Another good news thread

Finally got official results back from my scope on Monday, June 22. Tissue samples showed no signs of inflammation and biopsies were all normal... no cancerous or even precancerous cells, in spite of my doc's warnings about colon cancer risk after year ten of UC. B12 and folate levels well within normal ranges. Life is good.

Awesome news, Princesa!

Absolutely great news! I felt the same elation after the 18 year mark c-scope results. Unremarkable is a good thing!

When's your next scope?

Just to add that the likelihood of cancer would increase if there's more constant inflammation.

quincy

quincy said...
Absolutely great news! I felt the same elation after the 18 year mark c-scope results. Unremarkable is a good thing!

When's your next scope?

Just to add that the likelihood of cancer would increase if there's more constant inflammation.

quincy

Congrats to you, too! I think it's important for us to share our successes to encourage others.

My GI wants me to have one annually now, but I refuse to put myself through the trauma of the prep more than once every two years. Given the excellent results on this scope, I may push for waiting three years.

When he started pressuring me to have annual scopes at the ten year mark, I argued that my cancer risk must be low since I've been mostly in remission for the last eight of those ten years. He told me it didn't make any difference, which I find difficult to believe.

Great news indeed!

That really doesn't make sense does it. Those Drs are implying that someone who has mild low in the colon disease with very little inflammation has the same risk factor for cancer as someone who has pan colitis with almost constant inflammation, just based on the number of years you've had UC.

I highly doubt it. It makes no sense. Everything I've read says that the lower in the colon the disease is restricted to the lower the risk of cancer. Someone with proctitis has a lower risk than someone with pan-colitis according to those articles. I'm not sure how the inflammation factors in with someone with proctitis.

They do love to confuse us don't they?

Brava! That's great news, indeed. Too bad your gastro seems obsessed with that 10-yr business. They are really covering for themselves when they insist on annual c-scopes after the "marker" yr. CRC does not depend on any single known factor. One has to proceed with the level of diagnostic risk one feels comfortable with, and I agree with you that annual purges/scopes carry their own risks-- of needless flares, for example. Some UCers are at higher risk, though, due to family history of colon cancer so "marker" yrs make more sense in that situation. / Old Hat (30 yrs with left-sided UC ... [etc.])

Q, I also take a maintenance dose of an ASA and was pleased to read it lowers the risk of colon cancer. I figure I'll have another scope in two years and if that one's as good as this last one, I'll go to every three years. I know a doctor can't force you to have a diagnostic test, but I hate being lectured everytime I go in for a six month check up. To be honest, I kinda resent not being given any credit for successfully managing my UC for so many years. No doc I've seen has questioned my success or really even commented on it. The gloom and doom, "this is totally out of your control" mentality gets a little old.

So excited for you Princesa!!! It's wonderful for you to post your great news :)

Hi princesa....I agree regarding not being given credit for making some efforts to maintain and care for UC inflammation. I guess some docs, however, see some patients not do well with continual med intervention...so maybe to some of them, it's basically "luck".
I said to my doc with my last scope results "Thank you 5ASA"...he said, without your efforts, it would be useless...so, I was pleased with that part.

I have one request from you....could you please type 5-ASA...since ASA as itself means aspirin?? two totally different beasts, although both are salicylates. the ASA in 5-ASA means aminosalicylic acid. The ASA in ASA means acetylsalicylic acid..can be confusing when many are told by their doctors to not take aspirin.

Regarding your c-scopes..you might want to say to your doc you will do it in 2 years, and if all is clear, do it in three from then on unless something comes up that you need to have a look-see.

quincy