Bowel Cancer Fears seem to control my life. (Apologies for topic)

[Sollace]

Hello everybody, I posted here a few times over Christmas about my latest fear- bowel cancer. Since late November now I've been constantly examining bowel movements, checking the colour or for blood etc. and although up until now I hadn't found anything it still dominated my routine and was particularly worried about whether they looked a bit narrow, or if they seemed to have crumbled parts. Around Christmas my worries heightened after having some very loose/ diarrhoea like stools- but my diet at the time could probably explain it. After Christmas I had exams to focus on, so it took a backseat for a time however this past week has been dreadful.

Last tuesday, almost a week ago, I was constipated with an especially hard stool to pass. I strained an awful lot to pass it and it even hurt a bit. After being on the toilet for a while I wiped to initially notice just some clear mucous. Despite being worried by this, it couldn't prepare me for one of the most terrifying moments of my life when I wiped again and noticed a thin streak of brightish red blood. I immediately made a doctor's appointment for this Wednesday and it has been preying on my mind ever since.

I hadn't had any problems with my bowel habits after that until today. I initially really needed to go the toilet early in the day and became worried when it was a fairly loose stool which was quite dark. I'm (hopefully) sure that it wasn't black, however it was certainly quite dark. Setting me into an anxious state today, I finally reached breaking point just now. After having chilli for my evening meal, I shortly afterwards needed to go the toilet to have actual diarrhoea. Thankfully it wasn't black or dark at all, but I am certain that it is a sign, along with all my other problems, that I have advanced bowel cancer.

Already, in the past six months I've been to the Doctors over both Leukemia and Lung Cancer concerns and had blood tests done for both of them. As much as I really want to see the Doctor to find out what is wrong with me, I am terrified of what it might be, or that they'll just dismiss me after the previous visits and leave me to die.

Sorry for the post, but it's all become too much.

[Nzxt27]

How old are you I went through the same fears.

[Sollace]

I'm 19.

[Sphincterclench]

the passage of a large BM could easily cause the streak of blood, that combined with your age has your chances almost nil.

Rest easy and youll see your fine.

[Nzxt27]

It's not colon cancer. Plain and simple. I was 32 when I thought I had it my GI told me face to face 1-100,000 chance I got it. That's he's only seen 2 people my age or younger with it in his 30 years of being a doctor. One was 26 other was 32. If you had it at 19 only way you would have it is to be born with 100's to 1,000 of polyps which is a rare disease and they would have caught that early in your child hood. It's hireditary. Which would mean your mom or dad would have it and people that have it pretty much Guaranteed to have colon cancer by 25. Which they would have removed your whole colon early in life like around age of 10.

---------- Post added at 20:05 ---------- Previous post was at 20:03 ----------

And when I went to go I had every symptom of colon cancer besides throwing up which would only happen if you was completely blocked

My syptoms was gas/rumbling stomach. Constipation/ sometimes diarrea right after blood and thin stool like pencil thin sometimes. And left side pain

[Sollace]

Thanks for the re-assurance everybody. This was the only time I've ever noticed blood, and especially given it was when I wiped and was faced directly with it I became overcome with anxiety.

[Nzxt27]

Well might as well get cancer out if you're mind. It could be hemroids or Crohn's or ulcer colitis. Or anal fissure.

[StephA]

Stop looking at your poop! You do not have bowel cancer, plain and simple. Anxiety wreaks havoc on the gut. When I'm anxious I get diarrhea. Sometimes it's watery D. Your anus tissue is very delicate and you strained and passed hard stool so therefore it scratched your butt causing it to bleed like a paper cut. It's called a fissure in the anus though. Don't be surprised if it happens again with hard stool or even harsh wiping. I have hemorrhoids and have had a fissure. Sometimes even diarrhea can make either one bleed. Bright red blood is almost always from hemmies or a fissure/scratch. My GI doctor told me that and so did the proctologist who treated my fissure! Relax!

[Capercrohnj]

Well might as well get cancer out if you're mind. It could be hemroids or Crohn's or ulcer colitis. Or anal fissure.

Sounds like hemmorhoid maybe but doesn't sound like crohn's or ulcerative colitis at all

[Drisque]

The odds are definitely in your favor. Colon cancer at 19 is very, very rare. I do understand your irrational fear, though. I've been worried about flat stools for a year now. Don't be like me! Squandering your youth away by needlessly worrying is not a road you want to go down. I know this from experience.

[PASchoolSyndrome]

So the lack of fiber in my daily diet is absolutely disgusting, and even eating one meal of quinoa after a long weekend of binge eating pizza and wings (it was the super bowl here), will drastically change my bowel movements - sorry for the TMI!

Hard stool will cut you're rectum on it's way out. The fact that it was a bright red streak pretty much confirms that. Keep in mind anxiety can also change your bowel habits on the regular too! Eat some more fiber and drink more water and get cancer out of your mind!

[GlassPinata]

It is literally impossible that you would have bowel cancer at age nineteen, unless you suffered from the aforementioned familial hereditary cancer syndrome (I believe it's called Lynch Syndrome), and if you had that you would know, because many young people in your family would be suffering from many rare cancers, specifically bowel cancer and ovarian cancer.
Apart from people who are born with hereditary syndromes which predispose them to these cancers, bowel cancer is a disease of older age.
They do not even begin routine screening for it until age 50. Most people who get it are diagnosed in their 60s or older.
You do not have it.
There are many reasons why your butt could bleed, or you could see blood in your poop. The most common reason is a hemmorhoid or a fissure. Or simply a large hard poop that stretched your bottom and broke a blood vessel.
Even babies and small children will sometimes have a little bit of blood, when they have a large BM.
It means nothing.
Forget this. Refuse to allow it to take up space in your head.
You do NOT have bowel cancer.

best wishes.

[Sollace]

Thanks everybody. Bowel cancer isn't common in my family (in fact I don't know a single case of it ever) so I am feeling much better.

Thanks a lot.

[StephA]

I had the exact same thing happen to me this afternoon. I stained and there was some blood when I wiped and on the last two pieces of stool too. I know I have hemorrhoids like I said earlier so I think they're flared up. Anyway, did you end up going to the doc today?

[annamaria]

You do not have colon cancer. My mom had colon cancer at 55. She had dark red/black blood in her stool. Actually in her stool, not when she wiped, not blood in the water, in her stool. I'm sure the blood on your toilet was normal blood color right? Bright red? You obviously tore something when you had that difficult stool. I've had it happen many times as has my husband and we just laugh about it. I know that it's scary, but the chances of you having colon cancer are almost 0.