Combination of symptoms and worry

[berniece2000]

Hello everyone,

I'm new here, though I belonged to a similar board many, many years ago. As I got older, I didn't "Need" as much reassurance for some reason, but now I find myself starting to follow my old patterns a little and thought I would seek the forum out for support.

Here are my symptoms:

I've had spotting at one specific time of the month (like 10 days from start of period) for several years (mostly brownish). Now, as I approach my 50th birthday, the spotting is less predictable and more red in colour. Also, I've been pretty regular, period coming every 26-28 days. Then one month it came after 24 days, and the month after that it was only 20 days.

The doctor suspects perimenopause, of course, but did a pap test and said my cervix looks perfectly normal. I don't have the pap results but am not expecting anything sinister.

I have some concerns about my bowels. I've had a dependency on glycerine suppositories for years now (mostly in answer to the meds I was taking during those years) and I'm trying to kick that, but in the meantime I'm having bowel issues where I am never "Empty", and only pass (sorry for TMI) small pieces or little skinny pieces at at time. I also have a feeling of pressure in my rectum, pain, itching and some fresh blood at times. I had a hemmorhoid opperation 25 years ago, and I guess it's possible to believe I have them again, but these symptoms don't seem the same exactly.

I also have developed this horrible pain in my lower back on the left side. It's very low on the back and extends into the side of my hip/buttock area. The doctor figures it's "Piriformis syndrome" - not sure I spelled that right, but he gave me a sheet of exercises to do. That's fine, but I'm worried that it's being caused by something growing inside me. Could a tumour on the bowel or ovary not cause these same symptoms? It really hurts when I get up in the morning, and is greatly helped by Advil, but it's getting worse, and I'm finding I have to take the Advil twice a day now otherwise I'm in too much pain late in the day.

So I'm thinking that I could have either colon cancer or ovarian cancer, which is pressing on my colon and affecting my ability to move my bowels, and also causing pain in my back/hip area. I swore off google years ago, so I refuse to check symptoms for either one!

If anyone can offer reassurance (I'm awaiting a colonoscopy, which would help, but have no expectation for any medical inquiry into the ovarian cancer possibility. Thanks in advance.

[crystal17]

Just to say I feel for you as I know what a worry having specific symptoms is, we can drive ourselves quite insane.

Not sure if it will help but there have been several times I have put together a narrative of what's 100% going on in my body and I have been completely and utterly convinced it's a certain thing. Then it has been something different and I can't quite believe it but gradually come to accept that it wasn't what I thought it was. Each time it blows my mind that I've been so wrong. I think knowing this is realising how anxiety operates, and helps us feel a bit more on top of it.

I really think given your history and the op you had that it points towards a hemmorhoid issue once again, especially as it's fresh blood. I might be wrong but I don't think that would signal colon cancer. Good idea not googling, it never leads to anything good!

When is your colonoscopy?