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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
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GerryG13 1 min
I hope you thrive in spite of your dire prognosis.

My six kids, at my urging (and reluctantly), started their colonoscopies at 40 ish. My exhortations because I got colon cancer at age 55. My Auntie had gotten it in her early 60's My Very Beautiful and Bright Grandma got it at about 83 -84.

My suggestion to my kids and others is to NEVER wait ten years between colonoscopies with this sort of family history, OR with a personal history of polyps.

Let me tell you why: Docs are not infallible. I know of at LEAST TWO CASES (both my Beautiful Wife and myself) in which doctors simply failed to spot or failed to eradicate previous dangerous polyps or perhaps small cancers. You MUST be proactive.  Don't delay or rely on dumb luck to alert you to follow up your colonoscopies.

I say never wait more than five years, and that's only if you've never had a polyp. If you've had a polyp, I urge you to get repeat colonoscopies every three years. And, yes, I know a lot of docs and patients are afraid their insurance won't pay. I would never suggest anything illegal...but I have heard about people who make up symptoms, e.g., blood in stools, crampy pain, even heartburn so they can a "twofer," meaning get an upper endoscopy as well as a colonoscopy at the same time.

Grandma wouldn't let them operate. She said, "I've never had an operation and I'm not going to start now."  A couple of years later, my Grandma obstructed and was in enormous pain.

Grandma didn't have a big choice then, at about 85-86. She had a difficult albeit uneventful surgery---amazing at her age. Grandma stuck around till 95 and was always the smartest person in the room.

I saw Grandma going downhill. She lived with my Mom and Dad.  I went to see her one day to tell her she was the greatest; and how she always urged and influenced me to do good things;  how terribly proud I was to be her grandson; and how she was my hero.  I'm, for sure, a crier, so I cried my way through that. Gave Grandma a big hug. She was crying also.

When Grandma died, the cancer had spread to most of her liver; most of her lungs; many of her lymph nodes, etc.  My Grandma was the best!

This splendid Grandma died a few days later. I always miss her.

In our home, we are fortunate to have space for a little gallery, sort of a shrine to those I love.  I often sit there, look at the pictures, and thank my family for being my family.

My six kids and I are close. The thing is they are so busy with their own kids, their own lives, that we just don't get together much.

Till a few years ago, I had a "mandatory" Sunday get together, and they were great. Now, not so much.
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Avatar universal
We all going to die with one cancer or another, if it isn't then its definitely a heart or lung disease. Its how humans are cursed with. Amen !
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1 Comments
Certainly appreciate the reminder. Any other good news you'd like to share?
Avatar universal
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
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Avatar universal
-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.
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4 Comments
10.23.2019 Thanks for your share as it is info that Doctors are not always willing to ...as they feel that the patient will build it into something it is not.  I think to be for warned is to be for armed
I agree HolyLion.  Information is power.  (think that is a cliché, ha).  Have you had this same issue?
I had a doctor tell me, over the phone, that the red blood I saw was hemorrhoids. I was just diagnosed with cancer. So, I agree, get all the information you can!
I hope you thrive in spite of your dire prognosis. I agree with most of what you say.

My six kids, at my urging (and reluctantly), started their colonoscopies at 40 ish. My exhortations because I got colon cancer at age 55. My Auntie had gotten it in her early 60's My Very Beautiful and Bright Grandma got it at about 83 -84.

My suggestion to my kids and others is to NEVER wait ten years between colonoscopies with this sort of family history, OR with a personal history of polyps.

Let me tell you why: Docs are not infallible. I know of at LEAST TWO CASES (both my Beautiful Wife and myself) in which doctors simply failed to spot or failed to eradicate previous dangerous polyps or perhaps small cancers. You MUST be proactive.  Don't delay or rely on dumb luck to alert you to follow up your colonoscopies.

I say never wait more than five years, and that's only if you've never had a polyp. If you've had a polyp, I urge you to get repeat colonoscopies every three years. And, yes, I know a lot of docs and patients are afraid their insurance won't pay. I would never suggest anything illegal...but I have heard about people who make up symptoms, e.g., blood in stools, crampy pain, even heartburn so they can a "twofer," meaning get an upper endoscopy as well as a colonoscopy at the same time.

Grandma wouldn't let them operate. She said, "I've never had an operation and I'm not going to start now."  A couple of years later, my Grandma obstructed and was in enormous pain.

Grandma didn't have a big choice then, at about 85-86. She had a difficult albeit uneventful surgery---amazing at her age. Grandma stuck around till 95 and was always the smartest person in the room.

I saw Grandma going downhill. She lived with my Mom and Dad.  I went to see her one day to tell her she was the greatest; and how she always urged and influenced me to do good things;  how terribly proud I was to be her grandson; and how she was my hero.  I'm, for sure, a crier, so I cried my way through that. Gave Grandma a big hug. She was crying also.

When Grandma died, the cancer had spread to most of her liver; most of her lungs; many of her lymph nodes, etc.  My Grandma was the best!

This splendid Grandma died a few days later. I always miss her.

In our home, we are fortunate to have space for a little gallery, sort of a shrine to those I love.  I often sit there, look at the pictures, and thank my family for being my family.

My six kids and I are close. The thing is they are so busy with their own kids, their own lives, that we just don't get together much.

Till a few years ago, I had a "mandatory" Sunday get together, and they were great. Now, not so much.
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