Bowel cancer worries

[jojo2316]

My mother in law (she was a doctor) came round earlier and demanded I take the medication. I'm going to really try and start them in the morning.

I'm also going to see my GP monday, I have tenderness around the belly button when I press down which is a sure sign of something serious like Crohn's or Cancer.

What are you doing about your HA?

I take Sertraline, which does help (but doesn’t cure); and I have had several rounds of therapy. It’s an ongoing battle though, sometimes I am better than others. And I find this site very helpful too (I was even able to sell it to my therapist as a good idea!!).

So you had a mother in law intervention! Ouch! Sounds like she has your best interests at heart though - and family support is SO important.

Re your tenderness- so so normal. I find tender places all the time!

[MrLurcher]

She's been a great help to be honest, and yes it seems like a never ending battle.

Im back on MS now, because frequent urination is a symptom of MS. And ive been nearly 20 times today. I think that is it. The sciatica last week, now this bladder issue, its all looking pretty conclusive. Going to the doc Monday, im petrified. Its like a jigsaw coming together.

[nomorepanic]

It is a jigsaw puzzle that you have put together though and not someone medically qualified.

You can't assume anything to be honest.

[Fishmanpa]

Its like a jigsaw coming together.

An anxiety jigsaw puzzle....



Positive thoughts

[jojo2316]

An anxiety jigsaw puzzle....



Positive thoughts

This is so BRILLIANTLY TRUE

[MrLurcher]

Good evening, having another panic about another potential problem right now.

For anyone who looks at my history, I've been in deep health anxiety for over a month now. Had a variety of symptoms, tingling, fatigue, nausea, weakness, bladder issues, bowel troubles. I've been feeling scared since the start of December.

I've had a lot of 'problems', but my main worries have been MS and some sort of bowel cancer, bladder cancer.

Bowel cancer is on my mind at the moment. For 15 years I've had IBS symptoms, which have come and gone. Mainly diarrhea based, but over the past couple of years really bad bloating and wind - life has gotten a lot more stressful, and I've had boughts of depression and severe anxiety.

Back in May, I had a bought of bloat with pain that spread around my abdomen and had pain when pressing down over my lower right, next to my bellybutton. The doctor at the time, said probably a touch of IBS again. I think I visited back in 2016 about a similar pain.

Start of December, same pain again, lasting 3/4 days. Again, got it checked out, but ruled IBS again. This week, same pain once more, flared up quite badly on Wednesday night - improved after stool and wind passing, but took 2/3 days to die down. Stools were sort of mushy, but have been a mixture of normal and mushy in the middle of these flare ups.

I have been taking Mebeverine (iBS Meds) when having these flare ups.

I had bloods done at the end of December, just to help ease my mind which was spiralling out of control worrying about all sorts of things. Everything normal.

However I'm not sure if I can feel like a small hard lump when pressing deep around this lower right area now - like a marble. Worrying about tumours. Could this be the shape of my intestine or an organ?

Ive read up on some cancer forums that bowel cancer takes a while to 'grow' and doesn't always cause markers on blood tests. I spoke to the doctor on Thursday about this third flare up in the space of 7 months and she said she wasn't worried about anything serious and is probably IBS, made worse by my anxiety - despite the recent flare up happening on a day where I felt ok and relaxed.

Does IBS cause the same sort of pain pattern every time it flares up? And also pain when pressing down on your abdomen? In a specific area? The doc said it can very well do, but I think they're fobbing me off a bit due to my recent history of worrying.

I'm petrified right now that I may have some sort of Cancer or Inflammatory Bowel Disease. I've spoken to nearly 8 different doctors about various health related things over the past month so a bit embarrassed to return again, but I don't see what other choice I have. I've become obsessed with checking my stools recently, and get pretty nervous before going to the toilet incase I discover blood.

(I was hoping not to post on here for a while, but here I am again)

[MrLurcher]

Anyone out there? I'm desperate right now. Just been reading the bowelcanceruk page about people diagnosed young and I'm mortified. I've got so many similar symptoms now, and quite a few people there said they were fobbed off by GP's many times :-(

[jojo2316]

I really don’t think this is bowel cancer or any other medical condition. Given your history it is very clear you are in a state of acute hyper awareness. That is going to make you notice any little change in your body and the stress you are experiencing will be CAUSING all sorts of bodily symptoms. You could get a colonoscopy, which would prove there is nothing physical going on with with your bowel, but it wouldn’t give you any relief because you would move straight on to MS or ALS or another cancer. I know this only too well. So the only thing to do here is address the thing that is driving your myriad of fears. Your anxiety. I know you are avoiding the meds - and I respect that. But what is your plan?

[MrLurcher]

I really don’t think this is bowel cancer or any other medical condition. Given your history it is very clear you are in a state of acute hyper awareness. That is going to make you notice any little change in your body and the stress you are experiencing will be CAUSING all sorts of bodily symptoms. You could get a colonoscopy, which would prove there is nothing physical going on with with your bowel, but it wouldn’t give you any relief because you would move straight on to MS or ALS or another cancer. I know this only too well. So the only thing to do here is address the thing that is driving your myriad of fears. Your anxiety. I know you are avoiding the meds - and I respect that. But what is your plan?

But what about the recurring same pains, bloating, mushy stools (sorry TMI)........I also read something about Sciatic symptoms being related to rectal cancer that has spread to the spine. I've been having some sciatic type symptoms since december.

I know that I've had IBS symptoms for probably 10 years ish now, but the bloating and wind has been dreadful over the past couple of years.

Yes I was thinking of asking for a colonoscopy, but that procedure itself sounds a bit scary/risky.

Currently have no plan :-( I haven't seen the counsellor for around 2 weeks because money has been tight after xmas, and not sure how helpful it is. Not sure whether to go back to the docs, even though I spoke with one over the phone on Friday. Just feel I'm on a death sentence now.

[jojo2316]

But what about the recurring same pains, bloating, mushy stools (sorry TMI)........I also read something about Sciatic symptoms being related to rectal cancer that has spread to the spine. I've been having some sciatic type symptoms since december.

I know that I've had IBS symptoms for probably 10 years ish now, but the bloating and wind has been dreadful over the past couple of years.

Yes I was thinking of asking for a colonoscopy, but that procedure itself sounds a bit scary/risky.

Currently have no plan :-( I haven't seen the counsellor for around 2 weeks because money has been tight after xmas, and not sure how helpful it is. Not sure whether to go back to the docs, even though I spoke with one over the phone on Friday. Just feel I'm on a death sentence now.

The procedure is fine. I’ve had a colonoscopy and the thought is much worse than the thing itself. But in your case I honestly don’t think it will help. I am certain you don’t have bowel cancer. And a colonoscopy will do nothing to address the real problem. Why not try the meds?