Bowel/Colon Cancer Worries! :/

Cancer
1

Hello People!

Sorry for the long post in advance but I feel I need to vent somwhere.

I’m a 26 year old Male, normally healthy albeit slightly overweight (fatherhood for you) & I’ve been suffering from bowel issues for the past 3 weeks.

This all stemmed from about 4 weeks ago, where initially I thought I was suffering from a heart attack - due to chest pains etc. I’d been to A&E and doctors and had tests done which all came back clear and I felt reassured! 

But then this is where the bowel issues started and have been plaguing me daily for the past 3 weeks. It all started when I noticed a small amount of fresh bright red blood on the toilet paper after wiping! So of course I googled it and was met by hundreds of posts about bowel/colon cancer! So that was me convinced I had it. 

So, over the past three weeks I have had multiple symptoms which cause me to be alarmed it could be bowel/colon cancer..

Firstly my bowel habits seem to have changed.. I am finding that I go to the toilet for a bowel movement in the morning (15 minutes after waking) then will normally go again 2-3 times in the morning. I will then go maybe another 1 or 2 times the rest of the day! I also have had bright red blood numerous times on the toilet paper when wiping (however my anus has been very sore lately, burning/stinging with and after bowel movements) - I also ‘think’ I have seen blood in my stool - I haven’t investigated thoroughly though lol! - but I have read certain foods can do this. My stools do seem looser in the morning then they do later on in the day.. 

Before this all started and due to my heart attack scare - I started monitoring my calories intake and decided to try and lose some weight.. I have lost 8/9lbs over the 4 weeks (don’t know if this is due to diet changes or due to ‘bowel/colon cancer’) 

My stomach also seems to be making a lot of noises (more noticeable to me) like a gurgling sound in gut? 

I sometimes feel a sort of pressure feeling near anus? And have had a lot more flatulence lately it seems.

I have also gone to have a bowel movement a few times and only been able to pass wind with some clear mucous?  And I have also felt a bit nauseas since this all started!

I don’t seem to have lost my appetite as I can still eat food easily and I do get hungry a lot! I don’t really feel bloated either!

I have contacted my GP who arranged blood tests which I had done on Thursday and should be able to get results this week! (Dreading it may show anemia as this is a big red flag for them cancers) rolleyes 

Just need some advice and support from people who have suffered this also? And any help from anyone would be massively appreciated!

Sorry for the long post again!

Thanks! 

2

Hi Jay, I surely hope you don’t have bowel cancer, I know the symptoms can be scary and the more you read the scarier it gets. But you are being proactive and have already started looking for help, that’s great. Hopefully your blood work comes back normal. Sometimes the bright red blood on toilet paper is just a sign of hemorrhoids internally or externally, hopefully that’s your case. The pressure you are explaining could be from inflammation. Keep on top of this, even if the bloods come back normal.

good luck and best wishes 

3

Hi Jay I don't want to scare you and a doctor I am not but to be safe I would get a colonoscopy. My sister just got diagnosed with colon cancer. She's 67 and had never had a colonoscopy had she done so she would not have it now or she would have caught it earlier. Early detection is the name of the game and I am so..impressed with you for being right on top of this!!! Please keep us posted. We care. Diane

4

Jay I see your symptoms would worry you but just wanted to say colon cancer is rare as with many other cancers in younger people but I scope would ease your mind the doctors may try to talk you out of it but don't let them be persistent but it could be many things

5

I can only echo the others, and say that keep pushing with your doctor to get a definite diagnosis of the problem, not a 'it might be this, or that'. A colonoscopy ought to be recommended by your doc to get this diagnosis. Could be piles, could be polyps, or a huge number of other things far more likely than colon/bowel cancer, especially at your age, that would be way outside the 'normal' age range for it. Oh, and please, stay away from Google for symptoms. No matter what you put in as symptoms, it will almost always come back with a possible cancer! Google a proper diagnosis by all means, that keeps you informed, and often gives you questions to ask. And avoid all the snake oil salesmen you will come across selling various 'cures' too. Good luck, and please come back and let us know how it went.

6

Hi all, thanks for your replies and concerns! Still having the symptoms on and off - However, the bleeding seems to be a case of fissure/piles/soreness as it seems to be very sore down there - as in when wipe its sensitive and when wash in bath it’s sore too! Still..

I rang the GP surgery today to see if my bloods were back (even though they said to wait 7 days!) - spoke with the receptionist, who informed me they were back and they were normal! smile - which is a massive relief as anemia is a massive sign of my number one worry! - However, she said a doctor would like to phone me for a routine telephone call.. which I agreed for tomorrow lunch time! - Now this has made me anxious again as to why they would need to phone me? If my bloods are normal surely that should be it? And surely the receptionist wouldn’t say my bloods were normal if they weren’t would they? 

Just left me abit anxious for the phone call tomorrow! Fingers crossed it’s nothing and I can move on from this horrible fixation!

Will update when have spoke with doctor via. Telephone! 

7

Quite possibly your GP just wants to officially put your mind at rest, and also probably to check exactly where the blood is coming from. You say it feels sore, so most likely a fissure, but it seems to me he's doing the right thing, and wants to be absolutely sure he has the reason for it, which is great.

8

Another update for everyone! 

Doctor rang me bang on Lunch Time! Spoke with him for all of 2 minutes! He told me the bloods were perfect and asked if I’d had/got a cold/chest infection as it was showing signs of infection slightly and told him for the past 3 days I’d been suffering from a cough, coughing up phlegm and sore throat and he immediately said that would be why as it was only minimally raised! - I quizzed him on the iron levels to see if I was anemic (my main worry) and he said no there perfect!

Finally, can ease my mind and stop stressing and move past this horrible few weeks of anxiousness and stress!

Thanks everyone for your words and I hope you all do well!

:D