I pretty much have been keeping the bleeding thing a secret because I am just scared to death of the sigmidoscopy and colonoscopy. I had the tests done many times in the past but it has been MANY years since the last one. I was only given a shot (which did absolutely nothing)and I was fully alert through the entire procedure and in tremendous pain every time! They were done by a gastroenterologist whom I now hate with a passion....he did absolutely nothing for me other than cause more pain and eventually turn me into a zombie!! I swear he is a sadist. I saw several of his patients actually crying after he did the procedure!! I just recently heard that he punctured the bowel of an elderly lady I know from our local Diner and she came out of it with a bag on!! I shudder when I even hear his name paged at the hospital. I did have adhesions causing partial blockages which were found by a different doctor (surgeon) after that!! The gastroenterologist insisted I didn't have any blockages and was shoving that hose (or trying) through blockages anyway. I had to throw him off of my case and demand him to let a surgeon to look in there....I was right!
I have since then heard of lots of people who had the procedure done and were out for it. I guess I will tell the doctor he may have one done on me only "if they knock me out" for it. I will still pray no-one punctures it.....I am a perfectioniist and couldn't handle wearing a bag! It is enough that I am walking with a crutch. I had intravenous with an amnesia drug added to it for epidural shots in my back last year and I don't remember a thing, just awoke in recovery. They say you are awake but they could have fooled me, that I know I can trust since I had it 3 times last year or even General Anesthesia(like you).
I know the bleeding won't go away by ignoring it but I sure have tried. I don't bleed "all the time" or I would really be scared. Years ago when I bled they went up there and didn't find anything, just said it must have been my hemorrhoids. I figured that is probably what it is again?!? I think it happened about 5 times this past year, for a few days each time.
When I tried taking Celebrex it also happened, so I stopped taking them and the bleeding stopped. It does mention possible bleeding as a reason to quit taking it, but I don't understand why or what causes it to happen...does anyone at there know?? How can a pill cause you to bleed and then stop when you discontinue the pill??? I had tremendous pressure pains at my tailbone for about a week before I bled which eased off after I bled the past couple of times. I have just learned to ignore lots of pain & weird occurances with my body over the past 30 years, figured I must ad this one to the list!
He did do a rectal and really dug in much farther than a GYN does on a yearly exam. Later when I went to the bathroom there was blood when I wiped which never happened after a rectal before!! I told my husband that is to check for blood and here I am with blood again of all times!! Can certain kinds of rectals cause this?....do they sometimes do it differently and maybe cut or scrape in there which causes "normal" bleeding??? I am sure if something looks suspicious on the other tests my present doctor won't hesitate to talk me into the colonoscopy. I think he is trying to keep me calm for now! I have been sooo much this past year I hate to think something else could be wrong other than the adhesions I know I have. 3 surgeries in one year has played a major toll on me already! There has to be "something" good with my body somewhere (haha)!! JEAN (from PA)
At Sat, 10 Mar 2001, Kate Murphy wrote:
>
>>Jean,
>
>I don't want to nag, but blood in the stool is a very serious issue.
>There is no reliable way to evaluate it without colonoscopy. I know
>that that is invasive, but it can be done painlessly. The current
>drugs are pretty good. If you've had problems in the past, it can be
>done (as mine are) under general anesthesia.
>
>Please don't ignore this. Someone needs to eyeball (hehe) your
>entire colon. It also doesn't need to be bad news. There are large
>polyps that are not cancerous that do bleed. They can be
>removed, without pain, during a colonoscopy and never become
>colon cancer.
>
>Ulcerative colitis also causes bleeding -- sometimes quite alarming
>bleeding.
>
>Please don't rule out "anything invasive." You really do need it if
>you haven't had a colonoscopy in a year and you are bleeding.
>We'll talk you through it.
>
>Love,
>
>Kate
>
>--
>Kate Murphy
>katemm@mindspring.com
>