Yellow Stool and Left Side Pain - PanCan?

[Angelica Schuyler]

Hi, everyone.

I was here not long ago with esophageal cancer fears due to reflux symptoms. I saw a doctor who assured me that I almost certainly had reflux and put me on 40 mg of Prilosec. My throat lump and chest pain cleared up quickly.

However, I now have tightness through my abdomen, a persistent stitch in my left abdomen and ribs that sometimes is felt in my back, and mustard yellow stools. This has been going on for 2-3 weeks. I know the pancreas is on the left and I’m afraid I have a tumor on my pancreas. I had cancer in the past and am at a higher risk for basically every other cancer due to my treatment, so saying that I’m too young (I’m 34) might not be correct in my case.

Has anyone else has anything like this? What did it turn out to be? Should I go in for testing? Should I be this scared?

Thanks for your help.

[jojo2316]

Yellow stools and abdominal pain are very vague symptoms that can be caused by anxiety- and lots of other benign conditions. Have you mentioned it to your doctor?

[Angelica Schuyler]

No, I haven’t. I tried to call on Wednesday but they were out for Independence Day (I’m in the U.S.). I’m scared of needing scans and having cancer again. Pancreatic cancer is a death sentence and I’m supposed to get married this year. I just know it’s going to end up being one of those sad hospital weddings like you see on TV, as I lay dying.

[jojo2316]

No, I haven’t. I tried to call on Wednesday but they were out for Independence Day (I’m in the U.S.). I’m scared of needing scans and having cancer again. Pancreatic cancer is a death sentence and I’m supposed to get married this year. I just know it’s going to end up being one of those sad hospital weddings like you see on TV, as I lay dying.

Its not pancan! I feel pretty safe saying that. Odds are stacked wildly in my favour!
though I understand that you worry about cancer. Do you think it might be a ptsd type thing following your previous cancer treatment?

[Angelica Schuyler]

Its not pancan! I feel pretty safe saying that. Odds are stacked wildly in my favour!
though I understand that you worry about cancer. Do you think it might be a ptsd type thing following your previous cancer treatment?

Both my oncologist and my therapist seem to think so. My hypochondria started three or four years after remission. I’m on a good medication regimen for it now, but it’s not foolproof. My anxiety is dulled, but I still worry. I’m also working on mindfulness and CBT with my therapist, but I can only see him every two weeks. His schedule is packed and I can’t leave work early in the day, when most of his openings are.

[Fishmanpa]

As a survivor, I understand your fear of recurrence. That said, the dragon is really breathing some fire down your neck as you're catastrophizing in a big way. You know the mantra... "its not cancer until they say it is". I've had digestive issues since treatment (6 years cancer free) but I know its due to treatment so.....Give it another week to resolve and then call your doctor. As Jojo said, anxiety can and does cause a lot of digestive issues and while you're doing things to control it, it still smolders under the surface.

Positive thoughts

[Angelica Schuyler]

As a survivor, I understand your fear of recurrence. That said, the dragon is really breathing some fire down your neck as you're catastrophizing in a big way. You know the mantra... "its not cancer until they say it is". I've had digestive issues since treatment (6 years cancer free) but I know its due to treatment so.....Give it another week to resolve and then call your doctor. As Jojo said, anxiety can and does cause a lot of digestive issues and while you're doing things to control it, it still smolders under the surface.

Positive thoughts

Thanks for popping over, Fishman. I always appreciate your wisdom on here. You’re right that both treatment AND anxiety can mess around with digestion. Worrying about symptoms caused by anxiety can lead to more symptoms which causes more anxiety and the cycle continues ad nauseam - sometimes literally.

I’ll do my best to hang in there and take my gabapentin liberally to stay calm. I’ll also keep popping back here, if that’s ok.