My sister (age 46) was just diagnosed with colon cancer yesterday. She had the surgery done this morning..and has to have the "bag" on for 3-6 months...I do not know if this was told before or after the surgery...so I dont know if that info is still the case after surgery or not....as the doctor has not talked with her yet...he will be in to see her to tell her what was discovered, etc in the morning. I do not know what stage or anything....but I am assuming that it is definitely not early stage. About a month ago, she took a spell where she thought she was badly constipated, nothing worked at first, but got better. 3-4 days ago, she took another spell....nothing at all worked...she tried everything. She was in a lot of pain and extremely miserable...so she went to the ER. They took x-rays, and saw that there was nothing there...(meaning, no evidence of being constipated/impacted)...she was clear as a bell.....no further tests were done....they did give her an enema, which produced very little....so they gave her a prescription for a strong laxative (go figure!!! sounds stupid to me!!!) and sent her on her way. Later that night...she was in such horrible pain....felt like she was about to bust open...and you could literally see the "long bulge" just under her ribs, so I took her to a different ER and told them about the first ER. They done x-rays...which showed nothing out of the ordinary...then done a CT scan...saw a blockage...then performed a couple more tests which proved that it was indeed cancer.

Now..for my question........(I am 33) I had something very strange to happen to me a couple of weeks ago....and now I am VERY scared. On New Years eve, I all of a sudden got nauseaous after eating...and vomited once. Didnt think too much of it...as it passed soon after. About a week later....I felt good during the day, but that evening got this sudden feeling of being badly constipated. It was just so quick and so sudden.....I didnt take any meds, cause I just didnt see how I could be that constipated so fast....and thought that if I woke up like that the next day...I would definitely take something. At 3 am I woke up with the urgent need to go to the bathroom....it was a real good movement....normal...so I thought "whew! defintely not consipated now!" The same thing happened the very next day....felt good all day...then all of a sudden....quick, bad constipated feeling.....I KNEW I was not constipated that time for sure!! So, I didnt take anything. Again, I was awakened at 3 am with the sudden urge to go potty....a very good movement. I thought that was so strange...so I decided that if it happened again the next night...I would get myself to a dr...but I was fine for the next 2 days..then on the 3rd day....felt badly constipated again....so took some Dulcolax...and got myself fixed right up. No real problems since....except, I have to strain just a touch to get it out...nothing major....just a push or two...maneuvering myself around to work it out, not everytime though. I just had time to do reading on colon cancer, and found out a few things....and I am scared now!!!!!!!! I do not have any other problems, such as gasiness, bloating.....I do have occasional quick bouts of nausea...but it passes so quickly, and questioned if it was because I was hungry or something. I have not payed attention to the size, shape, color, etc....but will most definitely now......


i know the obvious answer is to go to the dr...however......i have a total fear of anyone going near my rectum.....my philosophy has always been "exit ONLY"!! I just cannot go through any kind of exam where it will involve that.....and know that I will never get the courage up to make the necessary appt.....for that very reason. But after seeing what my sister is having to go through....although its only been a few short days......I KNOW that I need to make sure that I am fine.....as I do not want to have to go through what she is going through...NEVER........the "C" word is my biggest fear in the world....that, rectal exams, and death are the only things that terrify the holy crap out of me.

So, my question is........knowing of my fear of the rectal....is it possible that the dr could put me to sleep and to do any and all tests necessary to make sure that I am ok??? Or will I have no choice but to be awake?

I may call my dr tomorrow to see....but I would like your inputs.thanks in advance.

A colonoscopy is the best test for colon cancer. The sedative given often puts the patient right out. I have had several, I have been awake during some and asleep during others.

I never felt the instrument entering the 'exit' at all.

A sigmoidoscopy is done in the doctor's office and is uncomfortable but it only allows the doctor to see to the top of the rectum.

CT scanning techniques known as a 'virtual colonoscopy' is simply an X-ray that shows details of the entire colon. It does not involve any entering the 'exit'. (oops I may be somewhat off on that, a contrast will have to be administered and I don't know if it goes in by mouth or the other end, but you already said you had one enema so obviously you are as OK with that as needed)

I am confused by what you mean by a sudden feeling of constipation though. You mean a heavy bloated feeling? That would be consistent with a later urgent need to go #2 since the bloating may well be a build up of gas in the ascending or transverse colon that takes a few hours to pass to the 'exit'.

You can try the obvious though. Make the Dr's appt for two weeks from now. Then take a 15 minute walk every day and drink a 500 ml (pint) of bottled water mid-morning and mid-afternoon in addition to all other liquids you usually drink. Do this for a week or better, two. If during this time the symtoms disappear you know that you simply needed to look after yourself. You can then cancel the appt if you wish, otherwise you now have an appt and can get the Dr. to suggest tests.

BTW, I have a permanent 'bag', a colostomy. (but three of my colonoscopies were when I had the original 'equipment'.) It requires a learning to go potty all over again but is easy to get used to. Tell your sis I said so and that we all wish her the best and our hearts go out to her and you. We have all been there too.

what i mean by sudden feeling of constipation is just what that means.....very quickly, suddenly feeling full....like i havent had a bm is several days....suddenly bloated.....felt nauseaous and just plain awful....feeling like i REALLY NEEDED a BM....but there was just nothing happening. it was just soooooo quick....nothing that had been building up....it just all of a sudden got that way.

no---i did not have an enema.....that was in the section where i was talking about my sister being in the ER and what they done for her

i just very well may take your advice...that way it will also help give me time to deal with things happening right now....thanks

HI, I understand your fear for sure, but I was diagnosed with colon cancer, stage 2+ (the + being for infection/perforation) whihc by the sounds of it is w3hat your sister went thru as it is extremely painful. I am 44 and have two younger sisterw who now have had a colonoscopy as well to make sure. Its the practical thing to do, wehn one member in the fmaily has it as it could be an inherited gene.
A colonoscopy is the only real way to find out, and like the previous poster, I was put out for the test.
I still have a "bag" at the moment too, but in April, hopefully it will become a thing of the past.
Please tell your sister that were all thinking of her and wish her the best.
You also, take care of you.
((Hugs))
Maz

A sudden bloated, 'gotta go,can't go' feeling can be an obstruction but is more likely to be gas.

Making the Dr. appt and following a regime of better bowel care(exercise, plenty of liquids and fiber) up to the day of the appt is the best course of action.

Let us know how this turns out for you.

We all care. We have all been through what you are going through in respect to your sister. Some of us have had colon cancer(such is the reason for my colostomy at age 45) and others are the loved ones of people who have had colon cancer..
By hearing each other's stories we get better info to pass onto future posters.

Our hearts are with you and your sister.

thank you so much. i havent yet called my dr...been so wrapped up in my sister, that i just havent had the time. but in reading your posts and other research...i really feel more like a colonoscopy is the way i want to be tested.

i dont know how things are with my sister...they are still waiting on the pathology report to come in, to know what stage it was in and what steps are to be taken. i know that you guys are going to say "if they havent seen the report, how do they know it was cancer"....the nurse explained today....doctors have seen cancer so many times, they know what it looks like, so he knew it was cancer when he saw it....but he cant tell what stage it is in until the pathology report comes in.

this is very scary for all of us..even more so at this point, because we are still coping with the loss of our father not even a year ago....it will be a year March 17th. we are just not ready for this challenge....but ready or not...it is here. it certainly is bringing up all the sorrow of our dads loss, making it harder to accept that my sister is going through all of this.

i will continue to post as i learn more. as i am sure i will have more questions and need more support. thanks to all of you. i will also let you know when my exam is to be scheduled and the outcome of it.

my sister was released from the hospital today. she had stage 1, and of course that means that it had not spread.

i am going on the 28th for a consultation to have a colonscopy done. i honestly am dreading it...but have decided that i can do this "simple" thing now....or i can take a chance that one day i might be going through what my sister is...knowing i could have prevented it by having one procedure done! i would rather do this....than go through what my sister is having to do. thanks for your advice and prayers.

Ladybug! Excellent news! Stage 1 is soooo curable.. and its great they got it early!
and goodluck with your colonoscopy too! Your right when you say its better to get it checked early for sure. We all just wish alot more people would get the colonoscopy early as to catch this ugly disease before it spreads too far.
Congrats again on your sister! Let us know how shes doing and what the treatment will be.
Take care
Maz