My body won't give me any peace ...

[BNCfan]

LADIES ONLY Just got through two of the worst months in my life - and that's counting 55 years of HA - experiencing worrying digestive problems, having a barium swallow, being convinced the family cancer had caught up with me - got the barium results back and have nothing worse than gastritis and acid reflux. No sooner had my doctor rung and given me this info than I went to the loo and noticed very pale pink blood on the paper. I told myself it was either a mild bladder infection after all the stress I'd been through or from piles - sorry - which I've suffered from for years. The doctor checked my urine on Friday with a dip test and said there was no sign of blood or infection. But I'm still getting the watery pink or tiny thread veins on the paper when I go to the loo - not every time, it's usually first thing in the morning. I can't go through another two months like the previous ones. I'm well passed having periods and don't know where the blood - it really is a tiny amount - is coming from. I keep trying to tell myself it's probably normal for someone of my age - 65 - like when tiny veins come down your nose etc. Any reassurance out there?
I can't go back to the doctor, I've been so often recently.

[LeeBee]

Hi BNC, glad your barium swallow came up with just the reflux and gastritis .

How many days has the pinkish stuff been appearing when you urinate? I'm just wondering if it could be something in your food or drink. Beetroot is a classic for making your urine pink. Is there any pain when you urinate, or around your pelvis? I'd say do go back to the doctor if it hurts, or if it continues for more than a few days and you don't think there is anything you are eating or drinking that could be staining your urine.

[BNCfan]

It's nothing I'm eating LeeBee and doc only checked urine on Friday. I'm going to look a right idiot if I go back again so soon. No pain, no burning, no discomfort - except gastritis and reflux. Perhaps pieces just start dropping off when we get old! Had similar thing last year when I was really stressed and had gynae ultra sound and specialist said it was my age. Old age is a B, but I guess it's better than the alternative!

[RosieXXX]

hello BNCfan,

This health anxiety with all the horrible things it throws at us is hard to cope with - always one thing or another.

There are several things in this case, which I would gain some comfort from. Firstly, the barium didn't show up anything nasty; secondly your test for urine infection tested clear, and thirdly your gynae ultra sound, which was done relatively recently was all clear. Bearing all of this in mind together with the fact that the amount of blood seems to be just a smear of fresh looking pink blood i really wouldn't think there is anything drastically wrong, although i understand how disconcerting it must be. I wonder if it could be coming from a little irritated dry area, or spot. I am sure if it continues you will get it checked out, but from all you have said i really don't think it will be anything sinister.

[BNCfan]

Thanks Rosie, this health anxiety makes me feel totally at odds with my body, it's like carrying around an awful burden all the time. Perhaps that's why I feel detatched from it so much of the time, in a depersonalisation state. I feel trapped inside something I can't escape from and yet I live in dread of death, the one thing that is going to free me from it. There's no logic to this anxiety thing.

Everything you say makes sense re: my current 'problem' - there's an all too tiny part of my own feeble brain that is struggling to tell me the same thing, but it is a great help to 'hear' it from somebody else. Thanks again. Helen