Bowel Polyps/Crohns disease and all that not-so-fun stuff

BlissfullyUnawareCanadian

BlissfullyUnawareCanadian

Member
Location
Kingston, Ontario
I have Crohns disease, diagnosed in 2004. Where I am you can get a colonoscopy done every three years. My last one was in 2018 so I am due again later this year. Doctor already has requested it be scheduled due to pandemic delays. Last time they found one polyp that was benign, but I know once they find one there are others to follow, and chances of one being cancerous is quite high as time goes along. I'm not freaking out an thinking I have cancer, but I don't want to be naive and think I will never get it because with this disease, my chance of getting it is higher than normal.

I'm wondering if anyone here minds sharing if they were diagnosed with bowel cancer, and what was the treatment?
 

I have not had bowel cancer, but I know a number of people who have.
As far as I can recall, all of them had not had a colonoscopy at a timely schedule.

As long as you have yours when due, I believe you could have any polyp(s) they find,
removed right then, at the same time, which prevents all of them/any of them, from growing larger and ever becoming cancerous.
You likely can prevent yourself from going through the terrible ordeal, I watched them have.
(Far better option to prevent,than any of the treatments)

So don't be naive enough to postpone or skip the colonoscopy, if you've already had a polyp in the past and have any reason to think you are at risk for it.
That should protect you.
IF the doctor ever finds you have one of an unusually faster growing type, then they would schedule you to have the colonoscopies more often, to protect you. I believe that is why you were scheduled for 3 years, rather than longer or shorter, so I would stick with it, and you will likely do fine. :)
 
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My return time is 5 years. Twice they removed a small polyp.

I sure hate the drink. The test is just a nice sleep.
 

BlissfullyUnawareCanadian said:
I have Crohns disease, diagnosed in 2004. Where I am you can get a colonoscopy done every three years. My last one was in 2018 so I am due again later this year. Doctor already has requested it be scheduled due to pandemic delays. Last time they found one polyp that was benign, but I know once they find one there are others to follow, and chances of one being cancerous is quite high as time goes along. I'm not freaking out an thinking I have cancer, but I don't want to be naive and think I will never get it because with this disease, my chance of getting it is higher than normal.

I'm wondering if anyone here minds sharing if they were diagnosed with bowel cancer, and what was the treatment?
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@BlissfullyUnawareCanadian When I was diagnosed with Crohn's Disease when I was 25 I was told I had a higher chance of getting Bowel Cancer but I never did get it. My Crohn's got steadily worse and when the Gastro-Enterologist checked it in 1992 he sent me to a well respected Colo-Rectal Surgeon. So for my 40th Birthday I had a Total Colectomy with Ileostomy and instantly felt better. Get all the tests you need and do not worry if you need an Ileostomy....there are lots of us around.
 
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peramangkelder said:
@BlissfullyUnawareCanadian When I was diagnosed with Crohn's Disease when i was 25 I was told I had a higher chance of getting Bowel Cancer but I never did get it. My Crohn's got steadily worse and when the Gastro-Enterologist checked it in 1992 he sent me to a well respected Colo-Rectal Surgeon. So for my 40th Birthday I had a Total Colectomy with Ileostomy and instantly felt better. Get all the tests you need and do not worry if you need and Ileostomy....there are lots of us around.
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I agree with @peramangkelder Mine - I have had two, an ileostomy and a urostomy for twenty years were due to other medical issues. As she says there are more of us around than you'd imagine
 
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Thanks everyone for your replies.

I’m wondering if I would be better off with a bag. My medications have helped (at one point I had diarrhea 50 x’s a day - I would go then even before I could get back to my chair I had to go again!!) now I go a few times a day but I can’t go out for a long walk or go out anywhere that doesn’t have a toilet accessible to me. I feel like that’s really impacted my life. I’ve gained over 50 lbs because of the prednisone (and likely lack of exercise), and that’s caused me other health issues like high blood pressure and sleep apnea.
 
Those are definitely other additional medical issues, that need to be taken into consideration, in any decisions you make.
I am sorry you've had a very difficult road, and we send our understanding and caring to you.
 
peramangkelder said:
@BlissfullyUnawareCanadian one thing I found out about Prednisone is that over time any Steroid can predispose
the patient to Cataracts
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I was on prednisone eye drops for inflammation in my eyeballs and had to have cataract surgery in my 40’s. :(

But I’m glad I had the surgery, I don’t need glasses except to read fine print now. But still it was a shock to be 45 and have cataracts!
 
I was told that I would need a colonoscopy every 5 years. Last one was uneventful; I had an awesome sleep for once. The prep is the worst.
 

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