Bowel cancer worry

[worried girl]

Hello,
I am a 27 years old girl and do suffer from HA. Lately my focus is on bowel cancer. I just need to be reassured about a few things so I can get on with my life. It all started about 2 years ago when some very unconfy undies caused a cut down there. I then began obsessing about bleeding from the back passage. I then started the vicious circle of checking many times a day. I would insert toilet paper and rub so hard that it would bleed and send my ha in overdrive. I then started noticing that when I had a bad tummy some mucus would occassionaly show up. I would sometimes strain so hard even though I did not need to go that some jelly liquid would come out which did worry me a lot. Also if I eat red pepper or tomatoes I would freak seeking red flaky bits the next day. I just need to know is it normal to see occasional mucus, is it normal to see red bits when you eat red pepper or tomatoes and can rubbing too hard break the skin so it bleeds ?
And I guess the main thing is it ok to stop checking am I not ignoring a problem ? And how do I stop ?
Thank you for reading.

[worried girl]

Sorry to bump my own post. I just really need some advice... I am too scared to asked my boyfriend yet again for reassurance. I just would like to know does one ever get over ha ???

[TooWorried]

Hi there. I've had this fear too, but I was having A LOT of bleeding and mucus. To make things even more stressful, I was pregnant at the time. Even with these symptoms, the doctor basically laughed when I told him I was worried about cancer, because apparently the colorectal cancers are pretty much always in much older people (I was 26 at the time). He did a sigmoidoscopy to see what the problems might be, and it turned out that I had ulcers in my colon. In your situation though, I think you're probably causing the bleeding yourself. If you rub too hard on pretty much any part of your body, it will start to bleed. And yes, I think some mucus now and then is totally normal. I still have it a lot. Gross, I know. I think you should let yourself relax and stop worrying about this. Of course, if you're like me, you'll find something else to worry about. Feel free to PM me.

[rainbow]

hi,

I have suffered from HA for a few years now and i'm currently worrying about bowel cancer too.

I have ibs and quite often have mucous as does my little boy who is prone to constipation. If you are wiping too much then its most likely that you're breaking the skin and causing bleeding.

Are you getting any help for your anxiety?

[worried girl]

Thank you for your answers. I am getting some help with anxiety. I am currently on anti depressant but I only started taking them so I am only experiencing the side effects at the moment which is increased anxiety... If I manage not to check for a few days I start feeling good again but then I always end up checking again and the circle starts again. I went through a phase where I did cut all red food from my diet in order not to freak and felt better. Then I started eating normal again and after some checking found some red bits. Instead of being rational when I know it's only undigested food I keep on obssessing about it and convince myself it's blood. I then spend the day checking and bang real blood. Guess what I had a look and I can see cuts... I feel so silly.

[Phwoffy]

I've been worrying about bowel cancer for a few months now. I've not had any bleeding but a few other symptoms (constipation, burping, churning stomach, needing to rush to toilet - plus I'm pretty sure I have piles so...)

ANYWAY, as far as I'm aware 95% of people who are diagnosed with bowel cancer are over the age of 50. You're a long way off that! Also, most bleeding from that sort of problem wouldn't be bright red blood. I'm pretty sure that tomato and chilli can cause red bits (well, I get them after eating them too!) and I've passed mucus before, usually when constipated. I'm sure it's a combination of rubbing too hard (blood) and possibly a bit of IBS caused by stress?

Amazing how easy it is to say that to someone else, isn't it? I'm currently sitting here fretting over my next trip to the toilet. I've been poking my stomach all day looking for lumps...

[Thistime45]

I know what you're going through. I have the same worry at the time. No fun at all. It's hard to live life normally! Hang in there!

[worried girl]

Thank you for you support. I actually managed not to check today and do feel a bit better. To be honest if someone came up to me with the symptoms I have I would be 100% convinced they are just being silly and that there is nothing wrong with them apart from the anxiety. I mean yes what you eat is what comes out so if it is red it ought to show up red and mucus is just a normal bowel secretion it is normal to actually see it occasionally and if you do see cuts it ought to bleed... However when it comes to reassuring myself I become this very stupid person ... Why can't we just get on with our life like everyone else. Just wish I could for once truly believe that NO I DO NOT have bowel cancer. It's all in my head.

[macc noodle]

Well done worried girl - you haven't checked so that is great.

You also have good perception and awareness - you can get over this I know you can.

IBS could well be the culprit to the mucus issue as is is quite common.

Bright red blood is usually an indication of piles so you could get that checked out if worried.

Anyway just wanted to say well done hun - onward and upward!

Macc Noodle

:D

[worried girl]

Thanks. I actually feel that I can beat this today, stop checking there is no need. I got checked the first time it happened and the doc confirmed my thought, I had a tiny cut from over wiping. For the mucus it happens so seldom and it is really little that I do not think I have ibs. What did worry me is when I found tomato bits but then again I never used to check so I am pretty sure it is a normal finding.
When I put it all down I do understand that all those symptoms are actually nothing of concern... My body is fine, I feel healthy. I just litteraly worry about sh&&. A regalar person would see tomato bits and just think o yeah that's true I had tomatoes yesterday. Us with ha just jump to the false conclusion that it could be blood. I mean if it was it would not only happen when I eat tomatoes. Silly stupid worried person just leave me alone now I am perfectly healthy and just want to enjoy life !!

[worried girl]

So upset with myself today... I checked. I had red chillis and tomatoes last night some red bits showed up today and now I am freaking out. It did not look like liquid blood but some red fibrous things. Please someone tell me it is not blood, I am going out of my mind with worry now.

[Phwoffy]

It's not blood.
Read it back - you had tomatoes and red chilli last night. There are red bits that don't look like liquid blood.
How about you go a week without tomatoes or chillis and see what happens - I bet there won't be any sign at all!

[enriqjames]

Cancer is not a new topic. In fact, millions of people have been diagnosed with cancer each year this number is still increasing. This is a typical scenario, if you try to look at it more carefully, you will soon understand that this world needs is what preventive measures to stay away from the disease.

[worried girl]

Thank you. I guess ha just got the worst out of me once again... I did ask my boyfriend about it and he told me this happens to him too when he eats peppers, tomatoes or other red food. I don't understand why I feel the need to look. I never used to before so never noticed anything. I guess it is normal to see red bits from what you've eaten sometimes. I will try and stop convicing myself that it is blood. To be fair it never happens when I don't eat red stuff so I guess there is nothing wrong. If I was reading this message 2 years ago, I would be like Oh my god I ate red food and it showed up, big deal you are worrying about nothing there...

[Phwoffy]

I do exactly the same thing. Without being too informative - the other day I my Dad brought some truffles home from work and we were all munching on them and then complaining about the black bits around our mouths.
Of course, these exact things started showing up when I went to the toilet and instead of thinking twice I decided it was black because of blood etc etc.

I wish there was a way we could get it through to ourselves. Some days I want to laugh at myself and others it's not even a belief - it's as if I 'KNOW' that I have this disease. I hope it starts getting better soon. I wish I could offer some advice but I guess we're in the same boat!

[nomorepanic]

tomatoes will always be in your stools. We cannot digest the skins. This is nothing bad. We are all the same