Nervous About Colonoscopy

[Morvell]

I have had what has felt like a bizarre health journey for close to a year now. Back in 2022, when being told that I had extremely high blood pressure, even when on medication and being far overweight, I challenged myself to try and live a healthier lifestyle. I dropped from from 408 to 232 lbs in what I hope has been attributed to dieting and exercising. Well, after injuring myself and coming off that injury, I dealt with tailbone pain out of nowhere.

I thought it was the Pilonidal Cyst I dealt with before. Numerous X-Rays, CT Scans, everything looked fine. I get to a Chiropractor and he sees because I was on a walking boot, one side of my body is compensating as a result. I finally get an MRI and it confirms there are Disc Bulges from my L3 down to my S1 discs. It’s a small (1mm), but it’s contributed to hip and other pains I was experiencing. Much like the CT Scans and X-Rays, everything beyond the disc bulges appear fine.

Bloodwork comes back healthy. It shows no signs of me fighting anything that would have my doctors concerned about my Liver, Pancreas, Spleen, and hopefully Colon. I know bloodwork isn’t the one all, be all solution, rather to them, I appear healthy. Well, through this process, and I don’t know if it’s from being on the Dash Diet, if the Disc Bulges are playing a role in this (As I found out that the L3 in particular can affect the Large Intestines) or if it’s me simply being allergic to something and not being aware of it as a result, I noticed that sometimes my stool seems normal at times. Other times, I looks a bit broken (I think if I had to guess, sort of like it’s on the verge of diarrhea, but not quite there) and then, other times it’s full on diarrhea followed by watery diarrhea at times.

So, a health revelation came in August. Among my dieting, I was taking Iron Supplements (Ferrous Sulfate) as I was diagnosed with Iron Deficiency Anemia. I was taking this pill for several years, being none the wiser that this entire time, the reason for my Anemic like symptoms was because of Alpha Thalassemia Minor Trait. When I went to the restroom in late August, there was the sensation of Hemorrhoids (what felt like it), diarrhea that was Green (Green stool being natural as I was taking Iron and eating Leafy Greens from the DASH Diet) and blood on the top of the stool. Not too dark, but noticeable enough that prompted me to go the Emergency Room.

Much as before, once he checked everything over, he couldn’t see anything problematic, which he did say can happen with hemorrhoids (They’ll flare up and then they’ll simmer down).

My mind, despite trying to keep myself as calm as I can be, has been nervous. I have the colonoscopy this upcoming Tuesday and I’ve been dragging my feet about it. I’m going, of course. I’ve just been feeling dread of wondering if I unintentionally harmed myself from taking Iron for so long because I was misdiagnosed. And, I don’t fault the doctors for it. It’s been reported that Alpha Thalassemia Trait and Iron Deficiency Anemia are common misdiagnosed because the symptoms are the same. So, I’ve been stuck dealing with the worst thoughts since late August to now, on if it’s truly the Spinal Cord Injury that’s playing a part in this, if I somehow have a IBS or some form of IBD as a result of being allergic or intolerable to something or if this is a consequence of being on Iron supplements for close to five years.

Sometimes, I feel stupid for not knowing. But, how could I have known…

[Morvell]

Oh, let me also say that I have an appointment with an Allergy Specialist, too. Tomorrow, fortunately. What I noticed is that when I have these flare ups (and they may be one in the same or just purely coincidental), I tend to deal with sinus drainage, ear sensations that feel ticklish and itchy skin. I have Asthma. I also have Eczema. I wonder if it’s truly something I’m allergic to and being none the wiser about as when I drunk coffee (something I’m accustomed to from working early morning work shifts), it felt like it just went right through me followed with gas and slight cramping when I sneezed. I wonder if it’s just that, something I wasn’t intolerant to before, but now I am as all things tend to happen by aging.

[GCCA-Survivor Administrator]

Hi Marvell,

Thanks for posting with us. I hate to hear you’re having to deal with this. So many different things have similar symptoms and it can be a long process to get to a definitive diagnosis. Please don’t beat yourself up. You’re the patient and have to rely on on your doctors to guide you through. Perhaps a second opinion is in order? All these things should be front and center for consideration.

I was in a 4 1/2 year cancer fight and half of that was being on certain chemo regiments and radiation. A clinical trial with an immunotherapy drug was the game changer. But knowing what we know now about my particular situation, I should have never been on chemotherapy. Chemo really beat me up. It is what it is.

My 2 cents … Focus on the colonoscopy next Tuesday and the info that can provide both about what could be happening and also what it can rule out as well. Hopefully it will get you on a path to being well. I get an annual colonoscopy as a part of my surveillance. Pro tip … move the prep timeline up 2-3 hours. This way you’ll get a good night sleep. Do the same on procedure day as well.

We do wish you the best in getting answers. Please let us know what you find out from your colonoscopy.

Thank you,

Tom

[Morvell in reply to GCCA-Survivor]

Hey Tom. Well, I believe the second opinions at the time were the X-Rays, CT Scans and MRI. Or, at least, I hope they were as all of this was so new to me. I’m trying not to get mad at myself for not knowing, because truthfully, I didn’t know. Paired with the Spinal Cord Injury, I just thought some of what I was feeling was because of that as it seems to improve when going for Chiropractic Care and Therapy.

The colonoscopy went well. According to them, the results were Grade 1 Hemorrhoids, but waiting on the official Pathology to be certain. He did inform me that there may be Splenic Fullness of an Enlarged Spleen, which can be a side effect of Alpha Thalassemia as I learned. I went to get the Ultrasound as the CT Scan from months ago showed my spleen was of normal size. The results were that my spleen is now mildly enlarged, which explains some of the symptoms I was dealing with. Paired with blood in the stool again after the colonoscopy, I’ve been anxious all over again. I know that all I can do in this moment is wait to hear back from the GI and Hematologist to learn more about myself and this blood condition as a result.