Advocating for Your Health Means Watching Out for Symptoms, Pushing for Clear Answers
- Actress Kirsten Dunst, 41, dealt with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), which is a condition that typically causes stomach discomfort and gastrointestinal problems. She attributes the medical condition to a bout with depression.
- Psychiatrist Dr. Samantha Boardman suggests that people who are working on their mental health practice positive psychology. Positive psychology focuses on encouraging patients to feel positive and finding what brings a sense of vitality to their lives.
- IBS shares several symptoms with multiple cancer types. Abdominal pain, cramps, bloating, and gastrointestinal issues, including changes in bowel habits and diarrhea, are associated with IBS. However, some cancers, including colorectal, ovarian, liver, and stomach, also share these symptoms.
- If you are uncertain about persistent and unusual symptoms, contact your doctor. Since IBS symptoms can mimic other conditions and cancers, multiple medical opinions may be helpful.
- Seeking a second or third opinion on your diagnosis and treatment plan is another aspect of advocating for your health and ensuring you get the treatment you need.
IBS is a “group of symptoms that occur together, including repeated pain in your abdomen and changes in your bowel movements like diarrhea and constipation,” the National Institutes of Health explains. However, it’s not uncommon for its symptoms to become confused with symptoms of other conditions, including cancer.
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Psychiatrist Dr. Samantha Boardman suggests that people working on their mental health practice positive psychology. Positive psychology focuses on encouraging patients to feel positive and finding what brings a sense of vitality to their lives.
WATCH: Managing your mental health amid a health challenge.
Dr. Boardman explains them as “pathways to embrace your everyday resilience.” In other words, these are tools people who may be struggling with mental health issues can embrace to help maintain a certain sense of positivity. And those positive feelings can go a long way when people are facing a health challenge like a cancer diagnosis.
Expert Resources to Help You Manage Your Mental Health
- Changing the Culture: Medical Professionals Shouldn’t be Ashamed to Seek Mental Health Treatment
- Mental Health and Cancer — The Fight, Flight or Freeze Response
- Mental Health and Cancer: New Survey Shows Over a Third of Patients Aren’t Getting the Support They Need
- Do You Have a Question About Mental Health & Cancer– Strong In Cancer — A New Column From SurvivorNet with Dr. Marianna Strongin
- How Can Genetic Testing Help Determine the Right Form of Mental Health Treatment?
Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Cancer
Irritable bowel syndrome is a gastrointestinal disorder that affects your digestive system. The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases says some symptoms associated with IBS include:
- Abdominal pain and cramps
- Bloating
- Bowel movements that are harder or looser than normal
- Diarrhea and constipation
- Excessive gas
While IBS is an incurable condition, medications are readily available to manage conditions. However, some of these stomach-related problems and gastrointestinal problems are also shared by some common cancers.
WATCH: Detecting Subtle Signs of Ovarian Cancer
While other types of cancer can cause similar symptoms to IBS, some common cancers include:
Colorectal cancer can have symptoms like cramps, gas, and changes in bowel habits.
Liver cancer can also cause swelling or bloating in the abdomen or abdominal pain below the ribs.
Ovarian cancer can cause symptoms of bloating or fullness, pain in the pelvis or abdomen, and changes in bowel habits.
Stomach cancer can cause feelings of indigestion and stomach discomfort, feeling bloated, and stomach pain.
Where to Turn If You Experience Symptoms of IBS, But You’re Unsure What’s Causing It?
When you experience unusual symptoms, you should first consider talking to your doctor. However, in the case of IBS, where symptoms can be easily confused with something else, considering a second professional opinion is always helpful.
When you see a doctor for a problem, don’t hesitate to ensure that your questions are fully answered and that you are comfortable with the plan moving forward. From a doctor’s perspective, every problem should have a diagnosis, a treatment, a plan for follow-up, and a plan for what happens next if the treatment doesn’t work.
WATCH: Being your own advocate.
“It’s important for you to actually educate yourself and be your own health care advocate,” colorectal surgeon Dr. Zuri Murrell previously told SurvivorNet.
“You should lead each doctor’s appointment with a plan,” Dr. Murrell adds.
In addition to ensuring that you and your doctor agree about your diagnosis and potential treatment, seeking other opinions is equally important.
Doctors do not always agree about whether your symptoms merit further testing and whether specific treatment methods work best for you.
Dr. Steven Rosenberg, chief of surgery at the National Cancer Institute and one of America’s most renowned cancer doctors, agrees.
WATCH: The value of getting a second opinion.
“If I had any advice for you following a cancer diagnosis, it would be, first, to seek out multiple opinions as to the best care because finding a doctor who is up to the latest information is important,” Rosenberg previously told SurvivorNet.
“It’s always important to get other opinions so that you can make the best decisions for yourself in consultation with your care providers,” Dr. Rosenberg continued.
Questions for Your Doctor
If you find yourself considering seeking a second or third medical opinion, here are some questions to kickstart the conversation with your doctor:
- Is there any other testing available for the type of cancer I have?
- Are there any other treatment options available for my type of cancer?
- Why or why do you not recommend those other options?
- I want to seek a second opinion on my diagnosis and treatment options. Is there another doctor or facility you recommend?
- Do you want the second opinion to be sent to you?
- Can I have a copy of all my records to share with this second physician?
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