If I had kidney cancer, would I already have worse symptoms by now?

[NervousSubject]

I'm now on almost a whole year since I had the visible blood in my urine. To my knowledge it hasnt happened since as every single time I went No.1, it's been either clear or some form of yellow. I've also had at least four dip-stick tests done, all of which were negative for just about everything, no blood, no protein, no leukocytes, no nothing. I want to stop worrying, but every single time I feel like I've conquered my fear, I read something else that triggers my health anxiety, usually a story about a young person being diagnosed with an "old people cancer" like stomach, bowel, kidney, or liver cancer...

But then I have to remind myself that It's been a year, all my urine tests are normal, I'm not loosing weight without trying (in fact, when I stop trying I gain weight :P), no unknown fevers, no more blood... But what do you guys think?

[Catkins]

I'm not a urologist. But to me if it's a year since you thought you saw blood and you have had four clear tests you are fine.

Are you getting help with your HA?

[Fishmanpa]

I'm now on almost a whole year since I had the visible blood in my urine. To my knowledge it hasnt happened since as every single time I went No.1, it's been either clear or some form of yellow. I've also had at least four dip-stick tests done, all of which were negative for just about everything, no blood, no protein, no leukocytes, no nothing. I want to stop worrying, but every single time I feel like I've conquered my fear, I read something else that triggers my health anxiety, usually a story about a young person being diagnosed with an "old people cancer" like stomach, bowel, kidney, or liver cancer...

But then I have to remind myself that It's been a year, all my urine tests are normal, I'm not loosing weight without trying (in fact, when I stop trying I gain weight :P), no unknown fevers, no more blood... But what do you guys think?

I think this is pure and simple reassurance seeking as your post is all the reassurance you need.

FMP

[NervousSubject]

I think this is pure and simple reassurance seeking as your post is all the reassurance you need.

FMP

Doesnt everybody with health anxiety search for reassureance in one way or another? I just wanted to see if there were other people with urinary issues that can help calm my remaining anxieties.

[Fishmanpa]

Doesnt everybody with health anxiety search for reassureance in one way or another? I just wanted to see if there were other people with urinary issues that can help calm my remaining anxieties.

Read your post as that is all the reassurance you need and no, not everyone with HA seeks reassurance with something so blatantly obvious.

FMP

[NervousSubject]

I'm not a urologist. But to me if it's a year since you thought you saw blood and you have had four clear tests you are fine.

Are you getting help with your HA?

I "thought"?

My urine was the color of grapefruit juice FFS, it was clearly hot pink.

[Fishmanpa]

Question: Have any of the fears you've imagined come to fruition in the last four years?

FMP

[BlueIris]

Sorry to be annoying, but joining the chorus here: your HA is clearly out of control.

Make like Elsa and let it go.

[AnxietySufferer]

I had blood in my urine 2 years ago. Confirmed with a visit to the walk in centre where I went in telling them I was pretty sure I had a uti. I had high levels of leukocytes. They said it can happen with utis and gave me 3 days of antibiotics. The lady looked really concerned and said if it continued to go back to the docs (to me this was saying it’s cancer). Anyway I took the antibiotics, symptoms went away.

It was my first and only UTI. Every so often I spiral and think what if it was bladder cancer. But it’s been 2 years.

In a young person there are many much more likely causes. Bladder cancer especially is pretty rare in young people.

[Pamplemousse]

I'm now on almost a whole year since I had the visible blood in my urine. To my knowledge it hasnt happened since as every single time I went No.1, it's been either clear or some form of yellow. I've also had at least four dip-stick tests done, all of which were negative for just about everything, no blood, no protein, no leukocytes, no nothing. I want to stop worrying, but every single time I feel like I've conquered my fear, I read something else that triggers my health anxiety, usually a story about a young person being diagnosed with an "old people cancer" like stomach, bowel, kidney, or liver cancer...

But then I have to remind myself that It's been a year, all my urine tests are normal, I'm not loosing weight without trying (in fact, when I stop trying I gain weight :P), no unknown fevers, no more blood... But what do you guys think?

I think it's pretty safe to say that on the evidence you've presented, you had an unpleasant UTI that scared the wits out of you, but nothing more than that - and unlike others here, I'm not going to get judgemental on you for seeking reassurance. It's what we HA sufferers do. Heavens, I've just been doing it myself regarding a spray moth killer and wondering if the last few days of occasional light-headedness are because I used this stuff once downstairs.

The problem you have as far as I can see is that, like myself, you think you will always be one of those outlier cases we read about - and we read about them because they're so rare; they make good copy for the newspapers/websites, but torture us.

The first step - and I'll acknowledge it as being a hard one - is to break the cycle of looking for these outlier cases. Here in the UK we have a newspaper called The Daily Mail. Every Tuesday it has a health section that often covers something that'll give you cancer, or an outlier case. My late wife would hide that section from me. When she died, I cancelled the paper.