PDA

View Full Version : Colonoscopy and Fear of Colon Cancer



mla1209
26-09-14, 04:55
Hi! I'm a new member here, but I've been reading this website for quite some time now, being that I suffer from health anxiety and I have a bad habit of googling every single symptom I feel I have.

My "latest" fear is having colon cancer, and it's based on the fact that since May or June this year I've been noticing blood on my stool. It comes and it goes. I checked with a surgeon who told me it could be 1st grade hemorrhoids- that is after he did a rectal exam. He requested for fecal occult blood test but I did not go through it as I was too scared of the possible result. :(

I let months pass and just a few days ago when I noticed the blood again, I ran to a clinic. The IM doc dismissed me and said it could be hemorrhoids but I insisted on getting a colonoscopy. I'm scheduled to have one next Saturday. Now I am worried sick and have been anxious about the prep, the actual procedure, but most of all, the result. I'm afraid it will be the big C.

I'm 31 y/o with two kids. Last yr when I was pregnant, I was rushed to the ER coz while I was straining in the bathroom (I know, not the right thing to do, but it had been 4 days already), I saw drops of blood on the floor. I thought I would have miscarriage. But the baby was okay, and my OB said it was hemorrhoids. Could this have started everything? But it's been almost a year since that incident.

I want to face my fear and get this over and done with. But I don't know what I would do if I get a not so good result. My father passed away last June, and since then my hypochondria has gone into overdrive.

Sorry for the long post. I'm really looking forward to your responses. Maybe you can share your experiences and help me put my mind at ease. Thank you!

nomorepanic
26-09-14, 12:27
It is unlikely to be cancer if the blood is red and fresh.

I would go for piles as the cause.

The colonoscopy will let you know for sure what is going on though.

Goldfynche
12-02-15, 17:54
Agreed. Or it could be what I am experiencing right now. Ulcerative Colitis. Which apparently, is not serious or life threatening. Just inconvenient.
When I had my last colonoscopy. They did take a series of skin samples from several tiny polyps they found in the lining of the colon. But they all came back as benign.
My colitis is only affecting the last couple of inches of the bowel. All the rest is perfectly clear.

---------- Post added at 16:54 ---------- Previous post was at 16:47 ----------

Oops! Just realised that this thread is a few months old. Still. Maybe it'll help somebody.