Anal cancer

[RhiPow]

Hi all
I've followed the no more panic forum for a few months. I have had severe health anxiety, which has meant I've had 4 months off work. I thought I had bowel cancer due to some bowel changes. I ended up having 2 digital rectal exams and a CT pneumacolon in June. All was clear. Recently I thought I had hemorrhoids and treated it accordingly. A few days later I felt a very small hard lump in the area of where I thought the 'hemorrhoid' was. It is hard and can move around under my fingers. I haven't had any bleeding. I've seen two Dr's who have said it's a hemorrhoid but it doesn't feel like one to me. If I had anal cancer, do you think it would have shown on the CT Pneumocolon in June? A CT pneumacolon is a virtual colonscopy. Thanks in advance.

[nomorepanic]

Hi

This is just a courtesy reply to let you know that your post was moved from its original place to a sub-forum that is more relevant to your issue.

This is nothing personal - it just enables us to keep posts about the same problems in the relevant forums so other members with any experience with the issues can find them more easily.

Please also read this post:

http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=213239

[nomorepanic]

To be fair you need to trust the doctors on this and accept it is just a pile.

[rainbow]

Hi all
I've followed the no more panic forum for a few months. I have had severe health anxiety, which has meant I've had 4 months off work. I thought I had bowel cancer due to some bowel changes. I ended up having 2 digital rectal exams and a CT pneumacolon in June. All was clear. Recently I thought I had hemorrhoids and treated it accordingly. A few days later I felt a very small hard lump in the area of where I thought the 'hemorrhoid' was. It is hard and can move around under my fingers. I haven't had any bleeding. I've seen two Dr's who have said it's a hemorrhoid but it doesn't feel like one to me. If I had anal cancer, do you think it would have shown on the CT Pneumocolon in June? A CT pneumacolon is a virtual colonscopy. Thanks in advance.

Hi, 7 years ago I had exactly what you describe. I also saw two doctors who told me it was a hemorrhoid, guess what? I didn't believe them, so then started a year of extreme health anxiety. I was signed off my work for 4 months, I lost a lot of weight because I just couldn't eat, I withdrew from life and became horribly depressed. Eventually I managed to come out the other side and with a clear mind I was able to accept that the doctors were right. The hemorrhoid comes and goes and it doesn't panic me anymore.

I honestly don't think you have anal cancer. I hope you can move forward from this, I know so well what you're going through. Take care.

[RhiPow]

Thank you for your reply. It's the most horrendous and draining feeling, constantly arguing with myself and only being reassured to a certain extent. Then the whole thing starts again. Thanks again for getting in touch x

[MRS STRESS ED]

Hi all
I've followed the no more panic forum for a few months. I have had severe health anxiety, which has meant I've had 4 months off work. I thought I had bowel cancer due to some bowel changes. I ended up having 2 digital rectal exams and a CT pneumacolon in June. All was clear. Recently I thought I had hemorrhoids and treated it accordingly. A few days later I felt a very small hard lump in the area of where I thought the 'hemorrhoid' was. It is hard and can move around under my fingers. I haven't had any bleeding. I've seen two Dr's who have said it's a hemorrhoid but it doesn't feel like one to me. If I had anal cancer, do you think it would have shown on the CT Pneumocolon in June? A CT pneumacolon is a virtual colonscopy. Thanks in advance.

my very best friend died
of this cancer,
believe me you would
know if you had it.

Trust your doctors and tests
stop overthinking you have
not got cancer keep telling
yourself that focus on other
things preferably not cancer

Best wishes xx

[rainbow]

Thank you for your reply. It's the most horrendous and draining feeling, constantly arguing with myself and only being reassured to a certain extent. Then the whole thing starts again. Thanks again for getting in touch x

You're welcome, yes it's exhausting and I totally get what you mean about arguing with yourself, I do it all the time.

Take care and try to relax a little with a little mindfulness or meditation if you can x

[SG1977]

Urgh this thread is so me... 5 days ago I discovered a tiny (think pen nib), hard, painless, moveable lump under the skin on the edge of my anus. Talk about freaking out... I was a grey pallor for 3 days, instant head fog... I couldn't eat or concentrate or anything... I went to work and stared at a monitor all day and did nothing but catastrophise and felt myself totally holding onto a cliff edge by my fingernails over a lake of doom - the thoughts in my head were dark. I was unravelling quickly... feeling myself disassociating from the whole situation.

In a moment of clarity I knew if I didn't get to the docs quickly this wasn't going to end well. I finally plucked up the courage to go see the doc yesterday - I filled in an e-consult form at 0900 and got a call at 1040 for an appointment at 1120. I think if it had been a day or two later I would never have attended such was the speed I felt myself sinking under the water.

I explained to the doctor my HA situation, what I had discovered and what I feared it was. She was very understanding and calming.

A minute later my jeans were round my ankles and I was on a table on my side, bare arse in the air for my first ever butt exam. She felt the tiny hard lump after a few seconds trying to find it as it moves about a little and slips into crevices easily, said there were no cancerous characteristics to it, nothing that concerned her. I asked her to repeat that again and she said nope nothing to worry about... it may be scar tissue from an old pile (which I have had previously - unsure if the same location or not) and was then given the option of an internal check whilst I was in position... what the hell in for a penny in for a pound... and lubed up in she went (any dignity had already flown out the window the minute she parted my cheeks) ... had a good rummage, said no trace of any internal piles, no blood, prostate check carried out all in order (although it did make me feel I was going to pee when she gave it a good prod), external skin in fine shape showing no disorders or damage and happy days... here is a paper towel to clean up any lube jelly and I will see you on the other side of the curtain when your ready.

I honestly had tears in my eyes... Im a 6ft 2, 18 stone bloke who bottles everything up but there I was nearly blubbing with relief. I composed myself and came out from behind the curtain and took a seat at the little desk as she repeated the details of the test... Nothing of concern with the tiny hard lump... possible scar tissue, everything else A-OK. I hit her with the question again... so that little hard lump definitely is nothing of concern as in the 'c' word. She repeated again... nothing to worry about. Plenty of water and fibre just to keep yourself right going forward. Thanks doc....

Out the door into the car whistling, stop of at Starbucks for a coffee for me and the wife then back home to tell her the good news.

This post contains 2 lessons that I want to share....

The first is that a couple of hours later I was questioning the diagnosis... it cant be ok if there is a hard lump down there.. it just cant be ok... it cant be innocuous. How twisted is that bugger we know as HA that despite 4.... 4!!... direct answers telling me there is nothing to worry about that I actually doubt her... me with no medical training whatsoever has the audacity to believe she is wrong and Im right. Its heart breaking. Today I have sort of settled and calmed myself down and am floating on the water and not sinking... just super vigilant that there is still a shark circling me as I bob along. Im a lot better than I was yesterday morning before the appointment but still trying to convince myself that she is right. The HA in my head is whispering in my ear that all is not as it seems... I wanted to close the book on this chapter and move on after seeing the doc but the book refuses to close... its highlighted to me who my enemy is also.... I have read loads of posts here about not believing results and was like... thats not me.... sadly it is and Im standing on the same raft as all you folk who did this... all HA sufferers together. So lesson one is believe what the doctors tell you or the reassurance can be very short lived before you are right back to the start of the vicious circle again of working yourself up to rinse and repeat a doctors visit. I know thats what I SHOULD be doing but its hard... damn hard to close that book and move on.

The 2nd lesson is dont be embarrassed about going to the doctors for checks on those bits men (or women) dont usually like getting checked. It really was nowhere near as bad as I had thought and a lot less awkward than I thought it would be.

So where am I now a day later... well... Ive been lounging round on NMP for most of the day reading others stories and trying to find out how to tackle the real enemy ... the HA and found this thread and it just triggered me to type up my experience seeing as the OP and others had experience of vaguely similar symptoms.

Im still worrying... but Im alert and if there is any change whatsoever I will be straight back to the docs safe in the knowledge that if my worst nightmare comes true Im tackling it early.

Thanks for reading and apologies for the thread hijack.. I just hope it may help others who find themselves in a similar position.