Scared to death I have bowel cancer - 24 yo male
Posted , 13 users are following.
Hello guys, I have occasional intermittent back passage bleeding for 3 months. I also have constant stomach growling sounds, whether I'm hungry or not. I'm having intermittent soft flat stools, very foul-smelling but it usually goes back to normal after 2-3 days. I have recurrent anal itching and pain that often gets worse when walking for a long distance.
I first went to my GP 3 months ago, he performed a DRE which showed nothing except an "anal congestion" not sure if it means hemorrhoids or not... Anyway, my GP gave me some cream and stool softeners which indeed helped with the pain but not with the bleeding. The bleeding is typically bright red and seen on the toilet paper.
For the past 3 months, I had bleeding 3-4 times.
As the bleeding did not stop, I went back to my GP. He said there's no need to worry but in order to ease my mind, he referred me to a GI surgeon to check for hemorrhoids and give me treatment. Before going to the surgeon, he asked me to perform three FIT tests and blood tests. FIT tests came back negative and blood tests were perfect.
So about a month ago I paid a visit to the GI and he did not perform any DRE. He performed a really quick thirty seconds anoscopy which, in his own words "doesn't show much". That's where I started to be really scared, I really thought that my condition was benign and it was strictly a hemorrhoids condition. I don't really understand, because the anoscopy was extremely painful on the left side of my anus and when the GI touched the left part it was ultra painful. Then going to toilets after the anoscopy, I have blood on TP without having a bowel movement. So, I really thought for a minute that he identified the bleeding source. He said it wasn't so clear for him and I should come back if the bleeding comes back. But he wasn't really concerned as three FIT tests came back negative.
I was so scared that I took a picture of my own anus (which I'm a bit ashamed of), but anyway, here's what it looks like:
I mean, doesn't this looks like hemorrhoids to you ? I don't understand my GI ... It blue/purple lumps which are painful, isn't it the definition of hemorrhoids ?!
I'm planning to go back to my GP on Thursday so that he can refer me again to another GI, and maybe plan a sigmoidoscopy / colonoscopy to know what's really causing the bleeding...
Meanwhile, I'm just scared to death it's bowel cancer, I can barely go to work. Every time I go back home, I just lay on the couch crying thinking about cancer and death ...
I know Dr. Google is not your best friend as it can scares you but on the other hand, without Google I wouldn't have been to the GP, thinking it was just hemorrhoids and not really paying attention to it. But now that I've read that it could be cancer, I'm just petrified...
What do you guys think ? Does the picture suggest hemorrhoids ? I mean, the GI says he did not see anything but come on, just have a look at my anus, you can see blue / purple lumps around it. I most of the time have trust in doctors but here, I don't understand...
Any thoughts / opinion would be greatly appreciated.
Sorry for my English, I'm a non-native
0 likes, 26 replies
kim12266 guillaume40488
Posted
hemorrhoids
guillaume40488 kim12266
Posted
Ok, thanks for your comment.
I still have constant gurgling / gas / in lower abdomen...
My GP does not want to refer me as 6 FIT tests were negative and I don't have weight loss / abdominal pain / persistent diarrhea or constipation...
I don't know what to do, the gurgling is going crazy, I feel gurgling all day long and experience a lot of gas
kim12266 guillaume40488
Posted
u need further investigation once u have had the rest of your tests u should know more right now everythings just speculation u need to try not think about cancer as many other things can cause your symptoms cancer would be way down the list mabe try to eliminate foods from your diet that could be responsible for the stomach issues u are having
alex97112 guillaume40488
Posted
Hello friend I have been experiencing similar symptoms for around 2 months now. My gp did digital rectal exam and told me the same thing as yours. He does not feel anything unusual....told me to try suppositories. I am still having issues, mine looks similar. I am planning on asking to be referred to a specialist. Also do you have any rectal fulness? Feeling like there is a balloon stuck in there? I have that and it's terrible.
sorry for the picture, but mine looks similar. Good luck and please post updates.
guillaume40488 alex97112
Posted
Hi Alex,
Since my post, I switched from toilet paper to baby wipes and have not seen blood yet. Anal itching seems to be gone to with proper hygiene.
I do not have rectal fullness but I somehow get a weird feeling sometimes after eating, like gurgling first in lower abdomen and THEN in rectum. Never experienced such thing before, do not know if it's related.
After switching back to a almost no-veg, no-fruit diet, my stools seem to be back to normal, well almost ... The first stool starts OK, like long and firm but most of the time the last piece comes soft and flat. Strange ...
I'm still having weird gurgling after eating and gas / belching. No pain, no cramps, no blood. My GP told me to take probiotics, I'll see if it changes anything as he did not want to refer me before trying basic treatments.
kim12266 guillaume40488
Posted
if your getting flat stools there mabe a blockage in the bowel or anus i should go back to your doctor is that continues to happen as poo should not be flat or thin
guillaume40488 kim12266
Posted
Not every stool is flat though. Sometimes it´s normal shaped and other times it´s flat
guillaume40488
Posted
Just to give an update...
During 1 week of probiotics, my stools were back to normal so I had hope.
After stopping treatment, it went back to soft and flat...
I get more and more stomach / bowel gurgling (especially at night) and I sometimes feel bloated....
I'm now even more convinced I have bowel cancer.
Have an appointment with my GP on Thursday... Will update.
guillaume40488
Posted
Just an update in case anyone is interested ...
I'm just back from my GP appointment, he prescribed me some more probiotics for a duration of one month. Due to the previous probiotics positive effects, he thinks it's very unlikely I have bowel cancer as if I had it, the probiotics could not have made the stools firm and bulky, it would have stayed flat if I had a tumor obstructing my colon.
I'm not really convinced by this explanation, I asked to be referred so he finally referred me to a gastroenterologist... He said at worst, my colon could be inflamed from all the medications I was on for previous prostatitis but he was not concerned at all and told me that my fear of bowel cancer was irrational as I had no red flag symptoms:
Although I told him about the belching / gas and often loose stools, he was not concerned.
But ... I AM ! I've read so many bowel cancer from young people being told by their GP "not to worry" and they ended up being diagnosed stage 4 bowel cancer...
Anyway, I'm feeling really down right now as I'm treated like a little anxious teenager but I know for a reason that my bowel symptoms are not "normal", there must be something behind it !! And his idea of colon inflammation is unlikely to me as I had CRP blood test and it came back < 1...
I'm planning to see a shrink now and will book an appointment with a gastroenterologist... Guess I won't have answers before months.
kim12266 guillaume40488
Posted
i dont think its bowel cancer as that causes lots of other symptoms to
guillaume40488 kim12266
Posted
I don't know ... I get these strange gurgling sounds at night, never heard them before, feels like there's a blockage in there... I'm seriously thinking it can't be anything else than cancer. I will book an appointment and then update...
kim12266 guillaume40488
Posted
theres usually blood in stool when it comes to bowel cancer and lots of other symptoms
alex97112 guillaume40488
Posted
Hi again, I am glad that you have been finally referred to see a specialist. I myself have been referred as well to a colorectal surgeon for an exam. I do get gas sometimes as well. Mostly at nigh time but I feel like the gas gets trapped on the way out if that makes sense. Its just sits in my rectal area until I have a bm. From time to time I also get this bloody slime without any stool. Even if its just inflamed hemorrhoids that we are dealing with it would be a peace of mind to finally get a diagnosis and see what treatment options are available. Good luck to you and please keep us updated I will do the same. My appointment is in 3 weeks.
guillaume40488 alex97112
Posted
Hi again Alex, if it's any reassurance, my grandfather had almost exactly the same symptoms as you, and it turned out to be hemorrhoids. Ofc, you will still a diagnosis to confirm this but it does sound like hemorrhoids to me.
Keep me updated, I will too.
alex97112 guillaume40488
Posted
Checking in again. I agree it would be a relief to be diagnosed with hemorrhoids at this point. The waiting between appointments is the worse. Will keep posting updates and reading yours as well. Talk to you soon!