Have I got rectal cancer?

[nomorepanic]

Piles can bleed on their own - mine do!

[Toby2000]

Hi everyone,

I didn't want to have to post in this thread again, but I'm now once again convinced that I have rectal or colorectal cancer. Here's why:

A couple of weeks ago I went to the toilet and I bled A LOT of bright red blood onto the toilet paper. Directly onto it, like a nosebleed. The BM was much looser that day due to what I'd been eating before and there wasn't blood mixed in with it. It was entirely separate from the stool, which makes me think that if it is a tumor, it's much lower down, unless it was dripping fast down from my sigmoid colon to my rectum and then onto the paper, but then surely the stool would be tinged red as it passed through my colon. I know this could also be piles, but that doesn't add up for me. I feel like if I tell myself that it is piles, that's just making the grave mistake that so many with colorectal cancer fall into the trap of making before their diagnosis. False hope and a false sense of comfort. It also wasn't a fissure.

Now, I HAVE had these sort of symptoms before. The whole reason I made this thread back in July 2018, over 4 years ago, is because there was bright red blood when I wiped. I saw blood every few months, now and then, both on the stool (when it was hard to pass) and on the paper throughout 2019, which made the consultant that I went to see come to the conclusion of piles. He even said that he saw one when he inspected (via a rigid sigmoidoscopy test, which inspects the rectum and lower part of the sigmoid colon) in May 2019. From what I remember, I didn't see any more blood (maybe the odd small spot here and there like most people do on occasion) throughout the whole of 2020 and 2021 and for most of 2022. But I have heard about colorectal cancer diagnoses that are preluded by people spotting blood years before, though I recognise that this could be just coincidence. So I'm not sure what to think on that front. But my mind is making connections.

And then over Christmas, less than 2 weeks ago, I started experiencing diarrhea and an almost complete loss of appetite. That's been ongoing for maybe 10-11 days at this point. It COULD be connected to the cold that I contracted around the time of the symptoms starting, as bugs and viruses can affect the gut, especially with COVID (I don't know if that's what I had), but the sore throat and chills have faded, yet I'm still left with really bad diarrhea and a small appetite. And both are obviously a hallmark symptom of colorectal cancer. Now, diarrhea usually occurs in colon cancer, I believe, when the tumor secretes fluid (?) or because of partial obstruction and overflow around the tumor (according to Google). But I don't have any severe cramping or signs of a blockage. And my stomach usually (TMI) gurgles and churns etc. which makes me think that it's a problem with my stomach, rather than something in my colon causing the diarrhea, especially combined with the appetite loss. I'm not not eating a lot because I don't want there to be diarrhea or because of severe pains, I'm not eating because I just don't have an appetite. It feels like it's stomach related. But then again, I don't know. Maybe colorectal tumors can secrete chemicals which influence other parts of the body or something like that. What do I know?

My logical mind says "Actually, these don't seem related because X Y Z" but then my HA mind kicks in and I don't want to be the person who says "It's fine, I just have piles", only for it to turn out to be something much more sinister than that. Also, considering the symptoms that I had a few years back... it feels like maybe it's been creeping up on me all this time.

I'll probably see the GP this week... but let's be real, what are they gonna do for me? Other than tell me "It's piles" or "You're too young for cancer" or "It's a virus, wait for it to pass" based on little evidence. I don't want to fall back down this rabbit hole because it's so dark and lonely, as most of you will know, but I feel like with these symptoms, it's unavoidable. Like, there are people with LESS symptoms than me who are diagnosed with bowel cancer. So I'm really torn.

[pulisa]

You've obviously been digesting a lot more "information" from Dr Google which you know is very unhelpful and can't be "unread". If you really have to do "research" NHS 111 online is a safer bet.

Why not just ring your surgery tomorrow and describe your symptoms and see what the doctor decides? Make a plan and don't let your HA mind influence your thinking? Let the doctor decide if you need to be seen? Could you cope with stool tests to rule out inflammation/bugs etc?

[Toby2000]

You've obviously been digesting a lot more "information" from Dr Google which you know is very unhelpful and can't be "unread". If you really have to do "research" NHS 111 online is a safer bet.

Why not just ring your surgery tomorrow and describe your symptoms and see what the doctor decides? Make a plan and don't let your HA mind influence your thinking? Let the doctor decide if you need to be seen? Could you cope with stool tests to rule out inflammation/bugs etc?

I'm scared that the stool tests will reveal the presence of blood, which would freak me out even though I might have piles.

[nomorepanic]

The doctor can easily check for piles so make an appointment.

You were convinced you were dying of bowel cancer in 2018 and are still here !

[pulisa]

The doctor will know you have piles so maybe he/she would screen for other issues such as bacteria/infection?

[Toby2000]

Last time I bled directly onto the paper on July 20 2018, I went to see my GP on I believe August 18, a little less than a month later, and she checked for piles but was unable to feel any, which is what really worried me at the time.

So I'm afraid that it will happen again.

Is it possible for piles to quickly decrease in size and become unnoticeable?

[Toby2000]

My appetite has somewhat returned (I think) but the diarrhea is still there, though it didn't wake me up yesterday which I guess is an improvement.

If it hasn't gone by this time tomorrow I'll try and book an appointment on Friday for next week.

[Lolalee1]

The doctor can easily check for piles so make an appointment.

You were convinced you were dying of bowel cancer in 2018 and are still here !

Yep 5 yrs on,it’s a miracle.

[Toby2000]

The diarrhea has gone (unless it suddenly returns) so I guess that's problem solved. Hopefully there's no more blood.