Hello! It’s been a while since I posted on this forum, I would really appreciate it if anyone could help me out and give me some advice… I have made a few posts last year or so about my colon cancer fears, so I am going to sum it up (this is a little TMI, fair warning sorry!!)
I am 23f, (114 lbs, 5 ft 2) and was pretty healthy before covid (I am a long hauler), no problems prior and no history of anything bad. September 2020 I caught covid and ever since then I’ve had a ton of BM issues, this included:
- Year long on and off constipation (never constipated before this)
- LOTS of mucus
- Maybe blood once…
- Oily stools and new food intolerances
- Bloating
Then my body flip flopped last month and now:
- urge to go right when I wake up
- very gassy
- undigested food
- loose stools
- lots of mucus
- Decrease in appetite
- going 2-3 times a day (i know this is normal but for a year I sometimes couldn't even go once a day)
Ive been avoiding the doctor about it because for once I wanted to not freak out about a health matter, I finally broke down around Christmas and saw a doctor and she scheduled me for a colonoscopy in late February.
the thing is, I am pretty much over the colon cancer worries, rationally I know all of this started due to long haul, but I have SO MUCH fear with this procedure, I want to list them to get them off my chest:
- I have never been put to sleep before, what if I don't wake up? what if I can feel everything while I am under but cant say anything?
- What if I am allergic to the sedation? what if I stop breathing?
- What if they find a polyp or a pre cancerous polyp? Is that going to cause a life time of colonoscopies?
My two worries are the sedation and them finding polyps, I just want to wake up and be told I am perfectly fine, and I cant stop thinking about the scenarios where that doesn’t happen.
This has really effected my life for the past year or so, the only comfort I have right now is knowing my FIT test came back negative. I hate that its come down to a colonoscopy. My doctor didn't seem concerned, she was very comforting, I feel bad because I know I am probably going to start sobbing when I see her for the procedure.
If anyone has any helpful advice or could share their experience I would really appreciate it <3