Have I got rectal cancer?

[Carys]

I have £1,500 in the portion of my savings that I'm allowed to have access to and the cheapest price for a colonoscopy here is £1,200. I could, if worst gets to absolute worst and they still aren't taking me seriously, pay to get it done.

No Toby, don't even think of that! Being 'taken seriously' doesn't mean that they don't believe you have symptoms of things....just that they don't agree why you have them. I know it feels at the moment like you are 'fighting for your life', thats the place you are in, but I think in the future you would really regret spending that money.

[Fishmanpa]

No Toby, don't even think of that! Being 'taken seriously' doesn't mean that they don't believe you have symptoms of things....just that they don't agree why you have them. I know it feels at the moment like you are 'fighting for your life', thats the place you are in, but I think in the future you would really regret spending that money.

Agreed. that's a lot of money to get a "Told Ya So" on an anxiety forum

Positive thoughts

[pulisa]

Don't flush your money down the toilet, Toby. Do you really think a GP would deny a young adult a potential life-saving test?

[Fishmanpa]

Don't flush your money down the toilet, Toby.

But please flush your poo! (without examining it! )

Positive thoughts

[MyNameIsTerry]

Ha ha ....yes.....same not thought of that, but every possible combination of poo anomallys have happened with my dogs. None of those times has there been a clinical or medical condition that needed treatment.

Yes, but if you asked to use my toilet when visiting and then I found you stooping in my back yard and you came back in and did this...



...I might question how normal that is

(thanks for the kind words by the way )

---------- Post added at 02:44 ---------- Previous post was at 02:38 ----------

I have £1,500 in the portion of my savings that I'm allowed to have access to and the cheapest price for a colonoscopy here is £1,200. I could, if worst gets to absolute worst and they still aren't taking me seriously, pay to get it done.

No, don't do this for any reason. Ever.

Ethics seem to be subjective in the private health sector. Some will just give you all the scans and a bill. They know they are milking mentally unwell people but it buys them a new Merc so their consciences are clear.

Question. Why a colonoscopy? Because you read it somewhere? So, won't a CT just end up being a need too? And those will wreck your savings.

---------- Post added at 02:49 ---------- Previous post was at 02:44 ----------

Well why does anyone post here when they think they're ill and are worrying about it?

You can be both ANXIOUS and have cancer..

Deborah James was a hypochondriac, as she states multiple times in interviews, but then got diagnosed with terminal bowel cancer.

That's an easy one to counter. We have a forum here with many thousands of posts about HA. How many of them have ever had the cancers, brain tumours, ALS, etc that they fear? I'm yet to see anyone. Anyone.

I know of a couple of people who have been very seriously ill. Neither of them had cancer fears at the time. What happened to them just happened. Neither spoke on here about it.

I know of another who had cancer. Beat it. Never posted about it.

You've got 1 example. We have how many thousands?

Sometimes it just goes wrong. Sometimes people get sick. Sometimes doctors make mistakes. I haven't read her case but maybe she is one of them? Shocking as it the NHS have published figures of doctors failing to spot cancers. Only a small number of the patients ever made it to the media. But even so, the numbers they did spot dwarfed the mistakes.

With your symptoms everyone with IBS, anxiety disorders, mood disorders, and well beyond would need colonscopys to be sure. Logically if they were at risk, why aren't they dying? Are they getting cancer? There would be an easy way to correlate that data and I'm sure WHO and all the rest would have spotted it by now.

---------- Post added at 04:52 ---------- Previous post was at 02:49 ----------

I do see what you meant and I was shocked too that he said they could organise those for me.. of course happy too. But I agree there are people waiting too who deserve it more than me, so I don't mind being seen after them.

Honestly I'd be happy with just simple tests. I didn't suggest the CT.

And he did ask me about my anxiety and that's why he mentioned that maybe I should just get seen and tested for peace of mind AND to see if there's something less serious causing it

There is always a "them". Going in the queue means you always push someone else back. There will be others who may not need them because doctors are performing tests to rule things out. But there may be many who need them.

For instance, my mum had a skin problem her GP spent about 6 months trying different treatments on. He had no idea what it could be and had to refer her to a dermatologist for more specialised treatments. She had to wait something like 8 months for that appointment and she really did have something that only a dermatologist could treat, which was backed up by the doctor who was actually excited about it as it was a bit of a rarity in the UK.

My dad is currently waiting a couple of months for tests on his heart for possible angina. Months.

That is the reality a doctor sees.

This is why the non anxious get angry with hypochondriacs.

I'm not sure what that doctor thinks is going to help. IT may help with reassurance but those of us on here, who understand the disorder and have seen how yours manifests, know that's just kicking the can down the road. But he gets to push the cost onto your GP and local services...it's not coming out of his budget

A doctor suggesting tests, even to rule out, is like waiving a big stand of cakes at Johnny Vegas. I realise he mentioned this but it's just planting another seed in your head. I wouldn't be surprised if your GP doesn't secretly roll their eyes at that.

I'll admit those questions at the start made me laugh.. they totally sound like something a HA sufferer would say. Including something I would probably say.

At the moment I'm not clear what the real issue is, because even when I wasn't worrying about my health I still remember my bowels playing up.. which is probably down to diet because it's never been good.

That's probably the answer to everything.. diet

But I'm so terrified of death that my worrying mind just ignores the more likely possibilities and switches to depression and despair mode, which is of course cancer

And yikes.. if I make it to 50.. that would be terrifying

You don't have to tell me, I'm hurtling towards 50!

Yes, your worry mind will ignore all the rational stuff. But you have to power to take control of the conscious mind or at least try too. It's always harder the worse the anxiety, we all understand this and hopefully people aren't surprised to see others rollercoasting because that's just how these disorders are.

Another thing to remember is that the body is in an anxious state therefore the subconscious is using the appropriate response systems for that state. That isn't to sleep or relax but to look for threats, typically (I know it's more complicated than this and we get symptoms that seem to contradict this such as fatigue, brain for, etc but at the moment simplest level it's like this). It's Jason Bourne. Remember the first Bourne film where he's explaining to Franka Potente about how he can't turn it off and doesn't understand what it is? Why he is scanning the bar for threats noticing the exits, how far from the table they are from exits, sizing up which men know how to handle themselves, etc? The anxious state in the body, due to all that adrenaline & cortisol, means the fight or flight is running for longer than normal. This means it will do what it is expected to and that is to look for much the same. This is why we are encouraged to let our subconscious observe relaxed states so it becomes mroe natural to us and the brain spends less time on high alert where it churns our all sorts of threat "data" ranging from credible to absolute nonsense. Bourne was trained to be alert and in the right way. Our subconscious has run off all on it's own and now thinks a cute fluffy bunny is a ravenous slobbering bear.

It can be helpful to acklowedge what it sends us as "options" Some garbage, some credible. Like a brainstorm, and in one of these a common mistake is to only look for what you need rather than seek to raise all potential issues to cross off the stuff that doesn't matter. By looking for what you expect you only introduce bias. Try to see it like that, try to dispell the power it has over your reaction to it.

Ok, so you have an option to explore. And your mum has backed this up too. Give it a go. See what your GP says but if tests are a no go, fall back on what you know you can do.

And think, would someone who truly thought they have cancer have these periods in between where they can logical say to themselves they know it's untrue? It's always a HA red flag when people have these ups & downs where they move between belief and non belief.

I just try to get on with my life I suppose. Last night was especially horrible for me because I was forcing myself to read survivors stories of young people with CC.. awful

But then I have to go into sixth form the next day like I'm fine and get on with things. That's what helps me the most, just getting on with things, rather than lying in bed all the time in a pit of depression.

And some other things, if I were to worry about anything else again (not saying I will), would probably have cheaper diagnostic tests. Like a rash on your skin. GPs can usually tell if something like that's cancer, and I'm sure biopsies don't cost as much as colonoscopies.

It's just.. colon cancer is obviously harder to diagnose.

I don't know, I probably won't end up having a CT scan. I just want the feces and blood tests, which I doubt it THAT expensive right?

True, they won't cost as much as a test in itself but someone has to administer it and review it and that's often where a lot of cash gets used up. Consultants & their Mercs aren't cheap.

Yes but multiply you by how many HAers across the UK? Your GP has a personal responsibility for squandered money in their practice. The local trusts, CQC's, etc keep an eye on them. Report on overspending and how to cut down on it. I can remember my GP actually saying they penalise practices that raise over a level of even mundane tests, like blood tests.

Whilst GP's are notorious for waste in this way, that's between them and the NHS higher ranks to find out why and sort it out.

But we can try to take personal responsibility too. A HAer will find that harder, and yes I know the non anxious waste a fortune too for stuff they don't need.

A HAer with free reign on tests in the private sector is just throwing their money away. There just isn't enough in place stopping private doctors milking their patients. Just look at our US members on here and how they easily access all sorts of tests they never need. How is that helping them? Sure, they get reassurance but they are still on here. They are only feeding their obsessions.

I never judge a sufferer for this because it's just part of the illness we have to tackle. I only ever criticise other sufferers who recommend unneeded testing as they are not taking personal responsibility for the NHS in my eyes.

I didn't ask but a GP probably wouldn't say to a young person that it's anything else other than piles or a fissure

I just don't understand because I passed a motion and then the next thing I know, I was bleeding. All within 10 seconds. And it didn't even hurt like a fissure should, even the guy on the phone said "yeah.. fissures tend to hurt"..

and I have read that some fissures don't have to hurt but I don't get how that can be..

If I did the same as you have here it would probably be several pages long. I dread to think what someone like Nics' would look like!

But no colon cancer and some of us are higher risk due to age. But our doctors aren't concerned. What makes you different? Symptoms you can point to our the doubt in your mind?

That's what I always think.. I know my mum mentioned she had blood too a few months ago when I first presented my worries. She isn't rushing off to the doctors I suppose.

I don't know about fissures, I've heard they don't hurt as well off people on here. Others can answer that. I do know piles hurt. I do know straining can leave you feeling sore.

It's possible you had a fissure and now you have piles. Poor diet, anxiety, toilet obsession and maybe straining too? So, maybe the GP needs another look.

If they haven't told you what it is, it's reasonable to pursue that GP for an answer. There is nothing wrong with that.

A GP wouldn't tell a young person what they had? That's a massive contradiction of their oath as a doctor. If an 18 year old comes in to A&E do you think they just fix it and don't tell them what's wrong?

Exactly, your mum is more experienced and knows things like this just happen. And women have additional reasons for blood down there that can be taken as from the bowel but end up not being so. Women are more conscious of the downstairs area as they go through much more than we do.

I think they are true, sometimes they're sat down being recorded while being interviewed and some just seem more reputable.. to be honest there aren't that many stories of 18 year olds having bowel cancer. I can probably count them all on two hands. But imagine if one of those 18 year olds had the same symptoms as me and started worrying but eventually calmed down after being told it was probably IBS, like most of them were, but then one day they're diagnosed with colon cancer. I know it's unlikely but the odds aren't ALWAYS in our favour.

So do you think he made that story up? Interesting. I'd be too scared to tempt fate if I were to do that, amongst obviously feeling bad

I don't know whether it was a troll story. It could be a simple as someone getting it wrong even if it all happened. It did scare a member off here though as that's how I saw it, it was a trigger and they linked it onto a HA thread (Admin later removed it) and some of us picked holes in it.

Yes, but how many young people have your symptoms that turn out to be IBS, fissures, piles, etc. Wouldn't their recorded stories swamp the serious stuff? So, doesn't that bring you back to "what if I'm the 0.0001% person"?

They may seem credible if one a credible site. They should be vetted. Maybe they are? If on the big charity sites or medical sites they most likely will be and kept within a certain set if parameters. But there are many out there that aren't vetted, like in comments sections or on forums and these cannot be guaranteed.

But even so aren't you making massive assumptions and getting way ahead of yourself? Therefore aren't these only keeping you locked in that anxious state?

I agree, I do need to stop reading them cause they obviously don't help but in some cases it's just shocking how much their symptoms match mine!

And that's a different perspective on those stories to think about.. maybe the cancer sites find stock images online and make stories up? Some are very vague but I suppose the fact that the younger cancer patient's stories are being reported is because they're rare situations.. like that Stephen Sutton guy who was 19 when he had BC.

Thanks a tonne for this reply, it was really helpful and insightful!

Maybe they do? The internet is pretty much the Wild West. We have the ASA to regulate sites in the UK but outside their jurisdiction they are no more use thna you or I trying to complain. Even in the UK they have to rely on a site complying with their code and some just ignore them. The ASA have also been bad at escalation of code breaches to higher authorities. There's just tons of it out there that's BS. It comes back to whether the site can be trusted. The NHS sites, the major charities, etc are responsible in different ways e.g the NHS has major governance, charities are responsible to the Charities Commission and the media will kick people like this if they are making stuff up.

But rare means clicks.

Also these rare stories are there to highlight an area that may be underfunded or ignored in some way. By raising the issue they get people to understand some poor people are suffering and it's not all about the main categories that are funded. So when you see a rare 18 year old with a cancer like this it is about awareness so we can learn and provide for them otherwise they get less support in some ways e.g. research. The trouble is, these things are meant for an audience that doesn't come will all this skewed thinking and anxiety. It's the HAers that are viewing them for the wrong reasons. But they can't account for everyone, it's a matter of what is highest priority. Mental health will usually lose out, it's just off the radar with this stuff no matter what the major campaigns are doing because it all seems to be done without being joined up. Even if it were, some things they just can't account for.

It's good that you are back in college and getting on with things. At least you can't have the thinking time when there and your body/brain are forced out of these negative states for a time. You need the break and to socialise. I'm glad to hear this, it's encouraging as is the willingness to attack your diet as many would spend months more agonising over this than trying something. You should be given credit for this.

No probs, had a bit more time recently. I'm late to the party anyway, it may seem like a wall of text back from me but it's likely less than others have be doing for you on this thread.

No worries on response, I know you respond when you have time for a lengthy reply.

[Elen]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Elen
Sorry Toby, not good enough.

More what ifs?

What about answering the points re the similarity to your unfounded fears over your mum.

Amd yes Terry does deserve a proper answer and not another list of "symtoms"

There's really no need to be rude and passive aggressive

I can't change the way my brain works so if you think I'm just gonna change like that, or want to change when I KNOW I have something wrong, then you're preaching to the wrong person Elen. I know my body. I have symptoms. If I ignore them then I could die..

And why would you put symptoms in speech marks like that, as if I'm being hysterical or making them up?

AND insinuating that I wasn't going to give Terry a proper response, I just can't right now because I'm sending this on my phone..

Sorry Toby I did not mean to be aggressive passive or otherwise, nor was I insinuating that you would not reply to Terry. He posted a lot of good points and obviously there was a lot to digest before answering.

I apologise, what I meant that you didn't acknowledge the similarities between what is happening now to what happened when you were totally convinced that your Mother had lung cancer.

For months and months if she was tired it was a symptom of lung cancer, if she wasn't hungry.

So the question I have is do you see the common theme?

People with HA tend to diagnose first, then look for the symptoms that back up that diagnosis while ignoring the many other reasons for those symptoms.

You can change the way your brain works, but it is hard work and you would be best getting help to achieve this. This is not saying that you do not medical issues but a change in thinking can help you evaluate these more effectively.

I believe that you are not making them up but you are over reacting as everyone else here has told you, hence the quote marks.

[Carys]

You don't have to tell me, I'm hurtling towards 50!

Can everyone stop this scary '50' talk, can we pick another number please - I was 50 a few weeks ago!

People with HA tend to diagnose first, then look for the symptoms that back up that diagnosis while ignoring the many other reasons for those symptoms.

You can change the way your brain works, but it is hard work and you would be best getting help to achieve this. This is not saying that you do not medical issues but a change in thinking can help you evaluate these more effectively.

[Toby2000]

No, don't do this for any reason. Ever.

Ethics seem to be subjective in the private health sector. Some will just give you all the scans and a bill. They know they are milking mentally unwell people but it buys them a new Merc so their consciences are clear.

Question. Why a colonoscopy? Because you read it somewhere? So, won't a CT just end up being a need too? And those will wreck your savings.

If I ever did resort to that it would be if I kept seeing blood or had extreme stomach pain or something and my GP still didn't think I had anything wrong with me.

That's an easy one to counter. We have a forum here with many thousands of posts about HA. How many of them have ever had the cancers, brain tumours, ALS, etc that they fear? I'm yet to see anyone. Anyone.

I know of a couple of people who have been very seriously ill. Neither of them had cancer fears at the time. What happened to them just happened. Neither spoke on here about it.

I know of another who had cancer. Beat it. Never posted about it.

You've got 1 example. We have how many thousands?

Sometimes it just goes wrong. Sometimes people get sick. Sometimes doctors make mistakes. I haven't read her case but maybe she is one of them? Shocking as it the NHS have published figures of doctors failing to spot cancers. Only a small number of the patients ever made it to the media. But even so, the numbers they did spot dwarfed the mistakes.

With your symptoms everyone with IBS, anxiety disorders, mood disorders, and well beyond would need colonscopys to be sure. Logically if they were at risk, why aren't they dying? Are they getting cancer? There would be an easy way to correlate that data and I'm sure WHO and all the rest would have spotted it by now.

I wonder that too sometimes... has NOBODY ever come back to the forum after worrying, telling people that they've been diagnosed with cancer? I find that shocking but also reassuring.. so there wasn't at least ONE case?

The people you knew were members of this forum?

And true but I just wish my GP could've organised stool/blood tests at least, just to be precautionary.. because blood with no hemherroids should be a cause for concern at any age, in my opinion.

I think my grandma a few years ago presented symptoms like blood in stool (I accidentally saw it in her search history on her laptop.. long story.. not that I was snooping, but it was just in her recent searches) and then she went for a colonoscopy and it was all fine. Or maybe it was an endoscopy. I can't remember, but she's fine now.

Also I'm pretty sure my other grandma has IBS

There is always a "them". Going in the queue means you always push someone else back. There will be others who may not need them because doctors are performing tests to rule things out. But there may be many who need them.

For instance, my mum had a skin problem her GP spent about 6 months trying different treatments on. He had no idea what it could be and had to refer her to a dermatologist for more specialised treatments. She had to wait something like 8 months for that appointment and she really did have something that only a dermatologist could treat, which was backed up by the doctor who was actually excited about it as it was a bit of a rarity in the UK.

My dad is currently waiting a couple of months for tests on his heart for possible angina. Months.

That is the reality a doctor sees.

This is why the non anxious get angry with hypochondriacs.

I'm not sure what that doctor thinks is going to help. IT may help with reassurance but those of us on here, who understand the disorder and have seen how yours manifests, know that's just kicking the can down the road. But he gets to push the cost onto your GP and local services...it's not coming out of his budget

A doctor suggesting tests, even to rule out, is like waiving a big stand of cakes at Johnny Vegas. I realise he mentioned this but it's just planting another seed in your head. I wouldn't be surprised if your GP doesn't secretly roll their eyes at that.

You don't have to tell me, I'm hurtling towards 50!

I get that.

I know it's selfish but I just really want to know what this is.. we can all theorise IBS but what if it isn't?

I physically and mentally can't go on not knowing, it's painful and so difficult when I force myself to google and match my symptoms up with others. I can't enjoy things much anymore because I feel like I'm just squeezing the last drops out of life and I say to myself "this could be the last time you do this..." "this could be the last time you do that.."

Do you think it's likely I'll at least get a blood/stool test?

And I'm sorry to hear about your parents.. that makes me feel bad. Of course I won't go along with the CT scan, because a) you're right and b) the smaller tests are probably more necessary.

Yes, your worry mind will ignore all the rational stuff. But you have to power to take control of the conscious mind or at least try too. It's always harder the worse the anxiety, we all understand this and hopefully people aren't surprised to see others rollercoasting because that's just how these disorders are.

Another thing to remember is that the body is in an anxious state therefore the subconscious is using the appropriate response systems for that state. That isn't to sleep or relax but to look for threats, typically (I know it's more complicated than this and we get symptoms that seem to contradict this such as fatigue, brain for, etc but at the moment simplest level it's like this). This is why we are encouraged to let our subconscious observe relaxed states so it becomes mroe natural to us and the brain spends less time on high alert where it churns our all sorts of threat "data" ranging from credible to absolute nonsense.

It can be helpful to acklowedge what it sends us as "options" Some garbage, some credible. Like a brainstorm, and in one of these a common mistake is to only look for what you need rather than seek to raise all potential issues to cross off the stuff that doesn't matter. By looking for what you expect you only introduce bias. Try to see it like that, try to dispell the power it has over your reaction to it.

Ok, so you have an option to explore. And your mum has backed this up too. Give it a go. See what your GP says but if tests are a no go, fall back on what you know you can do.

And think, would someone who truly thought they have cancer have these periods in between where they can logical say to themselves they know it's untrue? It's always a HA red flag when people have these ups & downs where they move between belief and non belief.

Yeah it's so hard that it's painful internally, it's very hard to cope. I don't know how I can go on.

That's also an interesting way of looking at it and useful advice.. like when I saw blood I freaked out and jumped straight to cancer.

And I'm scared to go to my GP now... what will she say? Will she be pissed off at me for coming back for a third time after she's sent me away twice? Will she think I'm rude for calling 111? Demanding?

That's also true but some cancer patients can just reassure themselves that they have piles or something and then things just get worse.

True, they won't cost as much as a test in itself but someone has to administer it and review it and that's often where a lot of cash gets used up. Consultants & their Mercs aren't cheap.

Yes but multiply you by how many HAers across the UK? Your GP has a personal responsibility for squandered money in their practice. The local trusts, CQC's, etc keep an eye on them. Report on overspending and how to cut down on it. I can remember my GP actually saying they penalise practices that raise over a level of even mundane tests, like blood tests.

Whilst GP's are notorious for waste in this way, that's between them and the NHS higher ranks to find out why and sort it out.

But we can try to take personal responsibility too. A HAer will find that harder, and yes I know the non anxious waste a fortune too for stuff they don't need.

A HAer with free reign on tests in the private sector is just throwing their money away. There just isn't enough in place stopping private doctors milking their patients. Just look at our US members on here and how they easily access all sorts of tests they never need. How is that helping them? Sure, they get reassurance but they are still on here. They are only feeding their obsessions.

I never judge a sufferer for this because it's just part of the illness we have to tackle. I only ever criticise other sufferers who recommend unneeded testing as they are not taking personal responsibility for the NHS in my eyes.

True, I see your point. I didn't think much about that.

I just think, again, if there's bleeding and no piles then GPs probably should administer simple tests to try and rule anything nasty out..[/QUOTE]


I don't know about fissures, I've heard they don't hurt as well off people on here. Others can answer that. I do know piles hurt. I do know straining can leave you feeling sore.

It's possible you had a fissure and now you have piles. Poor diet, anxiety, toilet obsession and maybe straining too? So, maybe the GP needs another look.

If they haven't told you what it is, it's reasonable to pursue that GP for an answer. There is nothing wrong with that.

A GP wouldn't tell a young person what they had? That's a massive contradiction of their oath as a doctor. If an 18 year old comes in to A&E do you think they just fix it and don't tell them what's wrong?

Exactly, your mum is more experienced and knows things like this just happen. And women have additional reasons for blood down there that can be taken as from the bowel but end up not being so. Women are more conscious of the downstairs area as they go through much more than we do.

Yup that's why I'm concerned because 90% of fissures, I'm sure, do hurt

and I've NEVER had bleeding before so if it's that easy to get an internal fissure, why have I not yet experienced it?

That's why I worried briefly about leukaemia.. you know.. easy bleeding.

I don't know whether it was a troll story. It could be a simple as someone getting it wrong even if it all happened. It did scare a member off here though as that's how I saw it, it was a trigger and they linked it onto a HA thread (Admin later removed it) and some of us picked holes in it.

Yes, but how many young people have your symptoms that turn out to be IBS, fissures, piles, etc. Wouldn't their recorded stories swamp the serious stuff? So, doesn't that bring you back to "what if I'm the 0.0001% person"?

They may seem credible if one a credible site. They should be vetted. Maybe they are? If on the big charity sites or medical sites they most likely will be and kept within a certain set if parameters. But there are many out there that aren't vetted, like in comments sections or on forums and these cannot be guaranteed.

But even so aren't you making massive assumptions and getting way ahead of yourself? Therefore aren't these only keeping you locked in that anxious state?

Wait what happened with the troll story on here?

True.. is there actually only a 0.0001% chance of getting it at my age? I know only 9% of all colon cancer cases are in people below 50. I'd say it's about 1.5-2% of occurrences happen in people my age, which is still pretty small but that's a few thousand people still.

But rare means clicks.

Also these rare stories are there to highlight an area that may be underfunded or ignored in some way. By raising the issue they get people to understand some poor people are suffering and it's not all about the main categories that are funded. So when you see a rare 18 year old with a cancer like this it is about awareness so we can learn and provide for them otherwise they get less support in some ways e.g. research. The trouble is, these things are meant for an audience that doesn't come will all this skewed thinking and anxiety. It's the HAers that are viewing them for the wrong reasons. But they can't account for everyone, it's a matter of what is highest priority. Mental health will usually lose out, it's just off the radar with this stuff no matter what the major campaigns are doing because it all seems to be done without being joined up. Even if it were, some things they just can't account for.

Yeah if there are 100 cows in a field and one is red, you're gonna focus on the red one.

But in the other 10 fields, all the 100 cows are black and white and not red.. until 10 fields later you stumble upon another red cow.

You focus more on those two red cows in a sea of a thousand black and white cows!

So I get why maybe not every BC case is reported by the Daily Mail etc., they usually only report on it if there's been negligence or the person has had a delayed diagnosis, or if the person is really young and not statistically likely to have bowel cancer. So they're writing stories on the 2 red cows, rather than the 998 black and white cows, because the red cows are rarer and would = more clicks.

It's good that you are back in college and getting on with things. At least you can't have the thinking time when there and your body/brain are forced out of these negative states for a time. You need the break and to socialise. I'm glad to hear this, it's encouraging as is the willingness to attack your diet as many would spend months more agonising over this than trying something. You should be given credit for this.

No probs, had a bit more time recently. I'm late to the party anyway, it may seem like a wall of text back from me but it's likely less than others have be doing for you on this thread.

Yeah my parents forced me to, I can't exactly give it my all because of what's going on now and I find myself thinking about it a lot in class.

And I really appreciate the replies:angelf course you don't have to reply if you don't want to but seeing what you have to say always cheers me up

No worries on response, I know you respond when you have time for a lengthy reply.

I have time to reply always it's just sometimes I don't think I have much else to add to what you've already said because you say it all so well! But I take in everything you say and I really do appreciate it

[Elen]

Have you thought about the similarities to your fears of your Mum having lung cancer to your fears of having colon cancer?

[Toby2000]

Have you thought about the similarities to your fears of your Mum having lung cancer to your fears of having colon cancer?

Sorry I forgot to reply to your message earlier!

Yes I have thought about it and it makes sense to be honest, she had a persistent cough with back pain and neck pain, including at night and slept a lot too.

Cookie cutter lung cancer symptoms but she's fine now, 3 years after the worry started

So yes you do have a pointand she smoked/s

I can't really argue with that.. but with HA you think "this time it must be it"

---------- Post added at 17:42 ---------- Previous post was at 17:39 ----------

Don't flush your money down the toilet, Toby. Do you really think a GP would deny a young adult a potential life-saving test?

I guess not but I bet they rarely give them to younger people

---------- Post added at 17:43 ---------- Previous post was at 17:42 ----------

No Toby, don't even think of that! Being 'taken seriously' doesn't mean that they don't believe you have symptoms of things....just that they don't agree why you have them. I know it feels at the moment like you are 'fighting for your life', thats the place you are in, but I think in the future you would really regret spending that money.

Yes that's exactly how I feel.. I feel like if I don't act then I'm gonna die and if it is cancer then it'll be diagnosed in stage 4. It's incredibly depressing

---------- Post added at 17:44 ---------- Previous post was at 17:43 ----------

I just found this.. his symptoms are like mine

I am 18 years old. Yesterday my doctor scheduled me for a colonoscopy in a couple weeks. Recently, my bowel movements are going from one extreme at constipation to the other at diarrhea. I will stay constipated for days at a time, and then I will have diarrhea. However, although these are frequent changes the diarrhea has been on-going for over a year. Diarrhea is not an unusual thing for me. So while most look at it as being sick, I have grown to not even really pay attention to it. When I don't have diarrhea I have sticky, dark, stringy stools that are hard to clean up as well as very smelly. I have to strain for awhile to get those out. Then there are my frequent stomach pains in which I feel like I'm going to pass out the pain is so severe. I have spent many times crying while using the bathroom it hurt so bad. One of my grandfathers has colon cancer while the other has colitis. Colon problems are hereditary in my family. I, however, feel I am very young to be experiencing these symptoms or to have such issues with my colon. Does anyone else know anyone as young as I am with colon problems? Which diagnosis' are more probable considering my age and symptoms?

and here..

Hi there, I'm not quite as young as you but I'm 21. I think I was about 18 when the constipation started and it hasn't gone away since. I just ignored it, thinking I have a bad diet or something but a few months ago I felt something that seems to be a lump in my rectum and seems to be causing an obstruction. I finally decided to go to the doctors after posting on here to see if something is wrong, my appointment is this afternoon. I'm sorry to hear about your symptoms. I don't know what it could be, but I hope the colonoscopy gives you an answer. Good luck.