This is pretty embarrassing but feel like I need to share this. Please bear with me......
I've suffered with gastro issues pretty much my whole life (40F) I remember being taken to the paediatrician when I was young due to terrible stomach pains. It continued into my 20s where I had a colnonoscopy and was told I had IBS. After I had kids it did settle down but in the last few years flared up regularly. Constipation is the dominant symptom for me and I struggle to go to the toilet. I've regularly had to manually extract faeces as it will not pass otherwise. Very bloated with stomach cramps and passing mucus.
Recently, despite going to the toilet I feel often I need to go again very quickly and doesn't feel like I've emptied completely. The bloating has continued but now I also have regular back pain. This evening I had to manually extract again and I could feel only what I describe as a mass behind the lining of the rectum. It did not feel like a polyp or hemarroid at all. Obviously I've googled it and now talked myself into thinking I have anal/rectal cancer. Am I being ridiculous, could it just be anatomy??
