The first words the doctor said to us when he came into the consultation room after the procedure was, “Sarah, you must have angels looking out for you.”
As it turns out, she had two polyps, one that was 3 mm (non bleeding and benign in appearance) and one that was 8 mm which was a bleeding polyp; that is the one that caused her to see the blood in her stools. He removed both polyps and sent them for biopsies; we’ll have results back in two weeks. (The larger the polyp—usually anything over 8 mm—the greater the chance that it is pre-cancerous).
The doctor said it is highly unusual for someone Sarah’s age to develop polyps and that because she has developed them so early, that Nathan will need to have a colonoscopy as well to rule out any family connection with developing polyps early on.
He said he is going to personally call and thank Sarah’s family doctor who recommended that Sarah have a colonoscopy; many doctors would not recommend a colonoscopy for a person as young as Sarah but it as it turns out, it was a very important recommendation.
If the polyps had been left undiscovered and untreated, it would be highly likely (especially with her cancer history and young age at developing them) that one or both of them could turn to cancer. Of course, since colon cancer presents very few symptoms until it is in the later stages, that is not a good scenario.
So noticing the bleeding and having a local doctor who was on the ball and highly proactive combined to make sure our precious girl got the attention she needed before it turned into something very serious. She will have to have another colonoscopy in a year and then they’ll decide what to do, schedule-wise, from that point on out.
Thanks to ALL of you for your sweet comments left for us and the prayers and concern; they meant so much to Sarah and to Steve and me.
I’ll write more later but leave you for now with a photo of Sarah with her first sip of water after a very long time with nothing to drink.
How sweet it is!
Dear Becky, I’m so glad and so very thankful that the polyps were found and removed. Hoping to hear that Sarah is in the clear soon. May she always have her guardian angels by her side as she walks through life. She deserves the best of health and happiness. So happy for you and your family
Sumathi,
Thanks so much for your sweet words. We are blessed indeed to have found the problem early!
Praying that the polyps are nothing to worry about! Good to have a family doctor who is on top of things! Does the doctor think that the polyps are a result of her cancer or treatment??
Kristi,
That’s a good question. I do know that Neuroblastoma treatment can cause secondary cancers down the road but that’s mainly Leukemia. I emailed her oncologist at Duke so see if he has ever heard of any NB/colon cancer connections.
Angels indeed! Colonoscopies are wonderful things, aren’t they? And so are angels. And so, of course, is Sarah!
Jan,
Angels and colonoscopies. Who would have thought those two would go together?
Glad everything went well! Colonoscopies are a well known procedure in our house, with both hubby and I having Crohn’s since we were kids. Hubby is getting another one in just a few days. I’m glad everything went well for Sarah and that the polyps were caught early! Phew!
Renee,
I can’t imagine having Chron’s since a child. Not an easy road for you OR your husband. Although on the brighter side, it’s nice to be married to someone who understands so well the struggles you face!
Yeah! Praising God!
Karen,
yes!
a multitude of heavenly and earthly angels, I imagine……
Mrs. Pam,
I imagine it right along with you!
Thankful for the doctors that God places in our lives!
Karen,
I agree. Doctors and nurses are conduits of God’s healing . . .
So glad things went well for her and all of you; “rest and trust in Jesus”, is always a very good prescription. Enjoy your medicine . Ruth
Ruth,
That’s a great prescription! Hope spring time visits you soon.
So glad for the good news. Praying for great results and everything continuing just fine. Jim said after mine later this month I will go every five years and not wait 12 again. Now Sarah can pray for me as I go through what she just finished today. Don’t know the date yet but consultation is May 21. Hopefully it will be soon after that so I can get it over with, too. No problems just my GYN said it was time to get another one done.
Ann,
Yes, twelve IS a little too long to wait! I know you’ll be glad to have this next one over with.
I had five polyps at my last colonoscopy…it was found by accident. One big one that had I waited the 10 years that was my first instruction (I had waited 7 when occult blood was detected), it would have probably been too late. Hey everyone, NEVER GO 10 YEARS BETWEEN COLONOSCOPIES!I go every 3 years now and am happy to have this lifesaving test! I am soo happy with Sarahs outcome! Good Girl!!
Jojy,
Wow! You have MUCH to be thankful for–so glad you went in time!
I’m happy you could decipher that scrambled text from me, Becky! I have been very remiss in my proofreading..and promise to be better next time! Yikes! Anyway, you got the point!
Jojy,
I’m very good at deciphering since I often have to decipher my OWN stuff! 🙂 Always good to hear from you–proof read or not!
Thank the Lord for a good report, loving parents, concerned doctors, and a brave girl! 🙂
Angela,
Good, loving, concerned, brave . . . great words!
Praying all is well! Glad she got the care she needed! Keep the faith the next two weeks! Gods got this!! Have a great weekend!!
Catherine,
God’s got this, indeed!
Yeah! So glad she’s okay. I’ll be making prayers that the biopsies come back just fine.
Brooke,
Thanks for your prayers. It’ll be good to get the biopsy reports back and have that part of it behind us!
So glad. So grateful!!! All good 🙂
Anne,
Well said. 🙂
Thankful! Praying for a good lab report.
Love deb and the guys
Deb (and the guys)
Thanks for your prayers and long distance concern.
I am so relieved to hear this. So glad it was caught. I thought of her off and on today, checking in on your blog, while moving my daughter home from her dorm today. Thank you for letting us know. Sounds like answered prayers, though I will continue praying for her.
Jill,
Moving a daughter home sounds like a happy thing to do! 🙂 Thanks so much for checking in on us during your busy day; that means a lot.
Very happy! Successful freshman year for her but she is ready to be home for the next few months with us. She is relaxing and reading and recovering!
Praying for her results and for you all as she approaches graduation. I remember all those feelings from last year.
Jill,
Enjoy your “daughter at home time.” It goes by so fast!
Thanks Becky. I plan to enjoy her this summer. It’s all harder with my daughter than my son. Maybe because she’s my baby. So be warned! And yes, time is flying!
Very glad to hear, that all went well today and that everything got detected before it became nasty. Now praying for a pathology report showing nothing than benign tissue. Also, good to hear that Sarah’s doctors are on the ball and did the right thing.
All the best to Sarah and also Nathan when he has to undergo the procedure!
best wishes Nadine from Germany
Nadine,
I am so thankful for Sarah’s on the ball doctor! He very well may have saved her from a colon cancer diagnosis in her 20’s or 30’s!
Thanks for letting us know that Sarah was right to have the colonoscopy. Will pray for negative pathology results. I’ll bet she is enjoying having something to eat!
Liz,
Yes, her first bite of food was a joyful experience! 🙂
Whew!
Steve,
That pretty well sums it up!
Hallelujah!
Scooter,
Many, MANY hallelujahs!
Becky , so very thankful for The Lord in Sarah’s life. Praise the sweet name of Jesus.
Angela,
We are so very, very grateful.
Thank God! Answered prayers, for sure. 🙂 I am so glad that her Doctor had her get this done!
LeeAnne,
Yes, that doctor is our new favorite person!
Thank God….
Dale,
Thanking Him right along with you . . .
much better to be proactive than reactive! God bless Sarah
Becky,
How true that is!
Answered prayers. So glad Sarah.
Margie,
We are glad right along with you.
Oh my! I have been “out of touch” for several days and knew nothing of this. You all were in my thoughts for other reasons so I will offer those thoughts as unintentional prayers for the scares and struggles that were happening while I was “away.” I have some catching up to do. So thankful for the exceptional medical attention Sarah received and the good results. Angels are also watching over her doctor that recommended those tests – certainly a Heavenly nudge to keep our miracle girl well and happy. Praying “real” prayers now for all of you.
Mary,
I love the words, ‘unintentional prayers.” We’ll take ALL prayers–intentional and unintentional, both!
SO glad she went! From lurker Sue in the UK 😉
Sue,
ALWAYS so happy to hear from a lurker! 🙂