I didn’t listen to my doctor. She told me what I needed to do and because I had a bad experience with a colonoscopy 22 years ago I told her flat out no I wouldn’t have one.
In April 2023 she told me my iron was super low and I needed some IV therapy to boost it up but that I should get a colonoscopy. I resisted.
In July 2023 I almost went to the ER after a night in the bathroom with severe muscle spasms, like childbirth without drugs kinda spasms. They eventually stopped that night however I did have them again daily, not as bad as the first night, for about a week.
At some point in July I went to drs for an iron IV and let her know about the spasms. I mostly managed them with magnesium (one my dr recommends). Again she said “colonoscopy”. I said no.
Throughout the summer and fall I had iron IVs which made me feel better and the spasms were still around but manageable as long as I stayed home and near a bathroom. I started having alternating constipation and diarrhea. Yeah I know, no one likes to talk about this stuff but it’s important!
In December I managed to go out to a few events, still not feeling great.
Then the real fun started. In January I got SUPER sick, Covid sick, with intestinal involvement. Coughing up a storm, extreme fatigue. I lost my sense of smell like I did the first time I had Covid so chalked all of the problems up to that. I literally slept through the month of January.
In February I started to go back to drs for more IVs, had new blood tests done. She said Deb you need a colonoscopy, your body is not holding iron at all. You are bleeding internally somewhere. In the fall she gave me a test similar to the cologuard test but I couldn’t do the collection due to inconsistent bowel movements. I had another evening of spasms that actually had me seeing spots but since they stopped after about an hour I didn’t go to the ER.
In March I had more blood work done – iron still way down even with weekly/biweekly iron IVs. Spasms started getting worse as well, but not like the times it almost sent me to the hospital. Just consistent every evening.
April 10th I had her do acupuncture on me and it was like a miracle for the spasms. They stopped. We also had an in person follow up that day and she told me about a blood test that could rule out cancer which is what we would have looked for in a colonoscopy. It was an expensive test but I said let’s do it.
The results from that blood test came back on April 22nd. She called me. She never calls me. She said “Deb it has postive markers for colon cancer, will you please get a colonoscopy.”
Colonoscopy was April 30th. No polyps to be removed (which would have been preferred!) but instead it showed a a 5cm mass that will require surgery. Preliminary biopsy is postive for cancer. Again got a phone call from the gastroenterologist on May 1st. Plus a call from my dr, and a call from an oncologist’s office.
Stage is unknown right now, waiting for full biopsy report plus CT scans and another blood test on Monday May 6th.
I had a consultation on Friday May 3rd with the oncologist and I will cover that in a separate post.
Don’t be like me and wait a year. I ignored my body. Don’t do that.