Bowel cancer test

2

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  • Navigateur
    Navigateur Club Member Posts: 3,880 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited March 2016 #32

    As did Samual Pepys the diarist.

  • IanH
    IanH Forum Participant Posts: 4,708
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    edited March 2016 #33

    I've now got some plastic food trays to use for collecting......so tomorrow looks being the first sampling day........Gulp...Sad

  • ADP1963
    ADP1963 Forum Participant Posts: 1,280
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    edited March 2016 #34

    But  he  invited  his  friends  round  to  watch  !!

    Write your comments here...He went down with Alice.   Wink

  • vivien
    vivien Forum Participant Posts: 449
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    edited March 2016 #35

    Every test possible is a good thing, however, my late husband was only 51 and didn't qualify for any tests, nor did he poo blood or anything. Not even a pound of weight was shed!

    Our 21st Wedding anniversary started with him throwing up, by 7 Pm I rang an ambulance to come, he was passing out, couldn't stand and hadn't eaten or drank anything all day.

    He was rushed into hospital, next day went down for scans, samples taken from everywhere. He was on a drip to put in fluids as the sickness continued.  A week later he had biopsies taken from just under his rib age, these showed nothing, but the intensive blood tests taken the week before showed spindle cancerous cells, this is when more MRi and Cat scans were ordered.  They did not know what they would find, but prepared him to except a stoma when he woke up.

    The operation was undertaken and within minutes of him having the op I was called in by the consultant.  It was when the nurse entered the room with a box of tissues I knew things were not good!  They had cut him open from the rib cage down to his pelvis and from side to side.  They found a cancer growth the size of large grapefruit on his appendix and his organs were covered in what they called cotton wool cancer.

    This was at the beginning of August now, he was bed ridden in the hospital and eating half a sandwich a day max. He went into hospital weighing 21 stone. He left the hospital on the 9th September and taken to the Prospect Hospice.

    He was refused Chemo, the cancer was not removed, so it just ate him alive over the next few months.  The scars never healed, he lost weight and from 24th July to the 6th Novenber I watched him loose 12+ stone. He weighed no more than 8 1/2 stone when he died suddenly of a blood clot passing through his heart resulting in a heart attack.

    So, PLEASE do have any tests available, please do not think it could never happen to you! If cancer is caught early, they can do wonders, but uncaught is not good, please do not ignore any signs you feel isn't normal.

    he died two months before his 52 nd birthday!

  • ABM
    ABM Forum Participant Posts: 14,578
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    edited March 2016 #36

    Thank  you  for  the  graphic  description,  Vivien !  Too  many  men  refuse  to  take  the  generally  given advice  -->  if  you  see / feel  anything  strange  ,  unusual  or  different  GO  &  MITHER  YOUR  DOCTOR !!
    I took  being  diagnosed  as  "Diabetic"  as  a  personal  insult  for  some  time  until  I  saw  some  sense.  Then  the  moment  I  had  bowel  problems,  I  reckon  the  doctor  could  hear  me  without  use  of  the  'phone.  Caught  the  problems  very  early,  but  it  still  took  six  and  a  half  years  of  surgery,  colonoscopies,  more  surgery,  and  flexi-sigs  by  the  dozen  before  they  took  my  name  tags  off  the  theatre  gown !

    Was  it  all  worth  it  ??  of  course  it  was -- just  to  be  here  annoying  you  lot  is  worth  every "Endoscopy  Suite  No  6  please  ! "


  • vivien
    vivien Forum Participant Posts: 449
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    edited March 2016 #37

    Its not just bowel cancer people ignore! Breast cancer is equally rife in women as well as MEN! Yes! Men can get breast cancer!  As well as many other cancers, all should not be ignored!

    Our lives are precious, we do not come back after we have left the departure lounge, so why do many have tests and check ups appointed and not take them up??  isnt there enough requests from cancer research Make people realise Cancer is a live thing in us
    all await time bomb waiting for the right trigger!

    i used to bleed quite heavily and was told it was because if fmy age and the menipause will sort the problem out! I persisted until a doctor took note, sent me to a specialist and they found i had CN2 pre cancer cells on my cervic. A short and quick operation
    sorted the problem out and a month later and all the bleeding had stopped! So Much for waiting for the menopause!

  • IanH
    IanH Forum Participant Posts: 4,708
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    edited March 2016 #38

    Thanks for sharing those painful, personal experiences Vivien.....a lesson to anyone to get on and get checked.

    Did my first sampling this morning......gross! Sad........but worth it in the longer term
    Smile

  • ADP1963
    ADP1963 Forum Participant Posts: 1,280
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    edited March 2016 #39

    Vivien, what a sad story ,my heart goes out to you. The way you get on with your life after such an horrendous loss takes a special kind of person. You are to be admired!.

  • vivien
    vivien Forum Participant Posts: 449
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    edited March 2016 #40

    Vivien, what a sad story ,my heart goes out to you. The way you get on with your life after such an horrendous loss takes a special kind of person. You are to be admired!.

    Write your comments here... You would be surprised how many Solos there are here in the CC.  Both men and ladies that have lost thier loved one early!   Its hard to explain, but widowed people are different from divorced.   I can say that as i have been both divorced and widowed. Widows see life completely differently, we have no hatred due to divorce but instead carry out loved ones close in out heats!

    so far i have had well over 450 people contact me and become a Solo who caravans, motorhomes or camps alone! I have no idea how many have read the instruction, printed the Solos sign and have met with other Solos away from this site.

     

  • mickysf
    mickysf Forum Participant Posts: 6,474 ✭✭✭
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    edited March 2016 #41

    So, is this an annual ritual? 

    Must agree with those above, lost my mum to this 'disease' but just today had the all clear from my tests though!Smile

  • cyberyacht
    cyberyacht Forum Participant Posts: 10,218
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    edited March 2016 #42

    Supposed to be every two years but mine seem to arrive more frequently than that.

  • TheAdmiral
    TheAdmiral Forum Participant Posts: 506
    edited March 2016 #43

    Supposed to be every two years but mine seem to arrive more frequently than that.

    Perhaps you have had the "Runs"

  • cyberyacht
    cyberyacht Forum Participant Posts: 10,218
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    edited March 2016 #44

    Get back to your 'poop' deck. Tongue Out

  • DavidKlyne
    DavidKlyne Club Member Posts: 13,860 ✭✭✭
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    edited March 2016 #45

    Supposed to be every two years but mine seem to arrive more frequently than that.

    It is a two year frequency but over time that gets extended over years because  the next test is sent out on the two year anniversary of the results from the test not two years from first contact.

    David

  • TheAdmiral
    TheAdmiral Forum Participant Posts: 506
    edited March 2016 #46

    Get back to your 'poop' deck. Tongue Out

    Happy Nice one CY

    Admiral

  • ADP1963
    ADP1963 Forum Participant Posts: 1,280
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    edited March 2016 #47

    Vivien, about 3 years ago The Solos were at Hunters Moon whilst we were there and "The Boss" and I had many a discussion with various members,lovely people. As we have been married now for 53 years I can't imagine life without each other. That is not to
    say that we have not experienced a huge tragedy ourselves.

  • PATMAU
    PATMAU Forum Participant Posts: 250
    edited March 2016 #48

    Hope you do the test IanH.  My OH did and he had to have his colon removed because of cancer.  He had no systems whatsoever and if it wasn't for this test, I think it would only have been discovered when it was too late. 

  • IanH
    IanH Forum Participant Posts: 4,708
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    edited March 2016 #49

    Did the second sampling today (Sad)........third and final one tomorrow, all being well.

  • malc1945
    malc1945 Forum Participant Posts: 74
    edited March 2016 #50

    I often think what would happen if the mail bag got stolen my they would have a shock lol

  • ABM
    ABM Forum Participant Posts: 14,578
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    edited March 2016 #51

    I  reckon  even  a  half trained  Sniffer  dog  would  find  it  double quick

  • IanH
    IanH Forum Participant Posts: 4,708
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    edited March 2016 #52

    Third and final sample done this morning and my lttle package of delights dropped in the post box......Smile

  • ABM
    ABM Forum Participant Posts: 14,578
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    edited March 2016 #53

    I  hope  you  get  a  swift  "All  Clear"  response  Ian !!  The  waiting  period  till  the  answer  comes  in  the  post  can  be  worrying  itself  !

  • IanH
    IanH Forum Participant Posts: 4,708
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    edited March 2016 #54

    I'm just glad to be finished with the poo sticks......

  • ABM
    ABM Forum Participant Posts: 14,578
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    edited March 2016 #55

    Wait  til  you  get  the  "Anniversary  Card"  in  two  years  then  !

  • IanH
    IanH Forum Participant Posts: 4,708
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    edited March 2016 #56

    Laughing

  • IanH
    IanH Forum Participant Posts: 4,708
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    edited March 2016 #57

    Just got the result in the post....all clear Laughing

    Will have to do it again in 2 years Sad

  • robsail
    robsail Forum Participant Posts: 1,441
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    edited March 2016 #58

    Getting the all clear is such a relief, one test of mine was positive, resulting in much angst and an unpleasant procedure which gave me the all clear. Much prefer the game of poo sticks!

  • Pliers
    Pliers Forum Participant Posts: 1,864
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    edited March 2016 #59

    Just got the result in the post....all clear Laughing

     

    Great news.

    When I did my test, I was really worried about the results. Weird, because every other day of the year, bowel cancer never crossed my mind.

    Same with the breast cancer screening, and those horrible smear tests. On my mind all the time until the results arrived. I'm not an anxious person at all, but was I glad when the results arrived, thankfully negative.

    Ahh well, not long 'till the next round!

  • huskydog
    huskydog Club Member Posts: 5,460 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited March 2016 #60

    It's good you got the result you wanted Ian Happy 

  • cyberyacht
    cyberyacht Forum Participant Posts: 10,218
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    edited April 2016 #61

    I'm always disappointed with mine. I always think the small brown envelope is from "Ernie".