Worried about bowel cancer, 34y

Hello, I’m 34 F and I have 2 young children.

I’m currently on two 2WW pathways. One for urology- due to unexplained persistent microscopic hematuria (blood in wee) and the other is for lower gastrointestinal - due to a positive FIT and visible blood in stool.

I'm more concerned about colorectal cancer than bladder/ kidney purely due to my symptoms and age. 
Around 18 months ago I started getting streaks of blood when opening my bowels, I didn’t think anything of it as I’ve given birth naturally twice so I thought it must be piles and I have IBS- however I have no pain, itching or bulging.

Then in January this year I went to the toilet for a regular number 2 and the toilet was full of blood (like being on a heavy period), some pain in my stomach but nothing too extreme. I called 111 and they suggested to book a drs appointment, well a busy mum of 2 and no more bloody poops and I forgot about it. Until it started happening every 2 weeks with small blood amounts in between, I thought to myself, it must be a fissure that is struggling to heal as it’s coming and going.                                     11 months go by and then after a stubborn UTI, blood in my urine kept coming back from the lab so they referred me for that, I was speaking to my GP about my bowels (they asked) and I mentioned about the blood (obviously cause at this point with the wee and the poop I’m concerned) and they asked me to provide a FIT test.

The FIT came back at 38 (normal is below 10) and that was a good poop day for me, no visible blood that I could see. 
so now I’ve had a camera in my bladder which was normal, a urinary tract ultrasound (awaiting results) and I will be having a colonoscopy in the next 7 days - awaiting the date for this. 

Other symptoms are I’ve lost over 2 stone in a few months, reduced appetite, mucus in stool and blood clots sometimes with  number 2. 

I’m not sure why I’m writing all this. Maybe just to get it all down, possibly help someone going through the same. I will update with my progress on results, I’m sure it’s nothing serious but it’s good to rule it out I suppose. 

X

  • Hello Northernsun27

    I'm sorry to hear about the ongoing health problems that you've been dealing with. It's understandable that you're feeling anxious about what might have caused some of the symptoms you've described. 

    It's good to know that your initial urology investigations haven't given any immediate cause for concern, and hopefully, the ultrasound results will bring some further reassurance. It's natural that you might be concerned ahead of your colonoscopy. It's important to try to remember that there could be any number of reasons for the bowel issues that you've been experiencing. Hopefully, the specialists will be able to offer you some reassurance regarding these problems at your appointment. 

    We know that for many people, this period of waiting for tests and results can be difficult. Uncertainty can leave us feeling anxious, and this can take a further toll on our bodies. It can sometimes hel pto talk with someone about how you're feeling and I wonder if you might find it useful to chat things through with one of our nurses. I know they will be happy to listen and offer any advice, information and support they can. If you'd like to talk with them, they're available Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm on 0808 800 4040. 

    Do keep in touch Northernsun27 and let us know how you get on. We're here for you. 

    Best wishes, 
    Jenn
    Cancer Chat moderator