dont ignore change of bowel habbit

[gasmick2]

Hi. I am just highlighting the need to see a doctor if you notice a change in your bowel movements over a few months. I know its a thing that people do not like talking about but it can save your life.

I was suffering from stomach pains on my right side of my abdomen and I always seemed to be constipated and not able to pass a normal stool. My doctor put it down to Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

I did some research and it seems that doctors use it as a name for bowel conditions without any further investigations so people go away happy that a name has been put to what they have got.

I insisted I see a bowel specialist and was sent for a ct scan. A week later an emergency appointment was made for me to have a colonocopy (camera inserted)
Not nice but they found a large malignant horseshoe shaped tumor in my lower colon which was causing a 60% restriction on my bowel causing all the pains.

Another scan found that it had not spread and am now recovering from the operation to remove the colon with the tumor in. 6 weeks later I am pleased to say I am getting back to some normality but it will take some time to fully recover.

My whole point is don't always accept the first diagnosis and insist that you see a specialist. This way you will live longer if you catch it early.

What has made it more difficult for me to recover is over the last 25 years I have had lung cancer twice and have had my lung removed.
Thats all down to me as an outspoken person and stick up for myself,
to get the right results and I am still here alive and kicking

If you have any problems just do it and save your life.
Mick

 

[tim west]

glad to hear you are on the mend , mind you I have trouble passing a footrest let alone a whole stool

 

[BingoBongo]

ive often wondered about that tv show,where she looks at jobbies in tupperware dishes.

i swear i could get her on the dole line after 1 of mine,ive choked a few in my day i can tell you

 

[masona]

Good advice gasmick2.

I went for a lump check on my testicle and there was no problem and I told my consultant I'm still on painkiller pills because of a nagging pain on my right side of the body, had loads of tests but I thought while he got the scanner out, I asked him would you check my kidney again, next thing I know I was rushed to the operation for a de-roofing of the kidney which has a 8.4 cm cysts inside the kidney.

After the operation was told if the cysts burst I would have 3 mins to live If it wasn't for my testicle check I wouldn't have known. Many people have 3-5 small cysts in their kidney but was told there are normal and harmless and it's rare to have a big cysts in the kidney.

They even gave me the photos of what they did to my kidney operation. Whenever I feel a bit down or fed up, I get the photos out to stop me moaning again about life

 

[gregers]

many thanx for the heads up,i think mens health needs more airtime and we as a whole should feel less embrassed about it.

 

[WDIK]

bowel cancer surgeons, also showed post-surgery death rates were improving.

Experts welcomed the progress, but urged the NHS in England and Wales to tackle the remaining problems.

Bowel cancer is the third most common cancer and cuases about 16,000 deaths a year, predominantly in the over 60s.

 

[imamartian]

does anyone feel like me though...i rarely go to the docs because i just feel like i get such worthless diagnosis each time. I have been a couple of times in the past, and even been to specialists who don't really find anything and i come away with the same syptoms which i have even today.

I'm obviously not as brave as you GasMick2 to challenge them again...

I almost feel like the GP's are there simply to filter out the least determined!

 

[WDIK]

thats about right, two years i was told ibs and piles, wife thumped the desk, got refered privately.
dianosis 1 min..

 

[gasmick2]

Hi all many thanks for all the inputs, and i am sure it can make a difference if people only talk about things instead of bottling things up , as doing that mostly causes diognosis to be to late, perhaps its because i have been a plumber heating engineer all my life and worked for myself for the last 36 years made me outspoken,
I have lost about 5 friends to cancer prostate and lung so look after yourselves tell your friends and get them talking about this horrible bowel cancer that is curable if caught early
likewise with one of the posters i was even given a picture of the tumor insde my bowel and likewise i look at it and think just how different it would have been had i not been as i am thanks for the good wishes

mick

 

[imamartian]

likewise with one of the posters i was even given a picture of the tumor insde my bowel and likewise i look at it and think just how different it would have been had i not been as i am thanks for the good wishes mick

I'm pleased for you mate.... just glad you didn't post the pic on here !

 

[Blasphemous]

Wishing you a speedy recovery gasmick.

If you don't mind me asking, I was wondering what your diet has been like over the years? We're told so often that Cancers such as this can be caused by 'the wrong diet', 'poor diet', Alcohol etc and that we should all try to have a high fibre diet with plenty of fruit and veg. Also, have you changed your diet? I appreciate you will probably have to limit your diet somewhat at the moment but have you been told you should change your diet in the future? Do you feel you should? I think if we're going to promote 'men's health', it would be beneficial to know if/how a diet may have affected you.

Thanks in advance.

 

[paulc7617]

Similar thing.Diagnosied IBS bout 2 years ago,many years of diahoreaha(sp) had a undiagnoised "allergy" for last 20 years,been for tests,nothing apparent.Had loads of symptoms ,but was getting bad,rash,fast heartbeat,unable to breathe,was prescribed epi-pen,however 2 weeks ago made very important discovery.SULPHITES!! in everything foods,drinks etc.,now have sulphite free diet where possible and much improved.

 

[Homesafe]

there is a bacteria called H.pylori which lives in the stomach and gut and causes /thrives in acid thatis produced which innevitably causes problems.

it is diagnosed pretty easilly, by a breath sample i think, but the doctors usually will tell you it's IBS.

the liver is another major contributor as it is intricately linked with digestion aswell as hundreds of other functions, take care of this organ as you will suffer if it get's damaged.

the doctors will not eradicate the cause but treat the symptoms in western medicine, in holistic or herbal/natural medicine it's the cause to the problems.

 

[WDIK]

oh mine wasnt ibs

 

[Mw Roofline]

Yes agreed, Docs always think IBS but always good to request further testing. You should always go to the docs over the slightest lump, bump or twinge, you won't be wasting their time.