Have I got rectal cancer?

[MyNameIsTerry]

So glad the GP was so good - it can make a world of difference, can't it?

But yes, definitely go out and enjoy the sunshine while you're young and you don't have anywhere else to be

Yeah, sounds like a good GP. Glad to hear this as you need a good relationship with one.

It's dog walking time

Rightyho, good news, now.......its a wonderful day today, a great one to be alive and well......get outside do something!

Bump to all of these!

[Toby2000]

Well, you've done something very foolish Toby, you've come straight out of being reassured and googled what the GP told you. Basically now in checking-up you have come across lots of information which has thrown you into doubt. Why did you do that ? You are undoing every positive piece of reassurance you are given, every....single....time.

Knock it off, Toby, you're back to being ridiculous again.

WHICH IS WHY YOU NEED TO BE A DOCTOR TO UNDERSTAND IT ALL. You have seen doctors, who have trained for many many years. They didn't just pick up their info from a few months of googling, they had proper, modern medical training. Just STOP reading and I mean it!

I'm sorry. I don't know why I did it or what happened there. I'll mention these doubts to her on Tuesday and ask her to explain because if it was true then why would I be reading otherwise from factual real life stories?

As Terry said it's part of the cycle of my anxiety and always seems to happen after I get some good news or notable reassurance

To me it does seem like the GPs have read from one NHS textbook or something, I feel like they need to adapt their attitudes to bowel cancer, everything I was told, not from the GP I saw last time, seemed so black and white and textbook.

[Toby2000]

BIB - years with an untreated cancer that can spread in it's more advanced stages? Or perhaps they had symptoms that can be found in this cancer as well as many common problems in that area? Roids are so common, as is IBS, for instance. Did they see doctors during this time, have tests?

No, you should listen to your own doctor and not follow scare stories off the internet. Anyone can type any old load of unscientific nonsense on the internet. Only go with reputable medical literature.

See the pattern? Reassurance received and feeling good for a short time, then comes doubt and then back into the cycle we go.

Yeah I do see the pattern, for me it's always something bad happens, I go to the doctor and they make me feel better about it or say something to reassure me, I get home feeling lighter, sleep easy that night, I'm okay for a few hours upon waking up before I start doubting

Example:

I feel like I'm losing weight
Doctor says I'm not
Come home feeling better
Wake up feeling better
Start to question if my clothes added on to my weight, am I a normal weight for my age and size etc

I just don't see how people can be seeing blood in their stools if they have cancer further up in the colon, ie. the top of the sigmoid colon, when I was told that anything higher up than the bottom of the sigmoid colon would turn the stool red or black but that's obviously not true. It makes no sense. :(

[MrsEd]

Ive had very similar symptoms to you toby, just come out of the hospital after a CLEAR COLONOSCOPY. I will still be accessing cbt because ive already started thinking maybe its stomach cancer!

[Toby2000]

Ive had very similar symptoms to you toby, just come out of the hospital after a CLEAR COLONOSCOPY. I will still be accessing cbt because ive already started thinking maybe its stomach cancer!

THAT'S AMAZING! I know it's the absolute best feeling when you have a clear results, nothing can replicate it

What were your symptoms?

[MyNameIsTerry]

Yeah I do see the pattern, for me it's always something bad happens, I go to the doctor and they make me feel better about it or say something to reassure me, I get home feeling lighter, sleep easy that night, I'm okay for a few hours upon waking up before I start doubting

Example:

I feel like I'm losing weight
Doctor says I'm not
Come home feeling better
Wake up feeling better
Start to question if my clothes added on to my weight, am I a normal weight for my age and size etc

I just don't see how people can be seeing blood in their stools if they have cancer further up in the colon, ie. the top of the sigmoid colon, when I was told that anything higher up than the bottom of the sigmoid colon would turn the stool red or black but that's obviously not true. It makes no sense. :(

So, you think people with bowel cancer only have that and can't have anything else? How do you know they don't have other bowel issues that are the reason for these symptoms? Anecdotal evidence from people untrained in making a diagnosis and eliminating bias are not equivalents to a fully trained & experienced doctor. If they were you would go down the pub for your diagnosis.

Can you see you are looking to undermine her advice to keep your fear going?

[BlueIris]

Again, Toby, quit ruminating.

[MyNameIsTerry]

THAT'S AMAZING! I know it's the absolute best feeling when you have a clear results, nothing can replicate it

What were your symptoms?

I think you missed the point MrsEd is trying to make - she has already moved onto stomach cancer. Why do you think that is?

And as far as tests go why not ask all the HIV/AIDS worriers on here why they can't accept their extremely reliable tests (some of them multiple) are clear? Or perhaps ask those in the UK worrying about rabies when we haven't had a case in decades and that was only because it was someone who works with bats or how our cases are because people are infected on holiday in countries with rabies?

[MyNameIsTerry]

I'm sorry. I don't know why I did it or what happened there. I'll mention these doubts to her on Tuesday and ask her to explain because if it was true then why would I be reading otherwise from factual real life stories?

As Terry said it's part of the cycle of my anxiety and always seems to happen after I get some good news or notable reassurance

To me it does seem like the GPs have read from one NHS textbook or something, I feel like they need to adapt their attitudes to bowel cancer, everything I was told, not from the GP I saw last time, seemed so black and white and textbook.

How do you know they are factual stories? Are they medical case histories? If not, it's "man down the pub" stuff.

[Toby2000]

So, you think people with bowel cancer only have that and can't have anything else? How do you know they don't have other bowel issues that are the reason for these symptoms? Anecdotal evidence from people untrained in making a diagnosis and eliminating bias are not equivalents to a fully trained & experienced doctor. If they were you would go down the pub for your diagnosis.

Can you see you are looking to undermine her advice to keep your fear going?

I don't know I feel as if it would be unlikely to coincidentally have two problems causing blood