Blood on toilet paper - terrified it's cancer

[DCliving]

Hi all - I know I’ve been posting a bit here recently but still afraid of bowel/colon cancer. Yesterday, after doing number 2, I wiped and saw a decent amount of pink blood. I don’t THINK it was in the stool but just on the paper. The whole day, my stomach was a bit upset but was slightly constipated. After straining, blood appeared again on the paper, not the bowl, and it happened again this morning. The next time, everything seemed okay. I messaged my doctor and will be doing a virtual appointment (I'm on travel). I know this is may be a fissure or something but usually those are closer to the exit. Anyone have run i to this issue?

[kyllikki]

Congrats, you likely popped a hemmie while straining. Find an oatmeal recipe you really like and try that for breakfast for a while.

But don't worry. This happens to pretty much everyone at least once in life.

[ServerError]

It's quite common for people to misinterpret the sight of blood on toilet paper as something awful and get into a spiral about it. Most of the time, fresh red/pink blood on the toilet paper is a sign that the paper has come into contact with a tiny wound or cut. It's more of a concern if the blood is grainy and dark/sometimes black, and you'll often see it in the toilet too. A bit of blood on wiping isn't worth getting into a state about. The skin in that neck of the woods is very thin and easily injured.

[Carys]

Pushing a large, hard, potentially very scratchy (depending on foods eaten) 'thing' through a delicate piece of very stretched skin with blood capillaries - can cause this commonly. Thats all.

[DCliving]

Thanks everyone, spoke to my doctor who told me not to worry. I hate when this happens because it just consumes my brain! A more general question; outside of therapy (which I'm not opposed to) how do folks deal with health anxiety?

[Carys]

1. Always presume the most likely cause for something, and NOT the most rare unlikely cause. That makes no sense to jump to the least likely, in terms of probability.

2. Use logic particularly when you have very obvious cause and effect, write the logic down if necessary (I gave you an example above - "Pushing a large, hard, potentially very scratchy (depending on foods eaten) 'thing' through a delicate piece of very stretched skin with blood capillaries - can cause this commonly. Thats all.")

3. When you've noted down your reason why this is NOT something majorly serious - repeat that list over and over to yourself every time a negative 'but what if' thought comes into your head.

4. Recognise that HA is about a fear of dying, and death, our mortality - ACCEPT that one day this is going to happen to every human being including yourself.

5. Once you've accepted the above - recognise that NOW is not that time, you have a minor common issue see point 1 and 2.

6. Give yourself a limited amount of time to 'be consumed' - start with 5 minutes every hour and then move on with distraction and other tasks. When you get better at it, put aside time every few hours to only think about the 'issue of the day'.

7. Recognise that the human body has blips, it won't remain in the same perfect state as it was for many 12 years olds, BUT, it heals - its GOOD at it and designed for it. Lumps, bumps, scratches, red patches, bruises etc are all going to happen, and the more you age the more seem to appear.

8. Have faith in doctors and modern medicine, never before have the human species been so lucky (not everyone of course sadly!) to have an array of treatments for most things and a better prognosis for survival no matter what awful illness comes their way.

9. Remind yourself that a true, real, serious illness would be really obvious and there'd be no doubting it and it would have multiple symptoms.

[Lencoboy]

1. Always presume the most likely cause for something, and NOT the most rare unlikely cause. That makes no sense to jump to the least likely, in terms of probability.

2. Use logic particularly when you have very obvious cause and effect, write the logic down if necessary (I gave you an example above - "Pushing a large, hard, potentially very scratchy (depending on foods eaten) 'thing' through a delicate piece of very stretched skin with blood capillaries - can cause this commonly. Thats all.")

3. When you've noted down your reason why this is NOT something majorly serious - repeat that list over and over to yourself every time a negative 'but what if' thought comes into your head.

4. Recognise that HA is about a fear of dying, and death, our mortality - ACCEPT that one day this is going to happen to every human being including yourself.

5. Once you've accepted the above - recognise that NOW is not that time, you have a minor common issue see point 1 and 2.

6. Give yourself a limited amount of time to 'be consumed' - start with 5 minutes every hour and then move on with distraction and other tasks. When you get better at it, put aside time every few hours to only think about the 'issue of the day'.

7. Recognise that the human body has blips, it won't remain in the same perfect state as it was for many 12 years olds, BUT, it heals - its GOOD at it and designed for it. Lumps, bumps, scratches, red patches, bruises etc are all going to happen, and the more you age the more seem to appear.

8. Have faith in doctors and modern medicine, never before have the human species been so lucky (not everyone of course sadly!) to have an array of treatments for most things and a better prognosis for survival no matter what awful illness comes their way.

9. Remind yourself that a true, real, serious illness would be really obvious and there'd be no doubting it and it would have multiple symptoms.

10. And ignore the disinformation-peddling, scaremongering know-it-alls on social media.

[BlueIris]

I don't think the OP actually mentioned social media, Lenco? You don't need to bring your hobby horse into every single thread.

[DCliving]

Thanks all! I'd add the forum as #11; this site has helped me more times than I care to count