Have I got rectal cancer?

[Toby2000]

Wow.. I wondered when it would next happen again

I just went to toilet and it was SOFT and there was a small (just less than a cm) trace of blood / tinged mucus on the end. It was deep red but also very bright. Not pink

I'm so SICK of this happening, what am I gonna do now?

Is it back to the doctors only to be told there's nothing wrong with me?

It can't be a fissure because the stool was very soft :(

Looking back I still can't believe people think there's nothing wrong with me.. last time it was blood striped all across the side of the stool on December 2nd and now on January 15th, here we are again

and thank you brucealmighty, but it's times like this that fully convince me that it's cancer

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I feel like I'm just sitting here slowly getting worse but I'm the only one who's noticing

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Wow this thread is so long, if I ever find out there's nothing wrong with me it could be turned into a (rather gross, admittedly) book to teach a lesson to other people with HA

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Should I be worrying more now? What could it truly be???

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[Carys]

Maybe the fissure happens not this time, but the time before when you go Toby, and it just shows this time. Honestly, I really don't know what to add to this with suggestions. I think the first thing you should do is to organise your blood test and based on the outcome of that you can go and have another discussion. Maybe as its been a few months and its not resolving you could ask for a camera 'up there' ?




...and NO...I don't think its cancer! However, clearly there is something bothersome that is bleeding now and again.

[Toby2000]

Maybe the fissure happens not this time, but the time before when you go Toby, and it just shows this time. Honestly, I really don't know what to add to this with suggestions. I think the first thing you should do is to organise your blood test and based on the outcome of that you can go and have another discussion. Maybe as its been a few months and its not resolving you could ask for a camera 'up there' ?




...and NO...I don't think its cancer! However, clearly there is something bothersome that is bleeding now and again.

Thanks Carys for the reply

Yeah that's the reality of it, something keeps on bleeding and it doesn't make any sense. The list of possible causes are slimming more and more as this carries on and it's really scaring me.

Whatever it is, a sigmoidoscopy would be able to see it because the first time I bled, I bled on to the paper and I'm 90% sure it's not that far in.

I really want one but I'm also terrified in case it affirms that my fears are true

What do you think it is that's bleeding? Cause it can only really be a far up hemherroid or a tumor at this point. :(

[Carys]

Honestly Toby, I have no idea as these specialists train for years and years at the highest level to know causes and effects. I know that a GP would recognise symptoms of tumours and cancers, and the symptoms wouldn't come and go as yours do.



There are various bowel conditions in adition to the hemmies and fissures that we have already discussed in detail; e.g. ulcerative colitis (commonly diagnosed in your age group as it happens, unlike bowel cancer!), IBS, Chrons, celiac, all of which could be considered to produce your type of symptoms. I guess it is possible that something else like the things I listed could be triggering bowel inflammation, but only by seeing a specialist would this be determined and probably involve a sigmoidoscopy. If you really want to get to the bottom of this, (sorry for the pun!) then I think you should take her up on her offer of the sigmoidoscopy (I think she said you could have one?). These conditions are all treatable by the way!



I am not a medic as you well know, but I do agree with you that as you keep having the recurrent bleeding and symptoms of mucus and soft stools it should be appropriately investigated, as people with HA anxiety can also develop conditions. This is going to keep eating away at you,so, make the blood test appointment, then go back to her to discuss things again or request the referral. I know this is a frightening prospect for you, but it surely can be the only way forward. The list of possibilities aren't slimming at all - they are widdeeeee open.

[KK77]

Doesn't matter whether your poo is like plasticine or granite, when you strain to pass stool, any fissures or haemorrhoids have potential to bleed. It is the straining and opening of bowel that causes the bleeding.

As for soft stools, you've already admitted that your diet is umm...CRAP

[Toby2000]

Honestly Toby, I have no idea as these specialists train for years and years at the highest level to know causes and effects. I know that a GP would recognise symptoms of tumours and cancers, and the symptoms wouldn't come and go as yours do.



There are various bowel conditions in adition to the hemmies and fissures that we have already discussed in detail; e.g. ulcerative colitis (commonly diagnosed in your age group as it happens, unlike bowel cancer!), IBS, Chrons, celiac, all of which could be considered to produce your type of symptoms. I guess it is possible that something else like the things I listed could be triggering bowel inflammation, but only by seeing a specialist would this be determined and probably involve a sigmoidoscopy. If you really want to get to the bottom of this, (sorry for the pun!) then I think you should take her up on her offer of the sigmoidoscopy (I think she said you could have one?). These conditions are all treatable by the way!



I am not a medic as you well know, but I do agree with you that as you keep having the recurrent bleeding and symptoms of mucus and soft stools it should be appropriately investigated, as people with HA anxiety can also develop conditions. This is going to keep eating away at you,so, make the blood test appointment, then go back to her to discuss things again or request the referral. I know this is a frightening prospect for you, but it surely can be the only way forward. The list of possibilities aren't slimming at all - they are widdeeeee open.

Yeah that doesn't make much sense to me, how 6 months ago the bleeding was worse than it is now- I went from dampening the toilet paper with blood to seeing small traces here and there (besides from the larger traces a month back). Would I be bleeding a lot every time if it was a tumour, and more often?

Honestly, and I never thought I'd say this, I really want something like Ulcerative colitis! anything that's benign

She never offered me a sigmoidoscopy, it was just the blood test which picked up nothing that directly relates to bowel cancer, just that ALP thing.

I think she offered a FOB test but I already know there's blood in my stool

If I politely demanded a sigmoidoscopy do you think I'd be given one? Surely because this keeps happening and I'm freaking out over something that could be harmless, so you're right. It's the only way forward

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Doesn't matter whether your poo is like plasticine or granite, when you strain to pass stool, any fissures or haemorrhoids have potential to bleed. It is the straining and opening of bowel that causes the bleeding.

As for soft stools, you've already admitted that your diet is umm...CRAP

Really?

So pressure can re-open fissures?

I didn't know that. Thanks for letting me know. I wasn't exactly straining when I went earlier though which is the scary thing

Yeah the soft stools don't bother me.. just the blood

[MyNameIsTerry]

It's a reoccurring complaint so there is nothing wrong with seeing your GP about that. Your GP should be giving you answers and solutions. Obviously, some life style changes are needed by you so there is only so much a GP can do but get some answers and then we can help you to focus on reinforcing those answers.

Let the doctor decide on the tests. They may not be needed.

[Toby2000]

Thanks Terry

I think at this point they are needed just to check for colon cancer since I think other conditions are probably ruled out due to how long this has been going on for but will they do them? I doubt it

[AMomentofClarity]

I think at this point they are needed just to check for colon cancer

[MyNameIsTerry]

So why do we have people on here who's anxiety revolves around bowels and they have been her for years if it were just about time?

I've had some of my anxiety symptoms from the very start, over 10 years.