Hey Guys & Dolls,
Had my Crs appointment yesterday. Fissures have gone after 6 months yipee!! (No thanks to Doctors!! But all your tips & advice ere!) So, Movicol and Vaseline all the way for me. I don't believe my fissures are healed however, they are lying dormant. It will only take one bigger poop and hey presto fissureville again!! Am as strong believer in LIS, but for now that's not my main problem??!! FOR ONCE lol..... Problem is this:
On examination of my stomach, CRS found a Mass on the Right side of my abdomen?? He explained he wants to take biopsies of it and he gave me a sheet of paper to take for an urgent MRI and another sheet to give to Endoscopy. I went there straight after and both departments told me they are full to the max and I am on the waiting list. Sooo googling (as u do) I got bowel cancer??!! Dunno??... I have lost 3 stones but that is surely down to the fact that I watch what I eat now for fear of the exit??
Any suggestions??

Oh Andrea! I'm so sorry! That is so frightening!

I understand why you would want to drink a lot of wine after an appointment like that. I'm sorry that I really don't know much about what might cause such a mass, but of course the big C comes to mind. But there are other possibilities too, like maybe a benign growth, a cyst or an obstruction. I'm going to do some research too. I imagine you must be very on-edge right now. I don't feel right about asking you not to worry - I'd be worrying like crazy! But just know that you have friends here who care about you and will support you and offer as much assistance as we can. Do you have any idea when you will be able to get the tests done? I think the weight loss could be owed to your change of diet; but, of course, it's hard to know - how quickly did you lose the weight? (I'm sorry, I don't know how much 3 stone is!)
You're in my thoughts and prayers, Andrea. Please pamper yourself as much as possible.

Aww thanx Hope
I am positive & not going to be beat. Bit of luck it's just a benign one so happy days??!! Oh u made me laugh about not knowing "stones" We are sometimes "behind the times" over here in the UK! There are 14 pounds to a stone. So 42Ib so far. But, I am convinced it's because of my massive change in diet!! I am very careful now what goes in and it has to come out On the bright side, Diltiazem, Movicol & Vaseline have healed my fissures!!! Well, for now!! It only takes one bigger bm doesn't it!: ouch!! Forgot to mention ere, told Val, this new Crs I saw doesn't agree with botox!!??!! Made him laugh about it though, saying I wud of had the youngest, smoothest ass hole in the UK hee hee Much appreciate ur messages xx But, don't want to pinch the lime light from our Val! She needs us all much more...

Sorry to hear this Andrea. As Hope says it may be an obstruction, or polyp. The MRI scan will show what it is, and an endoscopy will help I'm sure. Waiting times on the NHS are horrendous, when I waited for my MRI it was marked as urgent and got mine 2 weeks later so you may get yours just as quick. I've lost 2 stone since last summer due to my IBS and this so if you have changed your eating habits that may be the reason for weight loss. Good news that your fissures have healed though!! Since going to my appointment my fissure has been alot better - typical when they just decide to do something!! Thinking of you :)

Just a thought, someone mentioned to me about diverticular disease. May be relevant to you, not sure though. If I was you Andrea I wouldn't look on the internet, you'll scare yourself! I did that when I first had my problems and convinced myself this was something sinister. They always put the worst case scenario :)

Andrea - It is great news that your fissures have healed - fingers crossed! You have such a great attitude! I have no doubt you'll beat anything that you encounter. I had to laugh at my own ignorance - thanks for the lesson about the weight of 'stones'. Now I'll be able to impress people with my new knowledge. :D Your CRS sounds pretty cool. I hope you're not too disappointed about not getting a smooth, younger asshole.

Cheers all and Sue, I too thought of a polyp? But when he palpated my abdomen, 1st I guarded as it hurt like hell, and I never knew? Who presses their belly?? lol!! I aint had my younger version of Magnum (tom selleck) on top of me (i wish!!) But, what do you all think that he said he could feel it and even gave me an approx size 2" diameter by 1.5"?? Oh wud love it to be a poop stuck up there! If it is and wudn't that be great, how awfully smelly wud that be??!!!Yuk.........!! better than a cancerous tumour so whatever!!!! Hopefully !! Hey HOPE, the pounds to stone thing wasn't ur ignorance at all!! It is purely continent location! Well, changing the subject, just got my son to change my profile picture! Dumb ass ere lol....Neil Diamond Rocks!!! Love him!!!! My wish is to see him in his native New York! Dream on at the moment.. But as everything in life, don't ever give up Hope!!! Fight the good fight blah blah blah xx And, without dreams who are we?? Oh and in case u all think I think Mr Diamond will come knocking, lol, He waved back at me in Manchester and that'll do me hee hee...This mom got 4 grown kids and being single, it now takes an awful lot to ruffle my feathers...Jee Wizz I sound hard? I ain't, I am just used to bad times and gettn thru em!! Remember Dolly Partons song: My coat of many colours?? God is good! So, when u hear the expression: Why do the good die young? It is because they have done what they needed to do for the good of humanity and have gone home!!! What a shame that there are millions out there that disagree!!! They need our prayers the most

Hey Andrea! Love your Neil Diamond pic! It sounds like he got a crush on you, waving at you and all. You better not go see him in New York - you might have a sordid affair and then what would your young Tom Selleck do?
TBH, I'm not sure what to make of the fact that your doc could feel the mass, or the size. I remember when I had my fibroid, I could sure feel that! It totally freaked me out - it got to be really HUGE. Just before I had my hysterectomy, I looked like I was six months pregnant. So I guess I'm not surprised that your doc could feel it. I've pressed my belly a lot (I've had gallstones too, so I poke around sometimes just to check things out), and I can feel stuff pretty easily - I've even felt gas bubbles moving around in my intestines (I'm pretty sure they are gas bubbles because when I rub enough I can produce a nice loud f*rt ). I've been looking around online and there seems to be a few possibilities, such as inflammation of the gallbladder or pancreas, enlarged liver, fluid in the kidney, and various cysts and pseudocysts, and, of course, colon polyps etc., etc.
So it seems that there are too many possibilities to speculate. That's certainly anxiety-inducing! But you're obviously one seriously tough cookie. :D Since you're a single mom of four, I imagine there isn't much in this world that could throw you! You aren't hard, you're just strong, and that's a great thing! I know that you are strong enough to handle whatever news you get about all this. The waiting is rough, though, so that's what we are here for. There are enough of us here who are very silly, and we can help keep you amused for a while ...


like, with two dancing frogs! (OK, maybe I'm the only silly one I love the emoticons on this site!).
Is Neil Diamond still performing?? When did you see him?

How are you today Andrea?
You are seriously one tough cookie and very, very brave.
We'll all be here to help you through this one. I hope you don't have too long to wait to get the tests done and get the results. The waiting, wondering...........and googling.....really messes with your head, and makes a bad problem much worse.
Take care xx

Any news yet Andrea? I must admit my fissure has been alot better this weekend, hardly any pain! Its just when I'm in work and they expect you to do what you would normally, the pain builds up through the day and as the week goes on. Anyway, good news for me, I have been scheduled for my examination and botox (hopefully!) on the 21st November. A step forward and a date to focus on, hopefully with a follow-up and further treatment if needed. Really pleased something is happening as by then it will be 8 months since all these damn problems! Bad news is I am still getting thrush type symptoms and they can't work it out as it isn't thrush. Oh well. How's things going with you? Really hope they have started to sort you out or at least sorted a date for your scans etc :D