panic1986
25-07-17, 14:31
Hi there,
I am not new to this thread, but I am returning after a reprieve and break from experiencing severe health anxiety. I have had digestive issues for about 6 or 7 years now, including stomach pain, intermittent diarrhea, constipation (which I am currently experiencing), periodic rectal bleeding, gas, etc...I am 30 years old, and I am scheduled to have a colonoscopy in 3 weeks time. 21 days to be exact from today. The panic is setting in, as waiting to have a diagnostic test is the worst. I have been googling colon cancer symptoms and of course I have all of them. Thin stools, difficulty passing stools, pain, blood. What if I have left this too late and the cancer has spread? This three week wait is going to be so incredibly hard on my well-being. The only saving grace is that both weekends in between are incredibly busy with yoga teacher training and a wedding out of town.
The practical part of my brain is trying to remind myself not to worry until I have the test, because there is no use in worrying about the unknown. I cannot move the test sooner as I am here in America, and need to scrape together half of the $1500 copay (ugh), and I cannot take the time off work between now and then (and my gastro is fully booked on the alternative days that I could fit it in). I am also reading the stats on colon cancer(cancer stats have NEVER comforted me), and the fact that this is IBS or something similar is more likely than the big scary C, but still. I have also stumbled upon young people with colon cancer stories and I am terrified as all of my symptoms are the same. And if this does end up being cancer, than it is likely that it has spread all over. Can someone give me some comforting words or tools to help me get through the next 20 days? It feels like FOREVER. I am not seeking medical advice, only comfort. I also forgot to mention just being EXTREMELY tired, and my absolute neutrophils at my last physical (August 2016) were Low, 1.2.
Thank you all, so so much.
I am not new to this thread, but I am returning after a reprieve and break from experiencing severe health anxiety. I have had digestive issues for about 6 or 7 years now, including stomach pain, intermittent diarrhea, constipation (which I am currently experiencing), periodic rectal bleeding, gas, etc...I am 30 years old, and I am scheduled to have a colonoscopy in 3 weeks time. 21 days to be exact from today. The panic is setting in, as waiting to have a diagnostic test is the worst. I have been googling colon cancer symptoms and of course I have all of them. Thin stools, difficulty passing stools, pain, blood. What if I have left this too late and the cancer has spread? This three week wait is going to be so incredibly hard on my well-being. The only saving grace is that both weekends in between are incredibly busy with yoga teacher training and a wedding out of town.
The practical part of my brain is trying to remind myself not to worry until I have the test, because there is no use in worrying about the unknown. I cannot move the test sooner as I am here in America, and need to scrape together half of the $1500 copay (ugh), and I cannot take the time off work between now and then (and my gastro is fully booked on the alternative days that I could fit it in). I am also reading the stats on colon cancer(cancer stats have NEVER comforted me), and the fact that this is IBS or something similar is more likely than the big scary C, but still. I have also stumbled upon young people with colon cancer stories and I am terrified as all of my symptoms are the same. And if this does end up being cancer, than it is likely that it has spread all over. Can someone give me some comforting words or tools to help me get through the next 20 days? It feels like FOREVER. I am not seeking medical advice, only comfort. I also forgot to mention just being EXTREMELY tired, and my absolute neutrophils at my last physical (August 2016) were Low, 1.2.
Thank you all, so so much.