Constipation, blood and mucus in stool, swollen lymph nodes, anxiety since relative got colon cancer
Posted , 4 users are following.
I'm 18 years old, female, have had hormonal problems and cysts in my breasts and ovaries before, no other major health complaints.
For a long while now I've been suffering from bloating and constipation. I've taken stool softeners and they helped for a while, later not so much. I get blood and mucus in my stool occasionally and feel sharp pain during bowel movements, sometimes afterwards too, it's really uncomfortable and throbbing. I have developed a skin tag on my anus and was completely sure that I have a fissure, but recently went to a proctoligist and found out that there's nothing there. No fissure, fistula or anything. The abdominal cramps, constipation and blood still continue.
As if that isn't enough, recently I've developed swollen lymph nodes on the sides of my neck and one under my jaw. They're painful, movable and quite small (around 0.5-0.6 cm), the doctor did an ultrasound and said that they look like normal, reactionary nodes, but it's been three weeks and they aren't going down.
Other symptoms I experience are shortness of breath, sometimes accompanied by increased heartbeat, occasional fatigue, sharp headache, sweating at night (no fever), mild pain in my arms and legs (muscles and joints), lower back pain and pain in my left side, along the ribs, but I'm aware that some of these can be caused by my constant stress.
I'm an extremely anxious person, but have been pretty calm so far. I've been telling myself that the constipation, resulting in bleeding, could be from the oral contraceptives I've been taking (I discontinued them about a week ago, abdominal cramps improved a little), my gynecologist even agreed with that. The lymph nodes might be a throat infection, my throat has been a little sore lately, I cough occasionally. All that calmness went away when my grandfather was diagnosed with colon cancer recently. Since then I can't eat, can't sleep, no doctors can say what's wrong with me.
I have a blood test and a stool test scheduled for this week, but I don't know how to live with the anxietyuntil then. I can't stop googling and my symptoms match so many cancers... I'm scared. Help? Tips? Advice? Has anyone dealt with something like that?
0 likes, 3 replies
susan21751 evelina87533
Posted
Evelina-
I imagine your anxiety is making you feel worse-(sweating-fast heartbeat etc)all sound like increasing anxiety-
I very much doubt you have cancer.
Stop googling symptoms- it doesn't help anything at all.
Your throat may be infected-that is why you feel swollen there.
How is your diet ( you say toiletting is not good)-do you eat properly- ?
Maybe you need to eat more bulky foods-sweet potatoes/seedy bread/veg/fruits etc.(to bulk up poo)!
Have your tests done and stop looking for other symptons on-line.
Look on the positive side you are having tests which will show anything / or not (blood could be piles)-
Try to relax I know it's hard for you.
Keep us up to speed on results of tests.
Best wishes
Susan
john31024 evelina87533
Posted
i used to be a right hypochondriac and think I was about to drop dead at any minute until I started reading "The best of Seneca the stoic" Seneca said (2000 years ago) if things are outside your control you should not worry about it and when you die you only lose the moment because yesterday is gone and tomorrow hasn't happened yet, so you can't lose what you haven't had!
Your anxiety is making matters worse so you must take control.
tonie16159 evelina87533
Posted
Evelina. I'm sorry you are going through this I know anxiety over health issues all to well on incidental findings I have suspicious growths in other organs but I'm much older than you I'm not a doctor but I would say colon cancer is most likely not I was also a Google enthusiast not good I have friends on another site who say your mind can convince your body for certain things to happen so please try not to do that I know that rough road personally to the point doctors no longer take me seriously I can see why you are concerned you have so much going on I couldn't get a doctor to take my digestive issues seriously because of my age maybe 20 years ago so don't let the doctors do miss your concerns for that reason we all have different symptoms sometimes please be assertive about your concerns and it affecting your quality of life not saying you should be overly concerned keep us posted and I hope you get answers and don't let them put all this as anxiety without testing to back it up it seems to be there go to response instead of checking my new symptoms they want to push stronger meds on me I wish you the best sincerely