Cologuard and Colonoscopy came back positive: Waiting for my plan

Posted by carol32605 @carol32605, Mar 4, 2023

Did a Colorguard test. Came back positive. Had colonoscopy last week. Found flat polyp at base of colon and appendix. Waiting for biopsy. Was scraped according to the doctor. Could not be removed safely. See doctor in 4 weeks.
Looking at what my options could be.
Any ideas from others. Thanks

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Colorectal Cancer Support Group.

@rioa21

My stomach issues began the second week of chemo and radiation. They called it radiation enteritis. Uncontrollable diarrhea. I lived on baked potatoes, toast and English muffins for months. I tried Imodium but was fearful of constipation. My tumor was in the anus and extremely painful. The cramping was awful. There were times when I thought I was going to vomit from it. The gastroenterologist gave me Dicyclomine and that helped with the cramping. One day, I woke up and the diarrhea stopped. Just like that. It was replaced by fecal incontinence. I don’t know which was worse. I now wear heavy duty sanitary pads 24/7. I saw the gastroenterologist yesterday and she said I have Proctitis. I will have a colonoscopy next week. I’m hoping, with time, everything will heal. The thought of living like this indefinitely is more than upsetting. Has anyone else had these issues?

Jump to this post

Hello, I developed a case of severe proctitis soon after Radiation Therapy ( 25 Cycles over 5 weeks without break) concurrent with Xeloda tablets twice a day. During the first few weeks it was very bad , I had to literally stay in the bathroom throughout the day. Food intake was almost negligible - only rice gruel three times a day. Pain, soreness in the anal area, extreme fatigue -- you name it and I was suffering with all these. Tried equivalent of Imodium , Loparamide tablets to arrest frequent motions . Due to low food intake it was mostly gas and small amount of stool each time.
After about three months I feel relatively better. Food intake has improved and frequency of bathroom visits have come down.However , the sensation to go is constant and I still have to make 8 to 10 visits a day. As a result I do not leave home ( anyway I feel weak as well). Nowadays I take one tablet of 2 mg Loparamide each day which is a very small dosage. I am not sure if it is useful now.
Hope with more time bowel movements come down further and stabilise. You will feel better with some more time. Best wishes . Mallika

REPLY
@mallika58

Hello, I developed a case of severe proctitis soon after Radiation Therapy ( 25 Cycles over 5 weeks without break) concurrent with Xeloda tablets twice a day. During the first few weeks it was very bad , I had to literally stay in the bathroom throughout the day. Food intake was almost negligible - only rice gruel three times a day. Pain, soreness in the anal area, extreme fatigue -- you name it and I was suffering with all these. Tried equivalent of Imodium , Loparamide tablets to arrest frequent motions . Due to low food intake it was mostly gas and small amount of stool each time.
After about three months I feel relatively better. Food intake has improved and frequency of bathroom visits have come down.However , the sensation to go is constant and I still have to make 8 to 10 visits a day. As a result I do not leave home ( anyway I feel weak as well). Nowadays I take one tablet of 2 mg Loparamide each day which is a very small dosage. I am not sure if it is useful now.
Hope with more time bowel movements come down further and stabilise. You will feel better with some more time. Best wishes . Mallika

Jump to this post

Thank you for sharing this with me. I completely understand what you’re going through.

REPLY

What size? Did pathology come back?

REPLY

8/26/21: One 3mm polyp in the cecum; Four 4-10 mm polyps in the cecum; One 40mm polyp in the ascending colon removed with EMR, treated with argon plasma coagulation (clips were placed); Four 5-12mm polyps in the ascending colon removed with a hot snare (EMR)
I moved from MA to CO in November 2021 and my MA Dr. recommended University of Colorado Hospital Anschutz Medical Campus for EMR "expertise". It took time to get an appointment, . . .
2/22/23: "One 15mm polyp found in the ascending colon, likely residual polyp from previous EMR, . . . removed with injection-lift technique using a hot snare in piecemeal fashion."; Five sessile polyps were found in the descending colon, transverse colon, and ascending colon, 2-5mm in size.
Hang in there everyone, . . . the "expertise" is out there. Colon cancer is very much treatable. I may not like the "prep" for colonoscopies, but staying one step ahead is worth it!
Colonoscopy #16 in August!!

REPLY
@carol32605

Thank you so much. Appreciate it.

Jump to this post

Update on my journey.
Started last January with a positive colorguard . Last colonoscopy 5 years ago. I am 77.
Then a colonoscopy in February that showed flat polyp.
Was scraped and was found to be benign. Because of the location near appendix at bottom of colon doctor said another colonoscopy in October. Polyp was now .5mm.
Doctor sent to surgeon to get appendix out and a colon cuff. Got 2 opinions both agreeing on appendix removal.
Did that yesterday
Laproscopy surgery. Doctor removed sppendix and all of polyp and doing biopsy. Said looks good
Has been hanging over my head for a year.
Lesson for me dont do a colorguard have the colonoscopy.
Would have saved some stress.
Compared to lots of people on this site my journey was not so bad.
Just thought I would update to help anyone who might be having similar issues.
God bless all of you.

REPLY

for my colonoscopy i did sutab. 12 pills i think, with water. and then again
12 polls with water.
the pills were awful. i felt sick, like i needed to throw up but i did not.

causes a massive bathroom session. maybe 3 or 4 the day before the procedure.

i started the sutab at 5 pm the night before the 9 am procedure.
is that about right?

does anyone know of a laxative better than sutab? i am told the drink offered
as an option is awful.

REPLY
@samdeman

for my colonoscopy i did sutab. 12 pills i think, with water. and then again
12 polls with water.
the pills were awful. i felt sick, like i needed to throw up but i did not.

causes a massive bathroom session. maybe 3 or 4 the day before the procedure.

i started the sutab at 5 pm the night before the 9 am procedure.
is that about right?

does anyone know of a laxative better than sutab? i am told the drink offered
as an option is awful.

Jump to this post

The sutab is unfortunately the easiest option. You are never going to find something easier because the point is to clean you out. Did they give you an anti nausea pill? My drs prescribed that for me and it helped immensely.

REPLY

In my experience what you are prescribed for the colonoscopy prep is often the preference of the physician (or department) who will perform the procedure. In my case this was also dictated by what my insurance would pay for. For the past two colonoscopies I've had I was prescribed Gavilyte solution. If I'm prescribed that again the future I'm going to ask for an anti-nausea medication as drinking that much liquid in such a short period of time resulted in nausea for me. It did work though as I took the Gavilyte as directed.

REPLY
@myjiggers1

The sutab is unfortunately the easiest option. You are never going to find something easier because the point is to clean you out. Did they give you an anti nausea pill? My drs prescribed that for me and it helped immensely.

Jump to this post

thank you for the information on the anti nausea. no , i was not prescribed an anti nausea pill, but i will remember for next time.

REPLY
Please sign in or register to post a reply.