Blood in Stool On and Off for 2 Years. Rectal Cancer?

[AnxiousRN]

Hello. It has been a while since I posted in here. To provide you with a short background, my HA started when they found a mass in my breast but it turned out to be benign. After this event, I have been having problems with my bowels. I have a recurring anal fissure and I have a skin tag there too. I have been seen by a gastroenterologist and a surgeon but the latter just laughed at me and said that I have hard stools and I felt something tear down there and then I saw a streak of blood on my stool and I was on a panic but she said it is normal to have blood in stool if you have a fissure. So I trusted her and went on with my life eventhough those two years the blood comes and goes as well as my fissure. Two nights ago I had a BM after 2 days of not having one, but my stools are soft not that hard. But the initial one that came out was a little hard. I did not feel anything tear but when I saw my stool, there was blood covering it. Fresh bright blood and it is more than what I see before. This had me in a panic. I saw this girl Samina who posted in here and we are on the same boat and then she saw a lot of blood and ended up having the CA diagnosis. Could it be that she really had rectal cancer 2 years ago and not hemmies?

I just dont know what to think at this point. Today I had one BM it was soft but no blood in stool but there is pink stain of blood on the TP. I need help.

[Pkstracy]

Anal fissures and hemmies can flare up and after two years you would be having a lot more symptoms, how is your diet are you getting enough fiber and drinking enough water?

[AnxiousRN]

My diet has not been that good lately. 2 years ago when I started having these problems, I changed my diet. It helped sometimes but the fissure will still reopen once in a while. My GI doctor called this morning and he recommended Miralax and prescribed a topical ointment. And we both agreed I should have colonoscopy. It might happen anytime after the Holiday season. He wants to do the scope to reassure me that there is nothing there. He is very reassuring and said that yes, chronic fissures can re-open. However he also said that, in the past few years a lot of young patients are diagnosed with colon/ anal cancers. He wants to make sure that we are covering all our bases.

[Toby2000]

I doubt it's colon cancer. But at least you're gonna get all of this out of the way hopefully with a colonoscopy.

[WiseMonkey]

Hello. It has been a while since I posted in here. To provide you with a short background, my HA started when they found a mass in my breast but it turned out to be benign. After this event, I have been having problems with my bowels. I have a recurring anal fissure and I have a skin tag there too. I have been seen by a gastroenterologist and a surgeon but the latter just laughed at me and said that I have hard stools and I felt something tear down there and then I saw a streak of blood on my stool and I was on a panic but she said it is normal to have blood in stool if you have a fissure. So I trusted her and went on with my life eventhough those two years the blood comes and goes as well as my fissure. Two nights ago I had a BM after 2 days of not having one, but my stools are soft not that hard. But the initial one that came out was a little hard. I did not feel anything tear but when I saw my stool, there was blood covering it. Fresh bright blood and it is more than what I see before. This had me in a panic. I saw this girl Samina who posted in here and we are on the same boat and then she saw a lot of blood and ended up having the CA diagnosis. Could it be that she really had rectal cancer 2 years ago and not hemmies?

I just dont know what to think at this point. Today I had one BM it was soft but no blood in stool but there is pink stain of blood on the TP. I need help.

Anal fissures can last for years, I had one when I was in my early 20's then had an operation for it several years later, which fixed it for good. Fissures can bleed and they're painful, see if you can get yours fixed up.

[ankietyjoe]

Pink or red blood on toilet paper is blood WITH a stool, not blood IN a stool. Significant difference, and nothing to worry about. Ultimately you'll want to try and resolve it, but it's not dangerous.

Like Wise Monkey said, they can come and go for years/decades.

[StephA]

I’ve had blood in my stools and on the toilet tissue off and on for 6-7 years now. Had a colonoscopy and was told I had internal hemorrhoids. I also had a fissure that the colonoscopy missed but the rectal surgeon found it with an anoscope. I’ll have blood for a few days then go without it for several weeks, then I have it again. I actually had blood on my stool this morning but it doesn’t worry me anymore since the scope didn’t find anything. This morning I actually felt a burning sensation when I went to the bathroom so it could’ve been a hard piece of undigested food or something that scratched my anus on the way out. Also sometimes my stools aren’t hard when I have the bleeding. I think once you get a fissure the tissue there is more delicate so it’s more prone to getting scratched and will bleed every now and then. Anyway I hope this will give you a little comfort. Try not to worry.

[AnxiousRN]

Thank you all for your replies. Thanks StephA. That is the most reassuring reply I've had. At least somebody understands what I am going through. Someone who have been there. I will have my colonoscopy in January finally. Hopefully I will get my answers and hoping like you they wouldn't find anything but hemmies and fissures. Having anxiety is difficult. I am scared of having a colonoscopy done because I have this fear that I will wake up to bad news. Some people with anxiety would go to doctors all the time to seek reassurance. I am the exact opposite. But my husband is right when he said, it is better to have it checked and looked at to alleviate my fears. And if they find something, it would be treated right away. That is better than dodging tests and then discovering you have something and it is too late to even do anything to treat it. I am also planning on doing my Papsmear and Mammogram on February.

[Pkstracy]

I doubt it's colon cancer. But at least you're gonna get all of this out of the way hopefully with a colonoscopy.

perhaps you should quote this to yourself as well?

[ta333]

I've had the same issue as you for almost 3 years on and off. Mine was thought to just be from a fissure too, so I haven't had a scope yet either. Hope everything goes well, keep us updated.