Have I got rectal cancer?

[Pkstracy]

"Also the burning sensation... that's very typical of piles and a
fissure. I don't have that itching/burning/discomfort that everyone
describes which kind of makes me feel alienated when people talk about
their experience with blood on stools and piles"

I have had hemmies and fissures that did not burn, itch or give me discomfort if you had cancer, Toby, you would be a lot sicker and a lot more going on. You would be weak, blood all of the time, watery runny diarrhea with blood, fever, losing weight, horrible stomach pains worse than what you are having now, feeling so tired that you can't walk more than a few steps, how do I know this, my best friend died of stomach and colon cancer not long ago and that is what she went through, nothing like what you have been talking about. What is going on with you is lack of a consistent healthy diet and anxiety, hemmies and fissure.

[StephA]

Ok I wasn’t going to reply to this thread since I think everyone has given wonderful advice, thoughts, etc. I am a female also. Just saying that since you said he. Anyway, I know some of this has already been said but given your age I’d bet a million bucks you don’t have any kind of gastrointestinal cancer! Also hemorrhoids and fissures do not always hurt, burn or itch. Mine very very rarely do. Sometimes there’s lots of blood, and other times it’s barely noticeable.
Stop obsessing over your poo! Just poop, wipe and flush! Oh and eat right, drink plenty of water and get some exercise. Ever since I changed my diet and hired a personal trainer my health anxiety has decreased very significantly! I also sleep like a baby now. Like the post Carys quoted me on said, I still have blood off and on after all this time and may have it forever. The tissue down there is very delicate and a small scratch from food particles or just wiping too hard will make it bleed, even if you aren’t having a flare up from a fissure or hemmie. Just like when you scrape your arm, hand, etc. Oh and really the only reason I had the colonoscopy was because I had recently finished treatment for breast cancer and I wasn’t thinking rationally. Sounds familiar doesn’t it? Not picking on you but you clearly aren’t. My GI doctor didn’t think I needed the scope and looking back on it I wish I would’ve listened to him! Anyway, like everyone else, I wish you’d put this worry to bed and enjoy your youth. Good luck!

[MyNameIsTerry]

^ Well said, Steph. Colonoscopies are harder to access here as the NHS means a GP needs to refer you and this is no bad thing with people on here as I'm sure you will agree.

Toby, I was in ALDI a couple of weeks ago and noticed they had a home endoscopy kit. I thought of you (and another member who has even purchased internal checking instruments...yes, it can go that far & beyond it you let it). When you feel that urge to buy, walk away from the computer. Go and do something else and let the tension fizzle out. Yes, it may feel worse at first but it will settle.

[Toby2000]

Until next time you see blood again.

You need to put this to bed, Toby - your bowel obsession is just a distraction from the real issue.

I'm so desperately seeking closure- I said to myself at the start of the year, "If I'm still seemingly fit and well by Christmas, I'll stop worrying". And here I am :(

[Toby2000]

"Also the burning sensation... that's very typical of piles and a
fissure. I don't have that itching/burning/discomfort that everyone
describes which kind of makes me feel alienated when people talk about
their experience with blood on stools and piles"

I have had hemmies and fissures that did not burn, itch or give me discomfort if you had cancer, Toby, you would be a lot sicker and a lot more going on. You would be weak, blood all of the time, watery runny diarrhea with blood, fever, losing weight, horrible stomach pains worse than what you are having now, feeling so tired that you can't walk more than a few steps, how do I know this, my best friend died of stomach and colon cancer not long ago and that is what she went through, nothing like what you have been talking about. What is going on with you is lack of a consistent healthy diet and anxiety, hemmies and fissure.

Absolutely. You told me about your friend before- I'm so sorry about what happened

I definitely know, deep down, or subconsciously, that I'd probably be much sicker than I am now, 17 months since I started worrying

But it also feels like a really cruel waiting game, because I've read about cases that took years to get diagnosed.

It's just the hours of ruminating and like even when I'm happy, it's the sense of "This will be my last Christmas.." or "This time next year I'll be in hospital"

I feel pathetic still thinking that I have bowel cancer after hearing about your friend :(

[Toby2000]

Ok I wasn’t going to reply to this thread since I think everyone has given wonderful advice, thoughts, etc. I am a female also. Just saying that since you said he. Anyway, I know some of this has already been said but given your age I’d bet a million bucks you don’t have any kind of gastrointestinal cancer! Also hemorrhoids and fissures do not always hurt, burn or itch. Mine very very rarely do. Sometimes there’s lots of blood, and other times it’s barely noticeable.
Stop obsessing over your poo! Just poop, wipe and flush! Oh and eat right, drink plenty of water and get some exercise. Ever since I changed my diet and hired a personal trainer my health anxiety has decreased very significantly! I also sleep like a baby now. Like the post Carys quoted me on said, I still have blood off and on after all this time and may have it forever. The tissue down there is very delicate and a small scratch from food particles or just wiping too hard will make it bleed, even if you aren’t having a flare up from a fissure or hemmie. Just like when you scrape your arm, hand, etc. Oh and really the only reason I had the colonoscopy was because I had recently finished treatment for breast cancer and I wasn’t thinking rationally. Sounds familiar doesn’t it? Not picking on you but you clearly aren’t. My GI doctor didn’t think I needed the scope and looking back on it I wish I would’ve listened to him! Anyway, like everyone else, I wish you’d put this worry to bed and enjoy your youth. Good luck!

Thanks Steph! And apologies for misgendering you

What colour was your blood? I'm just so obsessed about the colour even though I'm sure it can vary- because I feel like I've seen various shades. NoMorePanic/Admin noted that she sees different shades a lot with piles but everywhere says that it's mainly bright bright red blood, which I can see, but I've seen a whole tirade of different colours too. It's a whole can of worms in itself

'Stop obsessing over your poo!' I know, it's funny (not) that I give it more thought than I do some more serious issues. But my whole world right now revolves around thinking about when the next trip to the toilet will be, 'should I eat this?', will it trigger a pain? What if this, what if that. Exhausting

Most of the time the blood is with harder/bigger stools too! And once or twice with a lot of straining, but these are signs of piles. And the consultant said he saw signs of piles that were too small to band after doing a rigid sigmoidoscopy test to check my rectum and lower lower bowel. But I'm so caught up with the shades and consistency of the blood that it distracts from all of the facts

Also I'm sorry that you had breast cancer, but I'm also glad that it was sorted. And I'm glad that your colonoscopy was clear!

[Toby2000]

^ Well said, Steph. Colonoscopies are harder to access here as the NHS means a GP needs to refer you and this is no bad thing with people on here as I'm sure you will agree.

Toby, I was in ALDI a couple of weeks ago and noticed they had a home endoscopy kit. I thought of you (and another member who has even purchased internal checking instruments...yes, it can go that far & beyond it you let it). When you feel that urge to buy, walk away from the computer. Go and do something else and let the tension fizzle out. Yes, it may feel worse at first but it will settle.

H-home endoscopy? How is that possible?

It's too late for that now, it's unfortunately arriving tomorrow. Not sure what I'm going to do. Half of me is tempted to just break it straight away, the other half to go through with it knowing that it could say there's blood

[BlueIris]

I'm so desperately seeking closure- I said to myself at the start of the year, "If I'm still seemingly fit and well by Christmas, I'll stop worrying". And here I am :(

Closure isn't a thing, Toby, not where our health is concerned. There's never any such thing as 100% certainty because each and every one of us is a constantly changing living organism.

The ONLY solution is to learn to accept the uncertainty and enjoy the fact that you're okay for now.

[MyNameIsTerry]

H-home endoscopy? How is that possible?

It's too late for that now, it's unfortunately arriving tomorrow. Not sure what I'm going to do. Half of me is tempted to just break it straight away, the other half to go through with it knowing that it could say there's blood

iPhone? Check
USB mini camera on cable? Check
Hose pipe? Check
Jumbo tub of lube? Check



And no, we don't want a video uploading! (and no this is about humour, not a sale)

(I am only kidding! But yes, it was a cheap kit called just that. I think it more for inspection purposes like an inspection camera which you can thread around somewhere you can't see like under panelling or in your car...or for the FBI in American siege movies where they drill a hole in the wall and shove one through)

[Carys]

Toby, I was in ALDI a couple of weeks ago and noticed they had a home endoscopy kit.

I know its not for looking up bum holes, but people might use it for that surely and calling it by that name..>>>! This is entirely irresponsible to be selling such a thing. Home testing is going down risky routes for sure in general, soon GPs will be out of the loop. 'We' are going backwards in terms of our physical health, but ironically with more home kit at our disposal.

Thanks for posting Steph, and I wanted to say that it is ENTIRELY an understandable reason that your BC caused you to think of secondary cancers and wanted testing. I know how it is, when you are on high alert in those following years.