Colon (or nearby) cancer - terrified, worry is out of control

Bobnnat said:

Blue..I’ve posted about this before here. Thin stools are NOT a sign of CC. About 100 years ago, that was theorized and found its’ way into medical texts as well as, eventually the internet. However, subsequent study disproved any correlation. So why do some articles still list that? Pure laziness and poor research. Copy and paste. I know Google is a no no, but I suggest you consider searching “thin stool not sign of colon cancer”. You should see where very reputable sources refute this and you should find that same info I stated above.

5 years after clean scopes and the realistic worst case scenario is a small polyp that is easily removed well before any problem. People who DO have polyps found are typically told to have the next scope in 5 years.

You are fine. Constipation is of course incredibly common, and so very connected with stress and the mind, even with laxatives.

Actually, search this: “Low caliber stool" and "pencil thin stool" are not signs of colo-rectal cancer. Pub-Med article.
Here’s the abstract!

Over the past several years, primary care providers have been referring a large number of their patients to gastroenterologists for colonoscopy because of "low caliber stool" or "pencil thin stool." Most textbooks of internal medicine and gastroenterology consider "small caliber stool" as one of the presenting signs of colorectal cancer (CRC). A review of the literature reveals that this rather lay misconception-i.e. presence of tumor results in narrowing of the colon, which in turn decreases the caliber of the stool-was conceived late in the nineteenth century. In the absence of reliable data to support this concept, the authors of gastroenterology textbooks in the mid-twentieth century practically dismissed the concept. Nevertheless, this misconception somehow permeated the standard textbooks of medicine and even the newer editions of text-books of gastroenterology. Our own everyday experience shows that low caliber stool is noticed whenever we have loose stool. Since diarrheal states are much more common than CRC, in the absence of authentic symptomatology of CRC, such as rectal bleeding, change in the bowel habit, tenesmus, left-sided abdominal cramps, anemia, etc., the referral of these patients for colonoscopy based solely on "decreased stool caliber" is unwarranted. Such unwarranted referrals expose the patients to unnecessary risks and discomforts and put a strain on an already over-stretched healthcare resources.

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Givethanks82 said:

I was having that issue. Luckily a good friend of mine is a gastroenterologist. He said thin stools ARE not an indicator. He had me start adding more fiber to my diet and within a few days my stools bulked up. He also had me take miralax and purchase a squatty potty. After Chadwick Boseman died I convinced myself I had colon cancer!

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Suzannenightmares said:

Happily, if your blood work came back normal, there there is another reason and not cancer, because if it was cancer, your white blood cells, were be considering compromised, which is why they first take blood samples, because they tell a big picture of what is happening inside.

Try super enzymes and probiotics. They help to loosen up stools.

I had a fissure once and had to get my stools softened, to reduce the pain. I ate dates, which really helped.

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vinbaker said:

My friend, living your same fear. If you need help, i'm here, maybe you can help me too. Repeat your symptoms, i will tell you mine lOL.

How old areyou?

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mollyfin said:

Have you tried laxative suppositories? I once had an issue that left me with something the size and shape of a baseball in my colon. I thought I would die during the process of passing it, but I eventually got it out with the help of Dulcolax. The suppositories, not the pills. The pills just make me sick.

Also if you're trying prunes/prune juice, make sure it's room temperature. Apparently cold negates whatever makes you poop. Honestly the most useful life advice I've ever gotten.

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