How to cope with double Whammy

First off...take a breath...until you have a colonoscopy and a  positive biopsy .....you don't know...it could be many things besides cancer. With that said after fighting advanced Pca since 2002...last Dec 2012 I got dx with Stage III Rectal Cancer...talk about a double whammy !!!! I'm still reeling. Had my entire rectum removed and a permanent colostomy in Jan. I'm now on cycle 5 chemo...folfox...this is horrible stuff with nasty side effects, but I'm just putting one foot ahead at a time. So...as I said take a breath , gather the facts, there will be plenty of time to stew about it later...worse case cancer...you will get thru it...

ziggymonster
What can I say but thanks for sharing I thought after my post I was interested to see if anyone else
with PC had the same problem. I was curious if we with PC were at a higher risk but until you posted
it looked like I was the only one to get both. Can I ask what symptoms you had to make you go to the
Doctor,mine was on and of diarrhea other than that felt fine. As with PC no family history of bowel cancer
will be having colonoscopy this week can't wait I just have to know. Once again thanks I hope everything
work out for you it is a lot to cope with.!!!
Rodger.

ziggymonster
Man what you have been through it is to much to ask I really feel for you.
Life really sucks at times I think it is time life dealt you a better hand how
you cope is beyond me you must be one tough nut.
I always thought when I reached this age 64 I could sit back and smell the
roses after all I figured I deserved it. I have been working since I was 14 so
I thought I deserved to take a break & enjoy life,but all I have been doing for
the last 4 years is Doctors & Hospitals.
It started in 2010 surgery for PC then they found I had a tumor in my Bladder
more surgery then I had a Hernia from the PC surgery so back to hospital more
surgery then last year after blood test found I had lost 40% of my kidney function
more tests now when I start to relax bowel cancer test positive.
So now here we go again more problems it so hard sick of Doctors sick of problems
after problems. Before being DX with PC I was never sick but now that is all I seem
to be. At my age I expect some problems but not the serious ones I get one after another.
I hope life gets better for you in the future wishing better health.
Rodger.

Rodger, your path is similar to mine in many ways......when I turned 55 I was dx with Pca......hadn't had any health problems my entire life. Since then my life also revolves around doctors, hospitals, surgeries (Radical open in 2002,lysis of adhesions in 2011 - after 9 hospitalizations for small bowel obstructions, resection of my rectum in 2013), plus a host of other issues....like you I worked my whole life and now retired with adequate resources but don't have the health to do what I want....it really sucks, plus my favorite dog, Ziggy, is slowly dying from her cancer. But we must push forward and enjoy each day.....I do my best.

MsWorryWart
So very nice of you to post thank you,I received positive for blood in stools
repeated test again positive. Like your husband I take 100 mg Aspirin daily as
suggested by GP, hope it is a bleed will know soon have appointment with a
Colorectal surgeon tomorrow colonoscopy next week Friday fingers crossed.
Rodger.

An38
I was lucky enough to see colorectal surgeon today they had a cancellation so they rang and of I went.
Feel less confident now than before as like your husband he asked if any of my stools had obvious blood
I answered no that is why I am surprised the test came back positive,I then remembered the last stool
I was a bit constipated and had to strain and I noticed bright red blood, it gave me a bit of a fright as
this is the first time I actually seen blood. I told the colorectal surgeon about this he asked if it was bright
dull coloured I said bright he replied that's not good but lets take one step at a time,I wish he had not said that!!. He then said I notice you have had a RP yes I replied he asked did the urologist order a colonoscopy
before your RP I said no,he then said all men with PC should have a colonoscopy before there RP. He said
now it is so much more difficult to perform bowel surgery he did explain why something about without the prostate the angle to get in is much more difficult.But to be honest once he started talking surgery I was
a bit shocked it seemed he had already made a decision that I had bowel cancer I felt here we go again.
Hope everything works for your husband I think after PC we need a break,I'm having the colonoscopy next
week Friday. I only wish he had said something like it could be this or that but no just talked about surgery
I thought he might check for hemorrhoids or ask if I'm taking Aspirin together with a ulcer might cause blood
in the stool but not a word,so I'm very worried now.
Rodger.

Actually Rogder, my husbands doctor said the opposite and my sister who is a doctor was also quite reassuring about it. Bright red blood, especially accompanied by pain on straining indicates something wrong on the anus as there are no nerves inside. Bright red blood means it is fresh, means that it came from somewhere close to the exit.

I hope you have a good result. My fingers are crossed that you will. And I hope the same for my husband.

Some facts that should make you feel better about your positive fecal occult blood test. The National Cancer Institute states that, in its experience, less than 10% of all positive results were caused by cancer. Also from what I read 50% of people who have colon cancer have negative fecal occult tests. Compared to this, the PSA test is the gold standard in accuracy.

Causes of the bleeding can include:

Mass lesions

carcinoma of any site
large (more than 1.5 cm) adenomatous polyp
Inflammation

erosive esophagitis
ulcer of any site
linear cuts in a hiatus hernia
erosive gastritis
celiac disease
ulcerative colitis
Crohn's disease (regional enteritis)
nonspecific colitis
unexplained cecal ulcer
Vascular disorders

vascular ectasia (blood vessel inflammation)
liver vein hypertension
gastrointestinal varicose veins (varices)
other blood vessel abnormalities
Infectious diseases

hookworm
whipworm
strongyloidiasis
ascariasis
tuberculous enterocolitis
amebiasis
Other causes

coughing blood from lungs and swallowing it
nosebleeds and mouth cavity bleeding
pancreatitis
long distance running
falsified causes

An

Post Edited (An38) : 4/22/2013 8:12:41 AM (GMT-6)

Well, Roger, I'm happy to report an uneventful colonoscopy here today. Took all the clean-out stuff yesterday and didn't eat a thing all day. That's the hardest part, imo. Arrived a little early and was taken a little later than scheduled, but fell off to sleep instantly with the anesthesia. Awoke a little groggy, but no worse for the wear.

Dr. said the colon in clean. No polyps and nothing suspicious. Good for 10 years.

Had an endoscopy too. A little reflux, a little gastritis, but looks fine. Took some biopsies, but those are mainy precautionary looking for bacterias. He said everything looks good.

My wife asked me today before I went in if I was worried... I said I'll be relieved when it's over because having had PCa, the "C-word" is always on my mind when I go to the doctor now. But that ultimately, there isn't anything to worry about until there's something to worry about. She just smiled and gave me a kiss. Just what I needed. :)

For what it's worth, my doctor at the consultation seemed more concerned whether I'd had blackish, tarry stools. The bright red seems to indicate something toward the end of the track. When it happened to me a few years ago, it was hemorrhoids.

Anyway, take heart, Roger, I hope a similar, uneventful test for you. Good luck.