Young person colon cancer

Hi,

Im really worried about some symptoms I've been having so I wanted to post on here to get advice from younger people who have had colon cancer and the families of those of have had it, just to get some real life experience and opinions on what I'm experiencing.

I'm a 25 year old male, weighing about 13 stone, I'm just going to list the symptoms I have and have been having for well over a year now and just want some honest opinions and if it sounds familiar:

-I have been experiencing alot of stomach discomfort for quite a while

-I always feel full and in need of going to the toilet even if I've just been.

-I go to the toilet (number 2) at least 3 times a day, which is sometimes hardly anything, sometimes a lot and sometimes diarreha, so it changes.

-I have had blood in my stools from time to time but nothing too frequent, when it is present its always red and fresh looking.

-I have had different coloured stools and instances when wiping I've seen unfamiliar looking substances like skin of some sort or lumps of red stuff which I definitely havent eaten.

-I have mostly discomfort on my left side and can feel it (almost as if there is something there) especially when laying down at night and also feel some discomfort when sitting down and getting up off a chair.

-I have also been getting a lot of pain in my chest, left side, almost in the heart if that doesnt sound silly and just recently I've had shooting pains in my stomach and in the bottom of my back.

-I have also had spontneous feelings of nausea, not too many but a few more recently, one in the night which woke me up.

-I get very tired very quickly

-I have A LOT of flatulence

-But I havent loast any weight at all infact I've gained weight over the last 6 months.

-I constantly get niggling sort of pains in exactly the area I feel discomfort.

Sorry the list is so long, I just need some reassurance I'm not over reacting and going to the doctors feeling like a hypocondriac.

Many Thanks

Webster 25,

I am not as young as you, but I was diagnosed with Stage IV colon cancer at the age of 45.  I had to fight with my doctor to do a colonoscopy because he said I was too young (normally 50 and over).

There is a stool sample test that can be done before having a colonoscopy.  I felt like an idiot smearing my stool on the tabs they gave me, but it was the right thing to do.  They check the blood in your stool and if they don't like what they find, then they normally order a colonoscopy.  Hopefully yours will turn out to be nothing.   Better safe than sorry.

You are having a number of symptoms that I had.  Everyone is different.   I would definitely recommend you have it checked out as you are having too many things going on that are "just coincidence". 

Wishing you the very best.....

On Jan 15, 2013 9:34 PM vino4me wrote:

Webster 25,

I am not as young as you, but I was diagnosed with Stage IV colon cancer at the age of 45.  I had to fight with my doctor to do a colonoscopy because he said I was too young (normally 50 and over).

There is a stool sample test that can be done before having a colonoscopy.  I felt like an idiot smearing my stool on the tabs they gave me, but it was the right thing to do.  They check the blood in your stool and if they don't like what they find, then they normally order a colonoscopy.  Hopefully yours will turn out to be nothing.   Better safe than sorry.

You are having a number of symptoms that I had.  Everyone is different.   I would definitely recommend you have it checked out as you are having too many things going on that are "just coincidence". 

Wishing you the very best.....

Hi, Thanks a lot for your reply! Can I ask which symptoms you had that are similar to the ones I'm having? Do you know if the doctor does their own examination in a surgery these days or is it straight to a hospital? I just feel like I've left it too long, I'm almost too worried to want to find out now! Even now I have just had some sort of radiating pains from my lower back going into my legs, granted its literally a few seconds but that's not right is it? Do you mind me asking your prognosis at the time you were diagnosed and are you well now? Did you lose weight? Thanks again for your reply I really appreciate it, think I'm gonna ring the docs 1st thing :)

You are quite welcomed!  I had the blood in my stool with varying colors and consistencies.  I had various pain in my lower back and stomach cramps.  Sometimes I would go multiple times a day and sometimes days without going.  Please keep in mind this was 9 years ago and my memory is a little cloudy as a result of all the chemo that I've had.

Whatever you do....don't put it off!  Depending upon the type of doctor you see, they can do the stool test or some other test without having to go to the hospital.

As for my prognosis, I was diagnosed Stage IV as it had already moved to my liver from my colon.  A standard prognosis back then was about 18 mths to live.  That was nine years ago.  I had a number of surgeries, went a couple years cancer free and now have been fighting it for the past four years.  Keep in mind, that mine is stage IV and it's the worse you can have.

Like I said, you are having symptoms that says something is not right in your body.   The longer you put it off, the worse it can get.  It could be very minor, but you have no way of knowing unless you get checked out.   If you don't like what you are told, you can always get a second opinion.  Please act now and don't wait!

On Jan 15, 2013 11:39 PM vino4me wrote:

You are quite welcomed!  I had the blood in my stool with varying colors and consistencies.  I had various pain in my lower back and stomach cramps.  Sometimes I would go multiple times a day and sometimes days without going.  Please keep in mind this was 9 years ago and my memory is a little cloudy as a result of all the chemo that I've had.

Whatever you do....don't put it off!  Depending upon the type of doctor you see, they can do the stool test or some other test without having to go to the hospital.

As for my prognosis, I was diagnosed Stage IV as it had already moved to my liver from my colon.  A standard prognosis back then was about 18 mths to live.  That was nine years ago.  I had a number of surgeries, went a couple years cancer free and now have been fighting it for the past four years.  Keep in mind, that mine is stage IV and it's the worse you can have.

Like I said, you are having symptoms that says something is not right in your body.   The longer you put it off, the worse it can get.  It could be very minor, but you have no way of knowing unless you get checked out.   If you don't like what you are told, you can always get a second opinion.  Please act now and don't wait!

Thanks a lot, much appreciated, I'm definitely not going to leave it now! Even if I do feel silly and like they're gonna laugh at me because I'm so young! Thanks :)

You are greatly welcomed.  I really don't think you are going to have anyone laugh at you.  Based on the symptoms you described, something is not right.  No need to be silly when you are just trying to preserve your life.

Hang in there and and good luck!

Hi! My mom was recently diagnosed waiting on exact staging as she just had surgery. she had exhaustion, a dull ache pain where the tumor was she would say not a real pain but this dull pain that would come and go. turns out her tumor was the size of a small melon! I had cervical cancer years at 22 and the doctor shrugged it off said my pap was normal which it was but i didn't feel right I said I am not leaving until we figure this out and schedule something, he rolled his eyes and said ok we will do a biopsy and sure enough it came back with an issue and the cell types often do not show up on a pap. I am fine I had surgery and lots if follow up. don't let your docs tell you that you a too young, you know your body best and you don't feel right and also you can't spend your days worrying about cancer if it is another problem with a fix and if it is cancer let's catch it fast and get rid of it. start with that stool test.. demand it :) keep us posted on how you are doing and i really hope it is not cancer and keep it mind there is a good chance it is not. good luck!

On Jan 16, 2013 5:19 AM ang1235 wrote:

Hi! My mom was recently diagnosed waiting on exact staging as she just had surgery. she had exhaustion, a dull ache pain where the tumor was she would say not a real pain but this dull pain that would come and go. turns out her tumor was the size of a small melon! I had cervical cancer years at 22 and the doctor shrugged it off said my pap was normal which it was but i didn't feel right I said I am not leaving until we figure this out and schedule something, he rolled his eyes and said ok we will do a biopsy and sure enough it came back with an issue and the cell types often do not show up on a pap. I am fine I had surgery and lots if follow up. don't let your docs tell you that you a too young, you know your body best and you don't feel right and also you can't spend your days worrying about cancer if it is another problem with a fix and if it is cancer let's catch it fast and get rid of it. start with that stool test.. demand it :) keep us posted on how you are doing and i really hope it is not cancer and keep it mind there is a good chance it is not. good luck!

Hi, Thanks for your reply So would you say she could feel what side it was on or where it was? And it wasn't always a pain but more of just an ache in the area? I've just got an appointment for the docs this morning so will see what he says today and post back! Thanks again :)