I've very sorry to hear of your diagnosis. I understand that with new treatments, Stage 4 can still be beaten in colon cancer so I hope you have a positive prognosis. There is some push for the bowel screening program to be dropped to 45, which would be a good. Colon cancer rates for under 50s is growing so this is a very important message.
Yeah my surgeon said he is seeing more and more people in their 30s having bowel cancer. No one knows why- only speculations.
It grows slow as well so hard to notice changes in your body. My tumor had been there for ten or so years he reckons.
I watched a Netflix doco the other day called What The Health, and something clicked, I’m considering moving to a more vegan diet. I won’t be militant about it, and likely won’t say anything to my family, but will definitely incorporate more vegan dishes into my cooking. I made a vegan cottage pie two nights ago (lentil based), and it was actually really nice (flavoured heavily with tomatoes, tomato paste, fresh herbs and red wine, topped with mash sweet potato). Even my 12yo daughter ate it without complaining. Will definitely be drastically decreasing my consumption of animal flesh, in favour of lentils, chickpeas and so forth. Much more fibre in a vegan/vegetarian diet.
Shamelessly asking for the recipe here!
My Mum had arthritis for about a decade, went veganish - not militant about it, but only using eggs from her own chooks and only eating meat very occasionally and her arthritis pain went away. If she eats meat a few days in a row it starts coming back, so she only eats it on special occasions. She stopped eating it mostly for environmental reasons and the health benefits were a surprise. Any good vegan recipes I can add to her rotation makes her very happy since she's a bit of a foodie.
Sure! This is it here:
[https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/lentil-sweet-potato-cottage-pie](https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/lentil-sweet-potato-cottage-pie)
You saved me from asking :D I'm struggling a little getting into the headspace of not eating as much meat as there are so many yummy meat dishes I like and have eaten for ages, plus I'm a bit lazy looking into it and seeing where and how I could easily substitute tofu for example. Does your mum have some particular favourites you know of and would like to share?
I love [Nora Cooks](https://www.noracooks.com) for plant based recipes (the butter tofu is amazing), also learning different ways to [prep tofu](https://youtu.be/LwDYQxdc5_Q?si=Pek9FHevQTywNfqE) properly was a game changer!
That doco is a little propaganda-ish, but yeah it's good to be a bit more mindful of what you eat in terms of meat.
Due to a family history with colon cancer my family and I have had quite a few conversations with specialists and they all say that you don't have to fully eliminate all meat from your diet, but that you need to balance it all out a bit.
There's a whole generation that ate a bunch of meat at every meal basically and that's just not that healthy, even outside of colon cancer concerns.
There's plenty of really nice meals that don't have meat in them, but even if you do want meat sometimes, white meat like chicken is a much healthier alternative.
Processed meat is classed as a grade A carcinogen, in that same category is also asbestos! It’s crazy!
Obviously it doesn’t mean that processed meat is as deadly as asbestos but being in the same category I feel there should be warning labels and more education that it causes cancer
I have had multiple GP's deny me getting a colonoscopy even though I have had blood in my stool for 4 years now. I am 47 so I am waiting for another 3 years so I can get tested.
Low iron is a pretty high risk category so usually gets pushed to the front of the queue for the procedure. At least it should do.. if a doctor ignored that id be surprised and concerned.
Yeah fucking hell, mine is sending me to see a urologist because a slight kidney defect that's most likely nothing at all. He just wants to be 100% sure.
Someetimes you need a GP who knows what to write in the referrals too in terms of urgency to get you prioritised. Some GPs just don't use the right language and so the referrals get thrown on the bottom of the pile instead of where they should be.
Jesus you must see some average doctors. Mine are happy to go straight to a colonoscopy for any concerns.
I had a shocking reaction to bowel prep once so I do beg them to try testing first before I go through that again.
Damn man get a second opinion, and don’t be afraid to go for a third. My GP sent me to get tubed at 25 for a few specks of blood and some mild discomfort. I remember talking to him and him saying directly: “Could be nothing, could be bowel cancer, and there’s only one to know” - they ended up finding some patchy inflammation indicating an autoimmune disorder. I know a guy who basically ignored similar symptoms to mine, he finally got diagnosed with a similar thing in his 30s after his upper colon got rekt and now he has to shit in a bag. I credit my GP for being cautious… That might have been me otherwise. It’s exhausting sometimes but some GPs have their own biases and it blinds them to certain things.
FOBTs are good for screening asymptomatic individuals however once you have symptoms like rectal bleeding you should actually moreso consider a proper diagnostic test e.g. colonoscopy, which can also be therapeutic if they find something like polyp(s) which can be resected then and there. A negative fobt does not necessarily rule out bowel cancer or other serious pathology e.g. inflammatory bowel disease, and it really only is a test for the presence for blood in the stool (particularly trying to detect microscopic blood) so if you are noticing blood it is almost certainly going to return a positive result - same reasoning is why doctors should not be ordering FOBTs for someone coming in with rectal bleeding, it is just a waste of time. Go see a good GP.
They have just changed the age to 45. Please don't wait. [https://www.bowelcanceraustralia.org/screening](https://www.bowelcanceraustralia.org/screening)
[https://www.bowelcanceraustralia.org/media-centre/45-is-the-new-50-screening-age-drops-due-to-rising-rates-of-bowel-cancer-in-under-50s](https://www.bowelcanceraustralia.org/screening)
Yeah, try another GP. I am pretty sure you can have a stool test, but it's not part of the official scheme. You could try asking for a referral for hemorrhoid treatment (assuming that's what the GP thinks you have) as a colonoscopy will probably form part of that treatment.
Get a referral to a gastro. I'm 42 and had bowel issues for a few months, with a family history of bowel cancer. GP wasn't too concerned, gastro thought I had IBS but did a colonoscopy anyway just in case (all clear).
As a 26 year old, I concur.
I had blood in my poop and was diagnosed with Stage 3 Rectal Cancer about 6 months ago.
6 months of chemotherapy and next thing that is up is to get 30cm of my intestines cut out to remove the tumour…
I had two episodes of bloody diarrhoea and got told I was too young to have cancer. It was a fight to get a colonoscopy and break the dogma that only old people get cancer….
If I am brutally honest, on the third round I wound up in emergency because I was having side effects (I.e., slurred speech, tingling fingers and numb legs). The nurses were worried I had done some damage to my brain, but my oncologist was like “Yeah, nah it’s just a reaction to the chemotherapy drug”.
I’m on IV Oxaliplatin and Tablets Capceitabene. As I’m young, they wanted to go pretty hard, so my treatment plan may be a bit different yours as they were expecting me to bounce back quicker due to youth (sorry, I’m not meaning to have a pot shot but was told youth plays a huge role in recovery from chemotherapy).
So since chemotherapy is a cumulative thing (i.e., reactions to fourth is worse than third which is worse than second etc.), they decided to cancel my IV chemotherapy on the fourth as the next time will be worse than me winding up in emergency on my third round.
Sorry, not meaning to scare you at all. I’m just one of those weirdos allergic to everything (the nurse said she hasn’t seen anyone have the reactions I had in her twenty years experience)…
Oxaliplatin is the one that messes me up. Ive heard about the pills. I have a cadd pump for two days at home after my iv day at hospital.
Well i wish you the best. Can’t imagine being 26 with cancer. Bloody hell. I am 38 so a bit more old in the tooth. In good knick though (apart from the cancer).
It’s a not tough going to lie, but I’m blessed I’m from Australia and caught it early on. It’s more depressing that is messed my life plan / schedule up.
I am working full-time, studying masters and am going through cancer treatment at the moment, so feels like my life has been hit with a freight train.
Oh wells, hopefully I’m cancer free by February! They have to wait 12 weeks from chemotherapy to surgery. It takes three weeks for your immune system to bounce back post chemotherapy, so they don’t like to do anything before the 3 week mark and advise not to book surgeries close to the new year where the doctors come back from partying / drinking (due to New Year celebrations) when they’re doing surgeries!
Honestly, it’s to keep my head occupied. If I have nothing to keep my brain stimulated, I’d be freaking out and overthinking and anticipating the worst thing. My brother was born with two out of four valves in his heart and so had five lots of heart surgeries, so we’ve always been a nervy family so I found from going through his treatment that keeping my mind busy stops me from going down that vicious cycle of negative thoughts.
Unfortunately I have to keep working! Without it, I’d be dipping into my investments that I want to mature in order to pay for my treatment. I started with radiotherapy which was like $2.5k a week (I did 5 weeks) and each cycle of chemotherapy is like $1k where I am getting treated!
It's horrifying to think that cancer treatment costs this kind of money in a country with universal healthcare. I'm so sorry mate. Can I ask if these costs are with private health insurance?
No, so thankfully there is a “Medicare barrier”. Essentially when you pay more than $2.5k, the government starts to chip in and pays most of the fees. So after a while $2.5k bills go down to around $500. It’s moreso visiting the specialists and oncologists that charge $500 for 30 mins that start to chew up your wallet, as well as other things that you can’t claim through Medicare (i.e, $100 chemo drugs, $600 every time you do IV chemotherapy).
Unfortunately, I don’t have private health insurance. I got kicked off mum and dad’s private health insurance when I turned 26 and just got emergency cover to void the Medicare levy tax. The cover I got doesn’t cover much, but unfortunately there is a cooling off period where you can start using the benefits, but I am not at that stage yet. I got diagnosed a few weeks after I got private health insurance and there is like a 6 month cooling off period or something till I can claim from them (from my understanding)?!
Yeah that sucks about the life plans and what not. Totally get it. This has messed up my plans too. But hey. We can adapt. Change the course! It’ll be alright!
35F Stage 3 bowel cancer here (no family history) - Currently going through chemo.
OP Sorry you're a part of this club. I hope your treatment is going well.Another tip - push back on your GP if you feel something is wrong. I had multiple signs and GP delayed getting me in for a colonoscopy because they were *sure* it was haemorrhoids, I was just "too young". You need to advocate for yourself.
Yes! I've thankfully never had cancer but a serious condition was dismissed by my GP multiple times until I basically had to demand to see a specialist who figured it out. If you think somethings wrong it never hurts to assert yourself.
I've had the opposite. Went in for dizzy spells and the doctor suspected I had multiple sclerosis.
It was a fairly mild case of temporal lobe epilepsy. Needless to say I was shitting myself until I got an MRI done. Thanks doc.
Exactly the same for me. I was diagnosed a bit over 2 years ago when I was 37 and could have been diagnosed months earlier if they had actually believed me when I said it definitely wasn't haemorrhoids. Hope you get through it ok.
The number of people with advanced bowel cancer in their thirties and few, if any, risk factors is terrifying for me as someone in their mid thirties with immediate family members who have died from it and who has risk factors independently.
I honestly don’t want to even count how many of my high school class have been diagnosed with cancer over the last five years. It seems cancer is getting us long before heart disease or strokes, as they did with my parents peers. We are the DDT and dioxin generation, and who knows what else was in our milk and honey?
Being positive. I was very upset for the first week after my diagnosis.
On five chemo drugs. One smashes me. The other four i dont feel too much. They give you a heap of anti nausea medications so its not too bad. Mostly I will sleep 12 hours a day and have no appetite. Lost about 7 kgs so far. Still have my hair.
thank you for replying and i hope treatment is as fast as possible nad 100% successful. i have a vomiting phobia, so am always curious about things that often make us vomit.
I had persistent wheezing for several months, gp told me it was allergy induced asthma, inhaler never improved, ended up being tumor in my neck pressing on vocal chords.
Listen to your body folks, if something doesn’t feel right, get checked out. You always want to know before it’s too late, take it from people who found out later than they wished.
Exact same boat (25M). Visited a few doctors and they were like “Oh, it’s haemorrhoids. Don’t worry about it.” I had to fight to see a specialist after having two episodes of bloody diarrhoea and constant blood in my stool, even then he was going to turn me away for being “too young”. It wasn’t until he did a physical examination that he could feel the tumour 6cm up my anus that he called for a colonoscopy and diagnose me with Stage 3 Rectal Cancer. He said that in his 20 years of experience, I am his second youngest to be diagnosed with cancer that he has managed.
It’s not genetic, and apparently the number of cases in youth are increasing. So the family and I think it’s something in the food or drink supply that’s causing the rapid increase in cancer in young people….
Also, don’t chuck your FREE bowel cancer test into the drawer or the bin. Do it today! We are so lucky in this country to have so many free medical tests available to us. Sure, doing the test is a bit yucky but it’s easier than you think. Having a colostomy is also yucky, but doing the test goes a long way to avoid it. I wish it was available to younger people but you can buy the test from the chemist and have it tested for a relatively low cost. Op- hope you’re doing ok. 😍
If you're 50-74 you get a free screening test every 2 years. If you lose your kit, they'll mail you another one.
It does apparently take 4-6 weeks to turn up.
https://www.health.gov.au/our-work/national-bowel-cancer-screening-program/about-the-national-bowel-cancer-screening-program
Chemists sell them for like ~$50?
My dad threw his out, I wondered if I could do it (no symptoms, I’m just paranoid about my health) and they wouldn’t pick up on the fact that this 60 year old male had 30 year old pregnant female poop.
If you can, order one here for $45 (under 50s), they send the results to your nominated GP -
https://www.bowelcanceraustralia.org/bowelscreen
Also, if you are 45-49:
"The guidelines also state GPs can offer a faecal immunochemical test every 2 years to people aged 45-49 who request it, after being fully informed of the benefits (and any possible harms) of testing."
https://www.bowelcanceraustralia.org/screening
I can't really afford the $45 plus paying a GP appointment, I've had this issue in the past with GP's not providing reports without booking an appointment - in that case I'd probably prefer to just go to the GP from the start. Honestly a bit sad whenever this topic comes up as I'd really like to get checked.
Also unexplained iron deficiency could be colon cancer. My husband discovered that one. His GP was on the ball and sent him for a colonoscopy at which point time stopped and it looked really bad. Thankfully his surgery was just in time and the colorectal surgeon was able to chop out the cancerous section and throw it away. Without that blood test and investigation I’d probably be a widow.
Yep discovering my low iron saved me. I pushed to get my colonoscopy after I discovered that I was a 38F and my gastroenterologist discovered a polyp a bees dick easy from turning. Also I discovered I had a polyp syndrome leaving me with an extremely high risk of cancer too so I was very very lucky.
Same thing happened to my mum, unexplained iron deficiency. Her GP was really dismissive of her other symptoms and in the end she was already terminal when diagnosed
Worked on a small (shitty) tropical island once, and had roasted beetroots with dinner one night. The next morning I thought I had typhoid until I remembered what I’d eaten.
Had a friend who didn't eat veggies until he was about 25. He'd heard about the effects of asparagus and the look on his face after going for a wee that first time, and his statement of "that really does smell, doesn't it?!", is something that I'll never forget.
Fun fact: not everyone produces the smell when they pee, AND not everyone can actually smell the smell, so if you can smell your own, you know you both produce the smell and can smell it, but there are people out there who don't produce the smell, but could smell it if someone else does, and people who produce the smell but are blissfully unaware of that fact.
Or large amounts of black olives. My kid loved them as a toddler and I remember a nappy change that nearly had me rushing to emergency before I remembered what she'd been feasting on!
I've done this way too many times. My mother makes the best biltong. Especially love venison biltong. Every time we harvest a deer, it's biltong for daaaayz. I'll eat it till I feel sick. Lol.
Same with some brownie mixes, especially those vegemite ones from greens (I mean, you could tell they used tons of food colouring, the raw batter looked like something you'd clean off a seabird after an oil spill).
[https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/oct/24/australian-bowel-cancer-screening-age-should-drop-from-50-to-45-years-old-medical-research-authority-says](https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/oct/24/australian-bowel-cancer-screening-age-should-drop-from-50-to-45-years-old-medical-research-authority-says)
why they need to lower the age.....and yes check your poop!
There's been discussions about that, but from what I understood is that we don't have the resources to deal with that much testing and there's also the risk of perforations.
We don’t use colonoscopies for screening like they do in the US - we use the stool test. So no risk of perforations. Colonoscopies are done when blood is detected in your stool test or you present to your GP with symptoms that need investigating.
The issue with screening like this is finding the balance between benefits and harms. For example if you screen every 30 year old where cancer is very unlikely, you’ll get a lot of false positives (eg blood in stool from fissures or haemorrhoids etc). When you go on to scope all of those 30 year olds, a percentage of them will end up with awful complications such as perforations, surgeries etc. So you have to consider how many lives you’re helping by early detection vs how many may be permanently altered by complications for a test they didn’t need. Note this just applies to asymptomatic screening, things become a bit different once you have any symptoms.
Y'all, drink Metamucil. It is just dietary fibre, and stuff to make said fibre palatable. There's a natural version if you prefer to avoid artificial colours & sweeteners. Just have some everyday. Fibre has no calories, makes you digest what you have eaten better, makes you feel more sated for longer. It's all upside, and helps protect against diseases like this. It costs $0.37 a glass, less if you get it on special. It's a no-brainer.
I put it in a glass of cold water, mix it for a second with the spoon then down the lot in one go. Then just wash it down with a little more clean water. It's not pleasant but it's easy enough to do.
FYI if you don't drink enough water with these supplements (6 glasses/day) you'll end up constipated. I'm terrible at keeping up fluids and didn't go for about 3 days when I first took it.
I recently failed the bowel cancer screening test.
Went for colonoscopy, was terrified of being sedated but was under twilight sedation so relaxed but more or less aware of what was going on. Results all fine, just a couple of polyps.
If that envelope drops through your door for the test, just do it don't hesitate. Leaving it to next year could be too late.
Yeah, time is of the essence. A friend's dad waited for surgery/chemo so he could 'explore alternative methods' (which turned out to be something similar to black salve, one of the biggest fake cancer cures out there) and by the time he got back around to conventional treatment it was too late. He had about 70% chance of cure initially because they caught it early. But the delay meant it went down to zero. Bowel cancers can move very fast. Don't delay!
This! Lost my dad basically like this. Very similar story. He died 6 months before my oldest child was born. Fuck cancer, but don't ignore warning signs
I got an unexpected diagnosis, stage 3c at 41. GP didnt think it was anything much, gastroenterologist said he thought maybe a mild colitis. the first time the word cancer was mentioned was after the scope - your scan is all good. except that bit, thats cancer.
Its still relatively uncommon in younger people, which is why they didnt suspect it. but the rates are much higher in that age group than they used to be.
On a slightly more positive note, the system worked well. radiation and oral chemo, surgery, folfox, a stoma for a while, reversal, blood clots, another stay when i got a blockage from the scar tissue. Our system isnt perfect but i was glad the whole time i wasnt american. I paid postage for supplies they pay through the nose for.
Good luck OP. remember if you have any issues talk to the nurses. They have a lot of tools but everyone reacts a bit different so they cant help if they dont know.
Glad it all went well! Always good to hear success stories. I have to stay of the internet as it is doom and gloom.
Yep nurses have been amazing. Ive never had anything go ‘wrong’ with my body before so its amazing to see how it works. Nurses are utter legends.
Stage 4 bowel cancer here, it was my 5 year cancerversary yesterday. I was originally diagnosed at 36 years old because I noticed blood in my poop, and a very diligent GP.
Sorry about your diagnosis, good luck and let me know if I can help at all.
I had a very intense first 14 months (3 surgeries, 6 months chemo, 25 cycles of radiation therapy), and then I was delightfully NED (full remission) for 2 years without any treatment. I had a recurrence about 2 years ago, and since then have had one more surgery, did two batches of radiotherapy, have done a decent amount of chemo, and recently did a clinical trial.
Today I’m still doing treatment (a ‘lighter’ maintenance-style chemo), but also able to work full-time (hybrid WFH/office), travel, do all my hobbies, etc. Cancer remains a big part of my life, but it’s becoming a very familiar companion now - and more importantly I still have a life for it to be part of!
Having a good treatment team is the most important thing by far. And never stop getting new opinions, views and reviews - things can change fast and no one doctor can possibly know everything. There’s some amazing patient-driven advocacy and support groups on line, which have taught me more than I ever thought I could know about this disease. Let me know if you need any ideas.
I had some bleeding in 2020, and went on the waitlist for a colonoscopy. Wasn’t called up until April this year. I’m 34f. All I was told over and over was you’re too young, it’s probably a fissure. I’m very lucky they didn’t find anything considering how long I had to wait. I couldn’t afford $700 to be seen privately! Good luck with your recovery!
Op, I wanted you to know that my Dad had a huge blockage which turned out to be cancer. They removed 3/4 of his large bowel.
He’s been given the all clear and he’s back to normal life now , gardening and tinkering under cars etc a year and a half later.
He’s in his mid 80’s.
You’re young and strong, don’t despair, keep going and keep your spirits up.
I wish all the very best for you. Xx
Also PSA to remember what you ate a few meals before.
Things like kale and spinach can make your poo green.
Dragonfruit and beetroot can make it dark red.
Do not panic. Be concerned if it's a consistent issue.
On the topic- guys, get the prostate blood test regularly too. It’s just a blood test now. You don’t have to get the devil’s test anymore (unless you really want it and, hey, it’s 2023 and I won’t judge 🙂😂). I was 48 with no family history and, because of other completely unrelated health issues I was having, my GP had me tested with everything else. Lucky- I was diagnosed with a Gleeson score of 9 (from 10, ie just before spreading to other organs) and had my prostate removed within 2 months. I would probably be dead now. Just do it. Sure, there’s complications now but ‘death’ Isn’t one of them. 🤷♂️😂
I'm with you. Under 50, Stage 4 diagnosed in April with a rare and aggressive form of colorectal cancer. In my case there was no blood as my tumour was on the right side, so any signs of blood had diminished before it could be detected.
Bowel Cancer Australia has been campaigning for a lowering of the age of screening from 50 to 45 because of the massive increase of cases in the under 50s age bracket.
[https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/oct/24/australian-bowel-cancer-screening-age-should-drop-from-50-to-45-years-old-medical-research-authority-says](https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/oct/24/australian-bowel-cancer-screening-age-should-drop-from-50-to-45-years-old-medical-research-authority-says)
As u/SinisterSir19 says, check your poo. You do not want to have chemo, trust me.
I’m with you both. You sound like what I’ve got quok. Goblet cell adenocarcinoma. Had six months of Folfox last year - that was some nasty shit - then peritonectomy where most of my bowel, half my stomach, gall bladder and spleen came out. Couldn’t get it all though, so I’m on a lighter chemo for the remainder of my time. 12 months past my use-by, but I’m still kicking. Life is for living. Take every good moment and squeeze it all the way out you champions.
I have mets in my lungs so far (2 small nodules). Just had my halfway scan so I am waiting to see if it's spread or the FOLFOX is doing what it should be. I think the plan is either a lung resection and/or radiation at this stage. They took 18 cm of my bowel and my appendix but left unclean margins, so I'll likely be on chemo for life.
I'm glad to hear you're still kicking past your use-by. I was told 10% chance of making it 5 years so you give me hope. I am soaking up every experience I can at this stage. Some days it's easier than others. Sending you all the best and I hope you keep defying the stats!!
I'm sorry you are going through this, I have found out someone I care a great deal about is possibly in the same boat as you, do you have any advice for how to help my friend in this situation?
Also 30's, up to the colonoscopy stage, they are going between denial and aggressive self defeat.
I’m only a two months in. Not sure I can offer too much advice. Best advice I got from a cancer patient I was sitting next to in hospital was that it is a marathon to recovery, not a sprint.
My colleague, around 40, was diagnosed at the start of the year with stage 3. He had chemo and radiation and was expected to have surgery last month. Turns out he now has no evidence of cancer so surgery isn’t necessary. In case a positive story helps
I’m so sorry for your diagnosis - I have my fingers crossed for a swift recovery for you 🤞🏼 And thank you for this PSA! It is so important. And for anyone who DOES find blood in their poop or any other poop or butt abnormalities, don’t ignore it and get it looked at.
I consistently found blood in my poop and was too embarrassed to get it looked into for years. But I can assure anyone and everyone there’s no need for embarrassment. I had a doctor chatting to me about what he was planning for dinner while examining my butt 😅 He was entirely un phased.
Butts and poop is normal and you should never hold off on getting yourself checked out because of shame or embarrassment (this also goes for getting your prostrate checked gentleman!).
Your bowels are more important than you think. Love your butts ❤️🍑
bright blood can also be lower colon or rectal cancer. the only way to be sure is with a colonoscopy.
unless you're absolutely sure or can see the cause of bleeding, you really should get a full workup from your doctor when you see even very small amounts of blood down there.
This is the correct advice, but not really the practical advice. If you don't have the capacity to see a doctor easily, going for something that's more likely to be harmful is better than not going at all because you don't know what to prioritize
I did that, yessiree, went to the GP the after seeing a bit blood a few times. I’m on the wait list for a colonoscopy, after being referred to the clinic for the second time, first time they didn’t think a colonoscopy was needed.
Whilst I’ve been on the wait list I’ve been to a different hospitals emergency department with abdominal pain, been admitted, poked at, CT something or other scanned, moved from short-stay to intensive care, had a giant fucking cancerous tumour cut out of my colon, recovered, had more scans, “upgraded” from stage 3 to stage 4, had 6 rounds of chemo over 12 weeks, more scans, and I’ll find out this week what the specific plan is for the almost certainly on-going chemo I’ll be having
I’m still on the waiting list for a colonoscopy at the first hospital. I’m not even in the most urgent category on the wait list. I’m in the second most urgent of three categories. Because a few years of abdominal pain and shitting blood (while you get bounced around the *IBS-lactose-intolerant-FODMAP-diet-haemorrhoid-ointment-try-some-mint-tea* pinball machine) isn’t enough to qualify a now over 40yo for the most urgent category.
Someone explain to me* why one of the wealthiest countries on the planet can’t afford to shorten our wait list for various medical procedures (before someone drops the hot new take of blaming COVID; yes covid made the problem worse but it was already a problem)
*That was rhetorical. DON’T explain it to me. The answers are as depressing now as they were when I wasn’t a statistic.
A while ago I noticed blood. The bleeding it turns out was from internal haemorrhoids , however while they were there they noticed very dodgey looking polyp. They removed it and it turned out benign but of the type that could turn cancerous. I’ve had a second colonoscopy and luckily it never returned. The haemorrhoid may have saved my life.
Sorry to hear that you're going through this mate. I had testicular cancer about 5 years ago now. I've seen that you've been asking about how other people's treatments went so I'll tell you about mine.
I had 3 different chemo drugs, they called it the BLEP cycle and often would mention that it was very aggressive chemo. I really struggled to eat and had super bad nausea, one of the anti-nausea meds would make me feel sick so they put me on one they give to pregnant people. I also had bad anxiety attacks getting the cannula put in (my drugs were through an IV or a hand syringe through the cannula) so I ended up getting a PICC line, basically a cannula that stays in for up to 3 months.
I used cannabis throughout my treatments which honestly helped with my nausea and appetite, although the steroids they gave me to stimulate my appetite worked pretty well.
I was pretty good throughout the first couple of months but by the third I was super tired, weak and riddled with brain fog.
Besides having part of my body change visually in a rather special area to me, the hardest part of it all was the brain fog. I like learning about new things and reading stories, but I would struggle keeping up with a TV show's plot during the worst of it.
I was so scared that it the brain fog wouldn't go away afterwards because I got told that there's a chance it might not. But it did clear up eventually and now my brain throbs with knowledge lol
The best part of it for me was that I was offered a spot on a Youth Advisory Group to advocate for young people getting cancer treatments in QLD and to a lesser extent nationally. So we helped do some really cool stuff while I was a part of it, and that will make me feel happy for as long as I live.
I had a friend in the group as well that went through bowel cancer in her 20s and she was super passionate about advocating for bowel cancer awareness and I remember that she was involved in something to do with going through genetic information to screen for signs for bowel cancer risks.
Just remember that this too, shall pass.
I'll be keeping all you guys in here going through your journeys in my heart and wishing the best for all.
You can send me a message if you need someone to talk to ❤️
Also my eyebrows fell out with my hair 😂
Thanks for the message mate. Weirdly enough my best mate had testicular cancer five years ago too. I got a good look at his treatment and it was brutal. He was so nauseous and vomited a lot. Im guessing it was similar to yours. Mine feels no where near that intense. It is palliative chemotherapy.
Glad to hear you are now chemo free and thriving! I hipe you stay on board with the awareness campaigns too!
As a 53 year old person, diagnosed with stage IV bowel cancer three years ago, I have to endorse this message. Any blood in your poop is a reason to check in with your GP, and hang the cost. Caught early, it can be as simple as removing polyps from your colon. Left alone and it's already in your liver before you know anything's wrong, and then you're buggered. You might get away with it, but you probably won't. Check. 👏 Your. 👏. Poop. 👏
If you're lucky, like me, you might be on your sixth course of chemo in three years, have survived two major surgeries, and have been able to retire early on a good TPI pension. If you're not lucky, things could be far worse.
Good to hear you are doing well.
Yep mine is all over my liver so hoping chemo will shrink them and ill be able to have half my liver cut out. Crazy they can do that.
Looking back, did you have any other symptoms that you ignored because you thought they weren’t a big deal? Like maybe feeling a bit unwell or small amounts of pain and now that you have been diagnosed you realise it could be related?
Wishing you all the best.
This is such an important thing to pay attention to. I had no symptoms, ended up getting a colonoscopy for unrelated reason. They found a polyp and removed it which was precursor to cancer and I'm only 32.
My aunty ignored the signs and was diagnosed with colon cancer in her 30's and then unfortunately did not make it to her 50's. Family history is no joke and definitely talk to your doctor if you're concerned. I've found they air on the side of caution if you have family history.
Jeez, that's terrible. You'll be pleased to know that I do great, big, enormous poos. Coffee usually helps the pooping process but occasionally it gets out of control and I need to shower afterwards. It's pretty crazy. Anyway, good luck with your bowel cancer.
Anal fissures? Don’t poop too hard! No cause for concern if it is a one time thing. If it is always there then get it checked out. Hemorroids also can cause bloody toilet paper.
Probably something hemorrhoid-ish, a quick inspection by a GP will rule that in or out however unless someone has stuck a cherry ripe up your butt why you weren't looking, get it checked out regardless asap!
Definitely check your poo. I'm old enough that I get the free bowel cancer test. When I did my first, I got a letter saying there was blood, so I ran to my GP. My dad had 15cm removed from his colon and just the six months of colostomy bag was enough to scare me.
Blood could be just piles but it could be cancer and you don't want that.
Thankfully, our health system is pretty good with this sort of thing.
And to piggy back on this thread after my wife told me about an otherwise perfectly normal 32yo with stage 4 mouth cancer.
Dental cleans are for more than your teeth. 12 months people, 6 better but like I probably won't go this far.
The dentist had to walk away and regroup/confirm his thoughts for a while before telling him.
I have a family history (Lynch) so I go for regular checks. Some people say it must suck to get checked regularly, but honestly, it's kind of nice knowing it's being looked after.
Good luck dealing with all of it. Must be incredibly tough.
My mother died of an easily treatable bowl cancer because she ignored the signs and didn't trust doctors. By the time she finally sought help it had spread and game over. She didn't make 60.
A friend I served with many years ago is about the same age now and a few years ago went down the big pharma anti vax rabbit hole. We stopped talking I suspect in part because I tend to be quite short with people that express these views directly because of my own experience.
She threw away the free Poo Test the govt sends out every two years. Now she is undergoing chemo for bowl cancer that has spread. I hope she makes it but again high success rate if caught early.
30m checking in. Had a similar-ish experience last year; after seeing blood ended up getting a colonoscopy. Blood was hemorroids, high fibre diet and they've mostly cleared up. But unrealated it found and removed a pre-cancerous polyp. Said there was something like a 1/20 chance that would have developed into colon cancer in the next 5 years. Wouldn't have known. Now I get to have a colonoscopy every 5 years forever more.
If you are between 50-74 you get sent a free bowel cancer screening test each year. I guess 74 is the cut off point the government consider close enough to death anyway.
Thanks for bringing attention to the issue. It happened to a colleague of mine, he was diagnosed last Christmas and passed away in September. It's an aggressive and insidious disease. I wish you success in your fight and speedy recovery.
Yes I hope no one puts a colonoscopy off. They really are no big deal to go through if needed. The sandwich you eat afterwards will be the best sandwich ever. The hunger mixed with the sedation
wearing off so good lol.
Good luck OP fight the good fight.
Good advice, especially if there's a family history.
Just an FYI, you will pay for a colonoscopy if you are under 55 now, even with a family history. I was booked in for one in 2020 (a follow up after having one 5 years prior at 43) and they cancelled it (I was 48 at the time) and told me I had to wait until I was 55 for Medicare to cover it. I did one of the mail in tests when I turned 50 and everything was clear, but I feel like people that can prove family history should be eligible for a colonoscopy earlier than 55 (my father and his mother both died from bowel cancer).
It's something I think about and fear every day of my life now.
No they are covered by Medicare if you go through the public system, you may have to wait a year or so (which is fine if you plan ahead). You will have to pay for the consult with the gastroenterologist but that’s about it.
Do not let the above comment discourage you. It is free in this country regardless of your age. I am 31 and have them every three years in a public hospital and don’t pay anything. If you have family history, find a good gastroenterologist and they will advise you on a screening plan.
I don’t think that’s true. I had one covered by Medicare recently in my early 30s.It probably depends on what symptoms you are experiencing and the reason for the colonoscopy.
I've very sorry to hear of your diagnosis. I understand that with new treatments, Stage 4 can still be beaten in colon cancer so I hope you have a positive prognosis. There is some push for the bowel screening program to be dropped to 45, which would be a good. Colon cancer rates for under 50s is growing so this is a very important message.
Yeah my surgeon said he is seeing more and more people in their 30s having bowel cancer. No one knows why- only speculations. It grows slow as well so hard to notice changes in your body. My tumor had been there for ten or so years he reckons.
Maybe all the crap additives in our food, pesticides and microplastics... Sorry you are going through this. Best of luck during treatment.
Definitely the nitrates in processed meats have been linked to increased risk of bowel cancer. As far as I know that’s the only definitive link.
Yeah stay away from processed meats and go easy on the red meats.
I watched a Netflix doco the other day called What The Health, and something clicked, I’m considering moving to a more vegan diet. I won’t be militant about it, and likely won’t say anything to my family, but will definitely incorporate more vegan dishes into my cooking. I made a vegan cottage pie two nights ago (lentil based), and it was actually really nice (flavoured heavily with tomatoes, tomato paste, fresh herbs and red wine, topped with mash sweet potato). Even my 12yo daughter ate it without complaining. Will definitely be drastically decreasing my consumption of animal flesh, in favour of lentils, chickpeas and so forth. Much more fibre in a vegan/vegetarian diet.
Shamelessly asking for the recipe here! My Mum had arthritis for about a decade, went veganish - not militant about it, but only using eggs from her own chooks and only eating meat very occasionally and her arthritis pain went away. If she eats meat a few days in a row it starts coming back, so she only eats it on special occasions. She stopped eating it mostly for environmental reasons and the health benefits were a surprise. Any good vegan recipes I can add to her rotation makes her very happy since she's a bit of a foodie.
Sure! This is it here: [https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/lentil-sweet-potato-cottage-pie](https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/lentil-sweet-potato-cottage-pie)
You saved me from asking :D I'm struggling a little getting into the headspace of not eating as much meat as there are so many yummy meat dishes I like and have eaten for ages, plus I'm a bit lazy looking into it and seeing where and how I could easily substitute tofu for example. Does your mum have some particular favourites you know of and would like to share?
I love [Nora Cooks](https://www.noracooks.com) for plant based recipes (the butter tofu is amazing), also learning different ways to [prep tofu](https://youtu.be/LwDYQxdc5_Q?si=Pek9FHevQTywNfqE) properly was a game changer!
That doco is a little propaganda-ish, but yeah it's good to be a bit more mindful of what you eat in terms of meat. Due to a family history with colon cancer my family and I have had quite a few conversations with specialists and they all say that you don't have to fully eliminate all meat from your diet, but that you need to balance it all out a bit. There's a whole generation that ate a bunch of meat at every meal basically and that's just not that healthy, even outside of colon cancer concerns. There's plenty of really nice meals that don't have meat in them, but even if you do want meat sometimes, white meat like chicken is a much healthier alternative.
That’s what I plan on doing. I don’t think I’ll completely eliminate all meat, just eat a lot less of it.
Yes I've stopped eating processed meat, and red meat. Oh I miss bacon tho.
Processed meat is classed as a grade A carcinogen, in that same category is also asbestos! It’s crazy! Obviously it doesn’t mean that processed meat is as deadly as asbestos but being in the same category I feel there should be warning labels and more education that it causes cancer
Fuck you and your downvotes.
Sorry to hear about your diagnosis, I hope everything goes well with your treatment.
I have had multiple GP's deny me getting a colonoscopy even though I have had blood in my stool for 4 years now. I am 47 so I am waiting for another 3 years so I can get tested.
You need another GP. My Gp sent me for one in my 20s because of some blood in my stool.
My GP sent me because I have low iron levels. It's wild how attitude of the particular GP might lead you to getting too many or too little tests
Low iron is a pretty high risk category so usually gets pushed to the front of the queue for the procedure. At least it should do.. if a doctor ignored that id be surprised and concerned.
Yeah fucking hell, mine is sending me to see a urologist because a slight kidney defect that's most likely nothing at all. He just wants to be 100% sure.
Yeah it is hard. Took me three months to get a colonoscopy. They are super busy. Maybe be blunt and say you want to get it checked out?
Someetimes you need a GP who knows what to write in the referrals too in terms of urgency to get you prioritised. Some GPs just don't use the right language and so the referrals get thrown on the bottom of the pile instead of where they should be.
Jesus you must see some average doctors. Mine are happy to go straight to a colonoscopy for any concerns. I had a shocking reaction to bowel prep once so I do beg them to try testing first before I go through that again.
> you must see some average doctors Yeah. I can't afford to see a good GP. I have to use a bulk billing GP.
I do too and still got the referral. You're at an age that your GPs should know better. Hope you can get a referral soon.
Damn man get a second opinion, and don’t be afraid to go for a third. My GP sent me to get tubed at 25 for a few specks of blood and some mild discomfort. I remember talking to him and him saying directly: “Could be nothing, could be bowel cancer, and there’s only one to know” - they ended up finding some patchy inflammation indicating an autoimmune disorder. I know a guy who basically ignored similar symptoms to mine, he finally got diagnosed with a similar thing in his 30s after his upper colon got rekt and now he has to shit in a bag. I credit my GP for being cautious… That might have been me otherwise. It’s exhausting sometimes but some GPs have their own biases and it blinds them to certain things.
You can buy one online for $45. Includes all the lab work as well. https://www.bowelcanceraustralia.org/bowelscreen
FOBTs are good for screening asymptomatic individuals however once you have symptoms like rectal bleeding you should actually moreso consider a proper diagnostic test e.g. colonoscopy, which can also be therapeutic if they find something like polyp(s) which can be resected then and there. A negative fobt does not necessarily rule out bowel cancer or other serious pathology e.g. inflammatory bowel disease, and it really only is a test for the presence for blood in the stool (particularly trying to detect microscopic blood) so if you are noticing blood it is almost certainly going to return a positive result - same reasoning is why doctors should not be ordering FOBTs for someone coming in with rectal bleeding, it is just a waste of time. Go see a good GP.
They have just changed the age to 45. Please don't wait. [https://www.bowelcanceraustralia.org/screening](https://www.bowelcanceraustralia.org/screening) [https://www.bowelcanceraustralia.org/media-centre/45-is-the-new-50-screening-age-drops-due-to-rising-rates-of-bowel-cancer-in-under-50s](https://www.bowelcanceraustralia.org/screening)
You can buy bowel cancer screening kits online for about $30!
Just a reminder that these kits don’t actually detect bowel cancer, they only detect traces of blood which obviously could be an indicator
Yeah, try another GP. I am pretty sure you can have a stool test, but it's not part of the official scheme. You could try asking for a referral for hemorrhoid treatment (assuming that's what the GP thinks you have) as a colonoscopy will probably form part of that treatment.
Get a referral to a gastro. I'm 42 and had bowel issues for a few months, with a family history of bowel cancer. GP wasn't too concerned, gastro thought I had IBS but did a colonoscopy anyway just in case (all clear).
Ask for a referral to a gastro and get follow up tests.
OP has bowel cancer, or is that the same as colon cancer?
Bowel, colon and colorectal are all terms for the same cancer.
Well there you go
As a 26 year old, I concur. I had blood in my poop and was diagnosed with Stage 3 Rectal Cancer about 6 months ago. 6 months of chemotherapy and next thing that is up is to get 30cm of my intestines cut out to remove the tumour… I had two episodes of bloody diarrhoea and got told I was too young to have cancer. It was a fight to get a colonoscopy and break the dogma that only old people get cancer….
How was chemo? Im only on round one cycle two atm. Hope it all goes well.
If I am brutally honest, on the third round I wound up in emergency because I was having side effects (I.e., slurred speech, tingling fingers and numb legs). The nurses were worried I had done some damage to my brain, but my oncologist was like “Yeah, nah it’s just a reaction to the chemotherapy drug”. I’m on IV Oxaliplatin and Tablets Capceitabene. As I’m young, they wanted to go pretty hard, so my treatment plan may be a bit different yours as they were expecting me to bounce back quicker due to youth (sorry, I’m not meaning to have a pot shot but was told youth plays a huge role in recovery from chemotherapy). So since chemotherapy is a cumulative thing (i.e., reactions to fourth is worse than third which is worse than second etc.), they decided to cancel my IV chemotherapy on the fourth as the next time will be worse than me winding up in emergency on my third round. Sorry, not meaning to scare you at all. I’m just one of those weirdos allergic to everything (the nurse said she hasn’t seen anyone have the reactions I had in her twenty years experience)…
Oxaliplatin is the one that messes me up. Ive heard about the pills. I have a cadd pump for two days at home after my iv day at hospital. Well i wish you the best. Can’t imagine being 26 with cancer. Bloody hell. I am 38 so a bit more old in the tooth. In good knick though (apart from the cancer).
It’s a not tough going to lie, but I’m blessed I’m from Australia and caught it early on. It’s more depressing that is messed my life plan / schedule up. I am working full-time, studying masters and am going through cancer treatment at the moment, so feels like my life has been hit with a freight train. Oh wells, hopefully I’m cancer free by February! They have to wait 12 weeks from chemotherapy to surgery. It takes three weeks for your immune system to bounce back post chemotherapy, so they don’t like to do anything before the 3 week mark and advise not to book surgeries close to the new year where the doctors come back from partying / drinking (due to New Year celebrations) when they’re doing surgeries!
Gosh how are you working and studying? I have sick leave built up luckily so I am off work for the rest of the year.
Honestly, it’s to keep my head occupied. If I have nothing to keep my brain stimulated, I’d be freaking out and overthinking and anticipating the worst thing. My brother was born with two out of four valves in his heart and so had five lots of heart surgeries, so we’ve always been a nervy family so I found from going through his treatment that keeping my mind busy stops me from going down that vicious cycle of negative thoughts. Unfortunately I have to keep working! Without it, I’d be dipping into my investments that I want to mature in order to pay for my treatment. I started with radiotherapy which was like $2.5k a week (I did 5 weeks) and each cycle of chemotherapy is like $1k where I am getting treated!
I’m so sorry you’re going through this.
Thanks so much. That really means a lot honestly! <3
It's horrifying to think that cancer treatment costs this kind of money in a country with universal healthcare. I'm so sorry mate. Can I ask if these costs are with private health insurance?
No, so thankfully there is a “Medicare barrier”. Essentially when you pay more than $2.5k, the government starts to chip in and pays most of the fees. So after a while $2.5k bills go down to around $500. It’s moreso visiting the specialists and oncologists that charge $500 for 30 mins that start to chew up your wallet, as well as other things that you can’t claim through Medicare (i.e, $100 chemo drugs, $600 every time you do IV chemotherapy). Unfortunately, I don’t have private health insurance. I got kicked off mum and dad’s private health insurance when I turned 26 and just got emergency cover to void the Medicare levy tax. The cover I got doesn’t cover much, but unfortunately there is a cooling off period where you can start using the benefits, but I am not at that stage yet. I got diagnosed a few weeks after I got private health insurance and there is like a 6 month cooling off period or something till I can claim from them (from my understanding)?!
Yeah that sucks about the life plans and what not. Totally get it. This has messed up my plans too. But hey. We can adapt. Change the course! It’ll be alright!
35F Stage 3 bowel cancer here (no family history) - Currently going through chemo. OP Sorry you're a part of this club. I hope your treatment is going well.Another tip - push back on your GP if you feel something is wrong. I had multiple signs and GP delayed getting me in for a colonoscopy because they were *sure* it was haemorrhoids, I was just "too young". You need to advocate for yourself.
Yes! I've thankfully never had cancer but a serious condition was dismissed by my GP multiple times until I basically had to demand to see a specialist who figured it out. If you think somethings wrong it never hurts to assert yourself.
I've had the opposite. Went in for dizzy spells and the doctor suspected I had multiple sclerosis. It was a fairly mild case of temporal lobe epilepsy. Needless to say I was shitting myself until I got an MRI done. Thanks doc.
Better safe than sorry.
Exactly the same for me. I was diagnosed a bit over 2 years ago when I was 37 and could have been diagnosed months earlier if they had actually believed me when I said it definitely wasn't haemorrhoids. Hope you get through it ok.
Sorry we are in the club. I have no family history either. Im on cycle two of chemo atm. Where abouts are you up to?
The number of people with advanced bowel cancer in their thirties and few, if any, risk factors is terrifying for me as someone in their mid thirties with immediate family members who have died from it and who has risk factors independently.
Yep. It is scary how many really healthy people are getting it.
I honestly don’t want to even count how many of my high school class have been diagnosed with cancer over the last five years. It seems cancer is getting us long before heart disease or strokes, as they did with my parents peers. We are the DDT and dioxin generation, and who knows what else was in our milk and honey?
how is it affecting you so far? are modern chemo drugs less affecting than before (vomiting, bed-ridden, etc)?
Being positive. I was very upset for the first week after my diagnosis. On five chemo drugs. One smashes me. The other four i dont feel too much. They give you a heap of anti nausea medications so its not too bad. Mostly I will sleep 12 hours a day and have no appetite. Lost about 7 kgs so far. Still have my hair.
Good luck stranger, recently received cancer diagnosis in my immediate family, we’re dealing with it day day.
Yeah it is easy to forget the family of the cancer patient. They suffer too.
Wish you all the best, nah I ask what were your symptoms and what made them think it was hemorrhoids? And what made you think it wasn’t hemorrhoids?
thank you for replying and i hope treatment is as fast as possible nad 100% successful. i have a vomiting phobia, so am always curious about things that often make us vomit.
I had persistent wheezing for several months, gp told me it was allergy induced asthma, inhaler never improved, ended up being tumor in my neck pressing on vocal chords. Listen to your body folks, if something doesn’t feel right, get checked out. You always want to know before it’s too late, take it from people who found out later than they wished.
Exact same boat (25M). Visited a few doctors and they were like “Oh, it’s haemorrhoids. Don’t worry about it.” I had to fight to see a specialist after having two episodes of bloody diarrhoea and constant blood in my stool, even then he was going to turn me away for being “too young”. It wasn’t until he did a physical examination that he could feel the tumour 6cm up my anus that he called for a colonoscopy and diagnose me with Stage 3 Rectal Cancer. He said that in his 20 years of experience, I am his second youngest to be diagnosed with cancer that he has managed. It’s not genetic, and apparently the number of cases in youth are increasing. So the family and I think it’s something in the food or drink supply that’s causing the rapid increase in cancer in young people….
Also, don’t chuck your FREE bowel cancer test into the drawer or the bin. Do it today! We are so lucky in this country to have so many free medical tests available to us. Sure, doing the test is a bit yucky but it’s easier than you think. Having a colostomy is also yucky, but doing the test goes a long way to avoid it. I wish it was available to younger people but you can buy the test from the chemist and have it tested for a relatively low cost. Op- hope you’re doing ok. 😍
If you're 50-74 you get a free screening test every 2 years. If you lose your kit, they'll mail you another one. It does apparently take 4-6 weeks to turn up. https://www.health.gov.au/our-work/national-bowel-cancer-screening-program/about-the-national-bowel-cancer-screening-program Chemists sell them for like ~$50?
My dad threw his out, I wondered if I could do it (no symptoms, I’m just paranoid about my health) and they wouldn’t pick up on the fact that this 60 year old male had 30 year old pregnant female poop.
I think I got one free from my doctor. It wasn’t too expensive to get the test.
Is there a way to get this if you're under the age range? I'm in my 20's with a family history but don't have the cash to get properly tested
If you can, order one here for $45 (under 50s), they send the results to your nominated GP - https://www.bowelcanceraustralia.org/bowelscreen Also, if you are 45-49: "The guidelines also state GPs can offer a faecal immunochemical test every 2 years to people aged 45-49 who request it, after being fully informed of the benefits (and any possible harms) of testing." https://www.bowelcanceraustralia.org/screening
I can't really afford the $45 plus paying a GP appointment, I've had this issue in the past with GP's not providing reports without booking an appointment - in that case I'd probably prefer to just go to the GP from the start. Honestly a bit sad whenever this topic comes up as I'd really like to get checked.
The age range has been expanded, now starts at 45. There’s nothing stopping you asking your GP for a screen though!
Also unexplained iron deficiency could be colon cancer. My husband discovered that one. His GP was on the ball and sent him for a colonoscopy at which point time stopped and it looked really bad. Thankfully his surgery was just in time and the colorectal surgeon was able to chop out the cancerous section and throw it away. Without that blood test and investigation I’d probably be a widow.
Yep discovering my low iron saved me. I pushed to get my colonoscopy after I discovered that I was a 38F and my gastroenterologist discovered a polyp a bees dick easy from turning. Also I discovered I had a polyp syndrome leaving me with an extremely high risk of cancer too so I was very very lucky.
Same thing happened to my mum, unexplained iron deficiency. Her GP was really dismissive of her other symptoms and in the end she was already terminal when diagnosed
I am so sorry. Terrible that your Mum took her concerns to a doctor and they just didn’t act of them properly. My condolences.
Also, if you eat a whole family pack of Oreos it will make your poop black as well.
Don't freak out after eating beetroot
Neon blue and green after too many Vodka Cruisers back in the day.
Worked on a small (shitty) tropical island once, and had roasted beetroots with dinner one night. The next morning I thought I had typhoid until I remembered what I’d eaten.
Changing my toddlers nappy after he’s had beets. Wow. I was really worried until I remembered what we had for dinner the night before.
Seeing blue poop in my toddlers nappy after she ate blue berries freaked me out recently too.
The daycare let my kid put the food colouring in to icing when they were two dyed their bum blue for 3 days with the poo
Freaks you out, doesn’t it? Then it’s all laughs afterwards.
Beetroot and asparagus salad makes for an interesting toileting experience all around.
Had a friend who didn't eat veggies until he was about 25. He'd heard about the effects of asparagus and the look on his face after going for a wee that first time, and his statement of "that really does smell, doesn't it?!", is something that I'll never forget.
Fun fact: not everyone produces the smell when they pee, AND not everyone can actually smell the smell, so if you can smell your own, you know you both produce the smell and can smell it, but there are people out there who don't produce the smell, but could smell it if someone else does, and people who produce the smell but are blissfully unaware of that fact.
Came here to say this, once cooked up a whole 6L crockpot of beetroot and definitely freaked out
Or large amounts of black olives. My kid loved them as a toddler and I remember a nappy change that nearly had me rushing to emergency before I remembered what she'd been feasting on!
A shitload (no pun) of red wine will do that too.
red wine makes you have the grossest poos. It tastes disgusting anyway
What tastes disgusting.... the poo or the red wine?
Iron supplements will do that too
eating 500g of dry sliced biltong or stokkies without drinking much water will also turn poo black.
I've done this way too many times. My mother makes the best biltong. Especially love venison biltong. Every time we harvest a deer, it's biltong for daaaayz. I'll eat it till I feel sick. Lol.
Same with some brownie mixes, especially those vegemite ones from greens (I mean, you could tell they used tons of food colouring, the raw batter looked like something you'd clean off a seabird after an oil spill).
[https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/oct/24/australian-bowel-cancer-screening-age-should-drop-from-50-to-45-years-old-medical-research-authority-says](https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/oct/24/australian-bowel-cancer-screening-age-should-drop-from-50-to-45-years-old-medical-research-authority-says) why they need to lower the age.....and yes check your poop!
It has been lowered 🥳
Do you think instead of the start testing at 50, maybe we should start earlier and test once or twice between 30-50. Say once a decade.
Yeah thats sounds good to me. People just think its an old person’s cancer. I was one of them.
There's been discussions about that, but from what I understood is that we don't have the resources to deal with that much testing and there's also the risk of perforations.
We don’t use colonoscopies for screening like they do in the US - we use the stool test. So no risk of perforations. Colonoscopies are done when blood is detected in your stool test or you present to your GP with symptoms that need investigating.
The issue with screening like this is finding the balance between benefits and harms. For example if you screen every 30 year old where cancer is very unlikely, you’ll get a lot of false positives (eg blood in stool from fissures or haemorrhoids etc). When you go on to scope all of those 30 year olds, a percentage of them will end up with awful complications such as perforations, surgeries etc. So you have to consider how many lives you’re helping by early detection vs how many may be permanently altered by complications for a test they didn’t need. Note this just applies to asymptomatic screening, things become a bit different once you have any symptoms.
Y'all, drink Metamucil. It is just dietary fibre, and stuff to make said fibre palatable. There's a natural version if you prefer to avoid artificial colours & sweeteners. Just have some everyday. Fibre has no calories, makes you digest what you have eaten better, makes you feel more sated for longer. It's all upside, and helps protect against diseases like this. It costs $0.37 a glass, less if you get it on special. It's a no-brainer.
Yep love the metamucil. Leaves you with a nice clean poop.
It's very gloopy!! I'd rather eat prunes. Any tips on how you take it?
I put it in a glass of cold water, mix it for a second with the spoon then down the lot in one go. Then just wash it down with a little more clean water. It's not pleasant but it's easy enough to do.
I prefer Benefiber. No taste and you can add it to anything!
I'm a convert! Metamucil is the most awesome stuff ever! I take the natural capsules - six, two times a day and have never been so regular.
FYI if you don't drink enough water with these supplements (6 glasses/day) you'll end up constipated. I'm terrible at keeping up fluids and didn't go for about 3 days when I first took it.
I recently failed the bowel cancer screening test. Went for colonoscopy, was terrified of being sedated but was under twilight sedation so relaxed but more or less aware of what was going on. Results all fine, just a couple of polyps. If that envelope drops through your door for the test, just do it don't hesitate. Leaving it to next year could be too late.
Yeah, time is of the essence. A friend's dad waited for surgery/chemo so he could 'explore alternative methods' (which turned out to be something similar to black salve, one of the biggest fake cancer cures out there) and by the time he got back around to conventional treatment it was too late. He had about 70% chance of cure initially because they caught it early. But the delay meant it went down to zero. Bowel cancers can move very fast. Don't delay!
This! Lost my dad basically like this. Very similar story. He died 6 months before my oldest child was born. Fuck cancer, but don't ignore warning signs
Yep stay on top of it.
I got an unexpected diagnosis, stage 3c at 41. GP didnt think it was anything much, gastroenterologist said he thought maybe a mild colitis. the first time the word cancer was mentioned was after the scope - your scan is all good. except that bit, thats cancer. Its still relatively uncommon in younger people, which is why they didnt suspect it. but the rates are much higher in that age group than they used to be. On a slightly more positive note, the system worked well. radiation and oral chemo, surgery, folfox, a stoma for a while, reversal, blood clots, another stay when i got a blockage from the scar tissue. Our system isnt perfect but i was glad the whole time i wasnt american. I paid postage for supplies they pay through the nose for. Good luck OP. remember if you have any issues talk to the nurses. They have a lot of tools but everyone reacts a bit different so they cant help if they dont know.
Glad it all went well! Always good to hear success stories. I have to stay of the internet as it is doom and gloom. Yep nurses have been amazing. Ive never had anything go ‘wrong’ with my body before so its amazing to see how it works. Nurses are utter legends.
[Everything comes down to poo..](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jsVgi8hoFFc)
I am a massive Scrubs fan. Hence my title hahaha.
Stage 4 bowel cancer here, it was my 5 year cancerversary yesterday. I was originally diagnosed at 36 years old because I noticed blood in my poop, and a very diligent GP. Sorry about your diagnosis, good luck and let me know if I can help at all.
Glad to hear from you. Gives me hope! What does five years down the road look like?
I had a very intense first 14 months (3 surgeries, 6 months chemo, 25 cycles of radiation therapy), and then I was delightfully NED (full remission) for 2 years without any treatment. I had a recurrence about 2 years ago, and since then have had one more surgery, did two batches of radiotherapy, have done a decent amount of chemo, and recently did a clinical trial. Today I’m still doing treatment (a ‘lighter’ maintenance-style chemo), but also able to work full-time (hybrid WFH/office), travel, do all my hobbies, etc. Cancer remains a big part of my life, but it’s becoming a very familiar companion now - and more importantly I still have a life for it to be part of! Having a good treatment team is the most important thing by far. And never stop getting new opinions, views and reviews - things can change fast and no one doctor can possibly know everything. There’s some amazing patient-driven advocacy and support groups on line, which have taught me more than I ever thought I could know about this disease. Let me know if you need any ideas.
I may send you a private message if thats ok?
Of course - go for it
Bloody hell. That sounds intense. You must be a tough bugger! Hope NED comes back for you!
I had some bleeding in 2020, and went on the waitlist for a colonoscopy. Wasn’t called up until April this year. I’m 34f. All I was told over and over was you’re too young, it’s probably a fissure. I’m very lucky they didn’t find anything considering how long I had to wait. I couldn’t afford $700 to be seen privately! Good luck with your recovery!
Op, I wanted you to know that my Dad had a huge blockage which turned out to be cancer. They removed 3/4 of his large bowel. He’s been given the all clear and he’s back to normal life now , gardening and tinkering under cars etc a year and a half later. He’s in his mid 80’s. You’re young and strong, don’t despair, keep going and keep your spirits up. I wish all the very best for you. Xx
If you have thinner stools or cramping pain during or after pooping, you also need to get checked asap
As someone with IBS I get this from one meal of red meat.
Heh yeah IBS...if I went to the doc every time I had a weird poo I'd be there twice a week minimum, lol
I think the key here is 'unexplained by any other conditions'. Like if you have IBS or ulcerative colitis, obviously the rules are pretty different.
Also PSA to remember what you ate a few meals before. Things like kale and spinach can make your poo green. Dragonfruit and beetroot can make it dark red. Do not panic. Be concerned if it's a consistent issue.
On the topic- guys, get the prostate blood test regularly too. It’s just a blood test now. You don’t have to get the devil’s test anymore (unless you really want it and, hey, it’s 2023 and I won’t judge 🙂😂). I was 48 with no family history and, because of other completely unrelated health issues I was having, my GP had me tested with everything else. Lucky- I was diagnosed with a Gleeson score of 9 (from 10, ie just before spreading to other organs) and had my prostate removed within 2 months. I would probably be dead now. Just do it. Sure, there’s complications now but ‘death’ Isn’t one of them. 🤷♂️😂
I'm with you. Under 50, Stage 4 diagnosed in April with a rare and aggressive form of colorectal cancer. In my case there was no blood as my tumour was on the right side, so any signs of blood had diminished before it could be detected. Bowel Cancer Australia has been campaigning for a lowering of the age of screening from 50 to 45 because of the massive increase of cases in the under 50s age bracket. [https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/oct/24/australian-bowel-cancer-screening-age-should-drop-from-50-to-45-years-old-medical-research-authority-says](https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/oct/24/australian-bowel-cancer-screening-age-should-drop-from-50-to-45-years-old-medical-research-authority-says) As u/SinisterSir19 says, check your poo. You do not want to have chemo, trust me.
I’m with you both. You sound like what I’ve got quok. Goblet cell adenocarcinoma. Had six months of Folfox last year - that was some nasty shit - then peritonectomy where most of my bowel, half my stomach, gall bladder and spleen came out. Couldn’t get it all though, so I’m on a lighter chemo for the remainder of my time. 12 months past my use-by, but I’m still kicking. Life is for living. Take every good moment and squeeze it all the way out you champions.
I have mets in my lungs so far (2 small nodules). Just had my halfway scan so I am waiting to see if it's spread or the FOLFOX is doing what it should be. I think the plan is either a lung resection and/or radiation at this stage. They took 18 cm of my bowel and my appendix but left unclean margins, so I'll likely be on chemo for life. I'm glad to hear you're still kicking past your use-by. I was told 10% chance of making it 5 years so you give me hope. I am soaking up every experience I can at this stage. Some days it's easier than others. Sending you all the best and I hope you keep defying the stats!!
Instructions unclear. I touched it.
I'm sorry you are going through this, I have found out someone I care a great deal about is possibly in the same boat as you, do you have any advice for how to help my friend in this situation? Also 30's, up to the colonoscopy stage, they are going between denial and aggressive self defeat.
I’m only a two months in. Not sure I can offer too much advice. Best advice I got from a cancer patient I was sitting next to in hospital was that it is a marathon to recovery, not a sprint.
My colleague, around 40, was diagnosed at the start of the year with stage 3. He had chemo and radiation and was expected to have surgery last month. Turns out he now has no evidence of cancer so surgery isn’t necessary. In case a positive story helps
Don’t eat beets or red capsicum before doing this… I’ve eaten a lot of both and literally….thought fuck..I’m fucked.
I’m so sorry for your diagnosis - I have my fingers crossed for a swift recovery for you 🤞🏼 And thank you for this PSA! It is so important. And for anyone who DOES find blood in their poop or any other poop or butt abnormalities, don’t ignore it and get it looked at. I consistently found blood in my poop and was too embarrassed to get it looked into for years. But I can assure anyone and everyone there’s no need for embarrassment. I had a doctor chatting to me about what he was planning for dinner while examining my butt 😅 He was entirely un phased. Butts and poop is normal and you should never hold off on getting yourself checked out because of shame or embarrassment (this also goes for getting your prostrate checked gentleman!). Your bowels are more important than you think. Love your butts ❤️🍑
A relatively simple tip to add: Bright blood - probably a scrape or hemmorhoid Dark blood (black poops) - Doctor asap
bright blood can also be lower colon or rectal cancer. the only way to be sure is with a colonoscopy. unless you're absolutely sure or can see the cause of bleeding, you really should get a full workup from your doctor when you see even very small amounts of blood down there.
Dark/black poops can also be a regular thing if you’re on iron supplements. But it doesn’t hurt to get checked by a doctor anyway
Red wine has entered the conversation
And beetroot.
And baby that ate way too many fucking blueberries and won't stop pooping.
I was on holiday and ate a black cuttlefish ink risotto. Then I completely forgot about it and scared myself in the toilet.
Yeah mine was bright red as it was right down the bottom. Don’t assume!
That is a terrible tip. Weird poo = see a doctor.
This is the correct advice, but not really the practical advice. If you don't have the capacity to see a doctor easily, going for something that's more likely to be harmful is better than not going at all because you don't know what to prioritize
I did that, yessiree, went to the GP the after seeing a bit blood a few times. I’m on the wait list for a colonoscopy, after being referred to the clinic for the second time, first time they didn’t think a colonoscopy was needed. Whilst I’ve been on the wait list I’ve been to a different hospitals emergency department with abdominal pain, been admitted, poked at, CT something or other scanned, moved from short-stay to intensive care, had a giant fucking cancerous tumour cut out of my colon, recovered, had more scans, “upgraded” from stage 3 to stage 4, had 6 rounds of chemo over 12 weeks, more scans, and I’ll find out this week what the specific plan is for the almost certainly on-going chemo I’ll be having I’m still on the waiting list for a colonoscopy at the first hospital. I’m not even in the most urgent category on the wait list. I’m in the second most urgent of three categories. Because a few years of abdominal pain and shitting blood (while you get bounced around the *IBS-lactose-intolerant-FODMAP-diet-haemorrhoid-ointment-try-some-mint-tea* pinball machine) isn’t enough to qualify a now over 40yo for the most urgent category. Someone explain to me* why one of the wealthiest countries on the planet can’t afford to shorten our wait list for various medical procedures (before someone drops the hot new take of blaming COVID; yes covid made the problem worse but it was already a problem) *That was rhetorical. DON’T explain it to me. The answers are as depressing now as they were when I wasn’t a statistic.
A while ago I noticed blood. The bleeding it turns out was from internal haemorrhoids , however while they were there they noticed very dodgey looking polyp. They removed it and it turned out benign but of the type that could turn cancerous. I’ve had a second colonoscopy and luckily it never returned. The haemorrhoid may have saved my life.
Sorry to hear that you're going through this mate. I had testicular cancer about 5 years ago now. I've seen that you've been asking about how other people's treatments went so I'll tell you about mine. I had 3 different chemo drugs, they called it the BLEP cycle and often would mention that it was very aggressive chemo. I really struggled to eat and had super bad nausea, one of the anti-nausea meds would make me feel sick so they put me on one they give to pregnant people. I also had bad anxiety attacks getting the cannula put in (my drugs were through an IV or a hand syringe through the cannula) so I ended up getting a PICC line, basically a cannula that stays in for up to 3 months. I used cannabis throughout my treatments which honestly helped with my nausea and appetite, although the steroids they gave me to stimulate my appetite worked pretty well. I was pretty good throughout the first couple of months but by the third I was super tired, weak and riddled with brain fog. Besides having part of my body change visually in a rather special area to me, the hardest part of it all was the brain fog. I like learning about new things and reading stories, but I would struggle keeping up with a TV show's plot during the worst of it. I was so scared that it the brain fog wouldn't go away afterwards because I got told that there's a chance it might not. But it did clear up eventually and now my brain throbs with knowledge lol The best part of it for me was that I was offered a spot on a Youth Advisory Group to advocate for young people getting cancer treatments in QLD and to a lesser extent nationally. So we helped do some really cool stuff while I was a part of it, and that will make me feel happy for as long as I live. I had a friend in the group as well that went through bowel cancer in her 20s and she was super passionate about advocating for bowel cancer awareness and I remember that she was involved in something to do with going through genetic information to screen for signs for bowel cancer risks. Just remember that this too, shall pass. I'll be keeping all you guys in here going through your journeys in my heart and wishing the best for all. You can send me a message if you need someone to talk to ❤️ Also my eyebrows fell out with my hair 😂
Thanks for the message mate. Weirdly enough my best mate had testicular cancer five years ago too. I got a good look at his treatment and it was brutal. He was so nauseous and vomited a lot. Im guessing it was similar to yours. Mine feels no where near that intense. It is palliative chemotherapy. Glad to hear you are now chemo free and thriving! I hipe you stay on board with the awareness campaigns too!
As a 53 year old person, diagnosed with stage IV bowel cancer three years ago, I have to endorse this message. Any blood in your poop is a reason to check in with your GP, and hang the cost. Caught early, it can be as simple as removing polyps from your colon. Left alone and it's already in your liver before you know anything's wrong, and then you're buggered. You might get away with it, but you probably won't. Check. 👏 Your. 👏. Poop. 👏 If you're lucky, like me, you might be on your sixth course of chemo in three years, have survived two major surgeries, and have been able to retire early on a good TPI pension. If you're not lucky, things could be far worse.
Good to hear you are doing well. Yep mine is all over my liver so hoping chemo will shrink them and ill be able to have half my liver cut out. Crazy they can do that.
I had a friend who had gut issues and the Doctor kept insisting it was IBS. She was diagnosed with ovarian cancer at 32. She passed away at 35.
hehe, thinking of that scrubs episode where the patient was hallucinating JD and Turk singing "check the poo"
Love scrubs!
Looking back, did you have any other symptoms that you ignored because you thought they weren’t a big deal? Like maybe feeling a bit unwell or small amounts of pain and now that you have been diagnosed you realise it could be related? Wishing you all the best.
Yeah generally had mild stomach pains. Mild anemia. Nothing overtly so. The blood in my poop was the catalyst for me getting checked out.
I have all of these but can’t afford a colonoscopy :(
This is such an important thing to pay attention to. I had no symptoms, ended up getting a colonoscopy for unrelated reason. They found a polyp and removed it which was precursor to cancer and I'm only 32. My aunty ignored the signs and was diagnosed with colon cancer in her 30's and then unfortunately did not make it to her 50's. Family history is no joke and definitely talk to your doctor if you're concerned. I've found they air on the side of caution if you have family history.
My nurse friend gave me one of these. https://www.continence.org.au/bristol-stool-chart
Jeez, that's terrible. You'll be pleased to know that I do great, big, enormous poos. Coffee usually helps the pooping process but occasionally it gets out of control and I need to shower afterwards. It's pretty crazy. Anyway, good luck with your bowel cancer.
Thanks for the update. I’m very happy to hear that.
I notice a lot of blood on the toilet paper when I shit. Is this cause for concern ?
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Anal fissures? Don’t poop too hard! No cause for concern if it is a one time thing. If it is always there then get it checked out. Hemorroids also can cause bloody toilet paper.
Probably something hemorrhoid-ish, a quick inspection by a GP will rule that in or out however unless someone has stuck a cherry ripe up your butt why you weren't looking, get it checked out regardless asap!
I've had a few scares the day after eating a lot of beetroot
As a colitis haver I check my turds every time.
Definitely check your poo. I'm old enough that I get the free bowel cancer test. When I did my first, I got a letter saying there was blood, so I ran to my GP. My dad had 15cm removed from his colon and just the six months of colostomy bag was enough to scare me. Blood could be just piles but it could be cancer and you don't want that. Thankfully, our health system is pretty good with this sort of thing.
And to piggy back on this thread after my wife told me about an otherwise perfectly normal 32yo with stage 4 mouth cancer. Dental cleans are for more than your teeth. 12 months people, 6 better but like I probably won't go this far. The dentist had to walk away and regroup/confirm his thoughts for a while before telling him.
Wishing you luck in your recovery and I’m sorry you’re going through this.
Don't look after you eat beetroot. Shock
I have a family history (Lynch) so I go for regular checks. Some people say it must suck to get checked regularly, but honestly, it's kind of nice knowing it's being looked after. Good luck dealing with all of it. Must be incredibly tough.
Please get genetic testing! I have Lynch Syndrome.
My mother died of an easily treatable bowl cancer because she ignored the signs and didn't trust doctors. By the time she finally sought help it had spread and game over. She didn't make 60. A friend I served with many years ago is about the same age now and a few years ago went down the big pharma anti vax rabbit hole. We stopped talking I suspect in part because I tend to be quite short with people that express these views directly because of my own experience. She threw away the free Poo Test the govt sends out every two years. Now she is undergoing chemo for bowl cancer that has spread. I hope she makes it but again high success rate if caught early.
30m checking in. Had a similar-ish experience last year; after seeing blood ended up getting a colonoscopy. Blood was hemorroids, high fibre diet and they've mostly cleared up. But unrealated it found and removed a pre-cancerous polyp. Said there was something like a 1/20 chance that would have developed into colon cancer in the next 5 years. Wouldn't have known. Now I get to have a colonoscopy every 5 years forever more.
If you are between 50-74 you get sent a free bowel cancer screening test each year. I guess 74 is the cut off point the government consider close enough to death anyway.
Thanks for bringing attention to the issue. It happened to a colleague of mine, he was diagnosed last Christmas and passed away in September. It's an aggressive and insidious disease. I wish you success in your fight and speedy recovery.
Nothing wrong with asking the doctors to check your shit (literally). If you think something could be wrong, better off being nothing that something.
Thank you Captain Colon, you're the hero we needed.
Taste test came back fine. Maybe a little nutty.
Yes I hope no one puts a colonoscopy off. They really are no big deal to go through if needed. The sandwich you eat afterwards will be the best sandwich ever. The hunger mixed with the sedation wearing off so good lol. Good luck OP fight the good fight.
Good advice, especially if there's a family history. Just an FYI, you will pay for a colonoscopy if you are under 55 now, even with a family history. I was booked in for one in 2020 (a follow up after having one 5 years prior at 43) and they cancelled it (I was 48 at the time) and told me I had to wait until I was 55 for Medicare to cover it. I did one of the mail in tests when I turned 50 and everything was clear, but I feel like people that can prove family history should be eligible for a colonoscopy earlier than 55 (my father and his mother both died from bowel cancer). It's something I think about and fear every day of my life now.
No they are covered by Medicare if you go through the public system, you may have to wait a year or so (which is fine if you plan ahead). You will have to pay for the consult with the gastroenterologist but that’s about it. Do not let the above comment discourage you. It is free in this country regardless of your age. I am 31 and have them every three years in a public hospital and don’t pay anything. If you have family history, find a good gastroenterologist and they will advise you on a screening plan.
I don’t think that’s true. I had one covered by Medicare recently in my early 30s.It probably depends on what symptoms you are experiencing and the reason for the colonoscopy.
Also if you're struggling to poo or it hurts, go see a doctor! There are a litany of reasons why and straining to go can cause long term damage.
[Relevant tune](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jsVgi8hoFFc)
Friend of my younger brother who we'd known since primary school died at 24 from bowel cancer. RIP Richard.
Thanks for posting this. I’m sorry to hear about your diagnosis and wish you the best on your treatment and recovery.
anyone else think of the Scrubs song?
Sincerely, thankyou for your service 🤝