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Dunelover,
I'm so glad you discovered this early. You sound as if your health is good otherwise and that will make the chemo treatments easier for you. Wishing you the best.
My Mom had most of the symptons that Dunelover listed. Her Doctor said he didn't give colonoscopies to his patients over 80. 
..So she struggled along taking stool softeners, etc. We nearly lost her last summer but were fortunate to get some more time with her. She remained too weak after surgery (removed half her colon) for chemo - plus she's 87. She made a comeback to where she could do her normal "running around" and have a good quality of life again. It's been a year and she is now slowing again but won't be doing chemo at her age.
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That is just to sad that he wouldn't do a colonoscopy. My grandma was 80 when she had hers this past year, she had to have a resection like me, but it wasn't cancerous. She is recovering slowly only because she fell and broke her hip a few weeks after being home. She is back to her normal life now though of which I am glad. Wishing the best for your mom.
Our family will keep you in our prayers..... My wife and I have both had colonoscopies within the last year..... We strongly recommend that everyone with a family history or are over fifty to have it done.... It is painless and will provide the best sleep that you have had in years.....
Rock on.....
Rocketman....
Yea---I am glad to hear that, now just follow up routinely and you will be good.
And to those who just simply can't and will not ever get a colonoscopy or flexible sigmoidoscopy, please know there is one non-invasive screening option, that being a fecal occult blood test. Your physician will send you home with a small card that has an area to place a stool specimen (in the privacy of your home) on. You mail it back in and the lab will look to see if there is blood present. Not perfect, but at least it is a screening test!
Good advice skunky, and as you said the test is not perfect. I had one type of those done in the gyn's office that was negative 4 weeks before I was diagnosed. I have heard that if you take the test home you should do a number of them, like 5 to watch for bleeding on a particular day. But, do know that nothing is better than a colonsocopy.
Sending Prayers and Blessings your way Dunelover! Your ability to transform your hardship into an opportunity to help & care about others is courageous and beautiful.
Get those colonoscopies done folks!
My husband died at 52 from colon cancer. The doctors said he'd probably had it for
at least 10 years before it was discovered by accident (with NO family history).
Dune-AHH--I am so sorry about your husband. It such a horrible diesase. It oftentimes is silent. You are right, removing polyps prevents the disease. I had no family history either. Now, I get to check to see if carry the gene for HNPCC (lynch syndrome). I am sorry this thread probably brought up sad memories for you, but thank you for sharing what can be done to stop colon cancer.
Glad you caught it early, Dunelover. I'm a BIG believer in early detection, so you may indeed have saved a few lives of people who may have postponed their colonoscopies (as Tootsie said). They're really not bad at all - the hardest part is not eating for about 12 hours before the colonoscopy and drinking some stuff the day before. So, the best thing to do is have a hearty meal at lunch the day before and then schedule your colonoscopy very first thing in the morning. They pretty much knock you out and then you wake up in another room.
I'll be sending you many good wishes for your treatment to go smoothly and quickly - and for your move to SoWal to be sooner rather than later! Definitely get to SoWal before home prices increase (from what I hear, you have some time...).
Paula--yes, I do hope I have helped someone, or saved a life. If anyone wants to pm w/ questions, please do. I can refer you to many expert websites. Having the colonoscopy first thing in the am is great thing. A study came out recently that showed that dr's find more polyps in the am w/no other variable than time being the reason---they must be fresher, or less behind schedule or something else, but am is best.
Thanks to all for the kind words, I have finished my first round of chemo, and came through w/ alot of fatique and a little nausea. I can handle that if it is nipping all these microscopic cancer cells.
One more tip for the day, my oncologist said in response to me asking her what the ideal diet would be to prevent colon cancer. She said red meat only 1or 2 x a month. No charcol grilled anything, no nitrates and 1/3 protein (fish chicken, tofu) w/ 1/3 whole grains and 1/2 veggies fruit---the reference is to a plate.
Enjoy paradise for me
God bless you, Dunelover. Will pray for you during your chemo, and PLEASE keep us posted.
