Bad day today. Trigger warning: death

[puzzledlass]

I keep seeing stories of young people being diagnosed with terminal cancer, in their 20s and 30s. I don't even have to look for these stories, they are everywhere.

I feel sad for them and their families. Selfishly, I feel anxious that this will happen to me. It puts me in a spin, dying is all I am think about.

Bowel cancer is what I am afraid of. Terrified. I don't think I will be eligible to have a government funded colonoscopy. What then? In my head I don't get diagnosed early enough so I die young. Leaving my loved ones behind. It would be my fault. My fault for not being able to go private. I will let them down.

---------- Post added at 16:03 ---------- Previous post was at 14:46 ----------

Gosh I'm so down today.

[swanick15]

When these stories worm their way into the media and the news it makes it seem more common for young people to have terminal cancer than there actually are. Younger people tend to have a higher survival rate when it comes to the more difficult to treat cancer such as Bowel, Lung, Brain Tumours etc. The exposure that they get in the media makes it seem really common to have terminal cancer at a young age and makes it seem like it happens all the time. I can tell you that it is not at all. The best thing is not to worry unless you start defecating blood, although not necessarlily a sign of cancer it tends to be a red flag. Just think of it this way in the UK 3,000 people approx were diagnosed with BC last year, 300,000 cancers are diagnosed in the UK each year so BC is a rare disease straightaway and only 5% of people diagnosed with BC are under the age of 55, so in other words it is extremely rare for young people to get BC, if you want to lower your risk, eat plenty of fruit and vegetables and limit your intake of processed food and red meats.

[puzzledlass]

I've had rectal bleeding which has got me panicking!

---------- Post added at 16:31 ---------- Previous post was at 16:24 ----------

And I live in NZ which has a stupid high rate for some reason :(

[puzzledlass]

I've just taken a FOBT to the lab and had CBC bloods the other day. Sounds like bloods are fine, not so sure about FOBT as yet.

I want to be referred to a specialist so they can take a look. I cannot afford to go private. My GP says that the specialist may not think my symptoms warrant a colonoscopy and they won't give me one. I may need to go private if I want one which is between 2-4 thousand dollars.

My GP, and 2 other doctors don't seem worried about the rectal bleeding. But I am, so very worried. I don't want to be one of the people they "miss" because they are dismissed as being too young to have it.

[Fj2014]

These stories used to freak me out too - but then I remembered that I am a news reporter and (as bad as it sounds, things that are rare only make the news).

People read about these young cancer victims because it's scary and shocking but noone would read this:

Puzzledlass, aged **, of Nomorepanic-land, was not diagnosed with cancer.
Despite having rectal bleeding, the young woman went to the doctor and was told not to worry.

Thousands of people go to the doctor everyday and get told they're not sick or recover from cancer and other diseases - I'd reckon less than one thousand young people a month are told they do have cancer which is why it's in the news.

Please don't let fear-mongering scare you :).

And also, if your doc doesn't think you need a colonoscopy, you don't. It's far worse for them to miss something so they have to be much more certain to deny a test than give one!! xxx

[puzzledlass]

Thank you all. I know the media blows things way out but when you see those headlines, you're shocked into anxiety!

I have appointment on Tuesday to discuss results. Fingers crossed I get a referral to at least see specialist.

[firecracker777]

I agree with all of this. The new one I see is about the girl in her 20's with brain cancer and I immediately just got sick to my stomach. I feel so awful for her and her family and I just keep thinking what if it happens to me?

---------- Post added at 12:27 ---------- Previous post was at 12:02 ----------

Ugh speaking of the story of the young girl with cancer who is trying to end her own life, I seen another article about a young woman with breast cancer pleading this girl not to end her life. One of the first comments under the article says.. " One of my best friends passed from Melanoma, it attacked several parts of her body including her brain."

why is it when we fear something its EVERYWHERE?! I just calmed myself down from this morning over this. :(

[puzzledlass]

I've not been doing too badly last couple days but now it's hit me. Blood on stool/rectal bleeding is terrifying me. Convinced is cancer.