diarrhea and constipation NOT caused by colon cancer) and time (colon cancer is extremely slow growing type of cancer). So I would make an appointment to see a GI specialist and not worry so much. The average waiting time to see one in most major American cities now seems to be about 3 weeks to 2 months. Not sure where you are but if the average waiting times were 2 or 3 years then maybe you could worry a bit more, although not much more.


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

Just a couple of things to add.Most obstructions are NOT tumors. It is stool that has gotten too hard and to dry to move properly and is blocking things up. If you are passing gas you are not obstructed.Colon cancer and the polyps that it arises from are rare in anyone under the age of 50. The people who get it before 50 have a genetic problem and they have many more polyps than usual starting at a very early age and usually know they are at risk because they have relatives with colon cancer before the age of 50.Even if you are in the 50 and over group more prone to colon cancer it becomes more common as we age and if you do your colonoscopy screenings on schedule you will have the polyps removed before they get a chance to form tumors.For the most part colon cancer is pretty much asymptomatic, that is one of the reasons for screening everyone over 50, no one shows up with lumps or symptoms that are a clue as to what is going on. Every other GI disease or disorder has lots of symptoms. So the most likely explaination for a symptom is anything other than cancer.It is very hard to not get really scared when something new happens to your body. Trying to find the worst possible thing it could be usually doesn't help as then you stress out about it and that makes whatever you have worse as stress doesn't make any condition better.K.


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## Guest (Oct 30, 2007)

Oh god love you Patrick - I'm not going to "deal" with any of the physical symptoms - the others have dealt with those more than competently - but this rang such a bell - obsessing about disease - it nearly cost me my life not to put too fine a point on it. Just be careful - of course you have to be sensible and get any physical "worries" sorted out - but fear of disease can of itself become an illness - so just be wary - and, if you have been reassured about the physical side of it but are STILL obsessing - go and get some professional help - I'm not being flip or owt but this obsessing can honestly take over your life and you could find yourself seriously depressed before you know it. Not trying to scare you - but you must get a sense of proportion - and you may need help with that - I certainly did. Also if you are abit "finely tuned" (like me) - you'd do as well to steer a very, very wide berth from "hysterical" sites on the internet - always much much better to discuss your worries with family, supportive friends (and that, I hope would include us lot) and health care professionals who can see the whole picture. Good luck and look after yourself Sue


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## Patrick70 (Oct 15, 2007)

Thanks for all the advice everyone Sue: Thanks for the kind words. I am 'finely tuned' as you say - and have hypochondriac tendencies (I am on an antidepressant - Effexor and after talking to my GP we are bumping it up to 75 mg - I have been on 37.5 mg for ages and I don't think it is helping much). I have lots of problems with anxiety and I am working on them - meds and relaxation exercises. Maybe seeing a therapist too might be a good idea for me.Kathleen: I have a question about the barium enema - I had a barium enema about 4 years ago - when at that time I was having trouble with diarrhea. It came back fine - as did all my blood work/stool tests. By the time I saw the GI specialist (6 mos later - wait times are crazy here) - I was feeling better and the diarrhea had mostly resolved itself -so the GI doc didn't think it was essential for me to have a colonoscopy - and I opted out.But I wonder, I know the barium enema is not supposed to be as good as the colonoscopy for detecting polyps - and then the thought I had was - well what if they missed something 4 years ago and it is causing me problems now. I asked the GP about it and she said that if it had missed something 4 years ago I would have been having more symptoms till now (and the D sort of sorted itself out - with occasional problems here and there). Do you think she is right about that?I am going to get a colonoscopy this time - but who knows how long the wait times will be. In the meantime they have me booked for another barium enema. I would rather just get the colonoscopy and be done with it - but our socialized medicine system here can really bog down


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## Guest (Nov 1, 2007)

No probs Patrick - all the best people are walking seas of neurosis - well I am anyroad!!!! You keep your chin up and good luck with the anti-d's - keep the faith - I'm on them and probably will be for life - but I'm doing pretty well.Keep in touch - let us know how you go on.Sue


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

Well it takes a long time for a polyp to grow long enough to possibly develop cancer (only a small percentage of polyps ever become cancerous after all they usually go 5-10 years between colonoscopies for people old enough to be at a high risk of colon cancer.).So all clear 4 years ago even with a lesser test if you are under 50 with no family history of colon cancer under 50 should be reassuring that you are still OK.However if you are anxious about your health it may mean that no test will ever make you feel sure. You might want to look at what would it take to make you stop worrying about colon cancer. Sometimes no amount of clean tests would be enough if the anxiety is enough and if that is the case then it may also be worth looking at treatment for the anxiety.There is usually a low risk of problems with tests, but if you get a lot of un-needed tests trying to make the worry go away you could risk one of the complications from invasive tests.If the colonoscopy would really make you sure then it may be worth it, if you are just going to worry they still missed something it may be worth going through the test. I don't know how bad the worry is for you, or what will calm it down. However sometimes the worry is the main problem. Health worry is pretty common. A lot of doctors go through that when they are learning all the symptoms for all the diseases even if they normally aren't overly concerned about their health. It can be really easy to scare oneself that relatively harmless symptoms must mean something really dangerous and if you can't control that even when you are given the all clear it might need to be treated.K.


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## kimber517 (Nov 19, 2007)

Hi Patrick, I hope that you are feeling better. I've been following this post and my heart goes out to you because so much of what you said, and what Sue said, rang a bell with me. Getting your physical symptoms checked out is important, and I hope you found some reassurance there. By chance - have you been screened for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder? I ask because I have it, and one of my main obsessions is colon cancer, and esophageal cancer. I have problems with upper and lower GI - and the obsessive worrying about cancer will drive me to research like a mad woman, and what you said sounds a lot like what I - and thousands of others who suffer from OCD - do all the time. OCD is an anxiety disorder, and you mentioned that you are on effexor for depression and have anxiety issues that you are working on. It might be helpful to discuss this with a professional trained to help with obsessive fears and worries, to learn some tools and things that will help you when the fearful obsessions arise. Even if you don't have OCD you can still have obsessive tendancies. Like Sue said, you might want talk your fears over with someone like family or a friend, or doctor - instead of researching the internet ferociously. You'll be okay. I wish you peace of mind!Just check out OCD. It mimicks Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Hypochondriacy (is that even a word??), and depression (which is a bi-product of OCD). If anything - you might find some comfort in knowing that there are so many others out there with physical problems who fearfully obsess about getting cancer - and you might learn some ways to cope with it until you hear some reassuring news from your dr. good luck, and blessing to you.


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## Guest (Nov 19, 2007)

Great post Kimber and a very warm welcome to the boards - sorry, you may have been here a while - I've not seen you before. I'm a chronic depressive but certainly when I'm stressed I certainly have elements of OCD - compulsively checking I've locked the front door springs to mind!!!! I think what you said is absolutely 100% true - us finely tuned types should avoid hysterical sites on the internet for all they are worth and work closely instead with a sympathetic and proactive doctor and close family and friends. By heck - having any sort of chronic health problem sure does sort the wheat from the chaf friendship wise!!!Sue


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