worried I have bowel cancer

So I've had problems with my bowels for about 3 years, starting with blood and mucus in the stool which was obviously put down to hemorrhoids. It went away for a little while. While i was pregnant last year i has severe constipation with blood and mucus in the stool, again put down to hemorrhoids and also pregnancy. Blood went away for about 9 months but mucus never left. About 2-3 months ago i started feeling kicks or flutters in my stomach... i took a pregnancy test because it felt like baby kicks but i didnt think it was possible as i am on the implant, it came back negative. For the past 4 weeks i have had a lot of blood (i thought i was on my period but i was not) and a lot of mucus in my stool, it has been looser and more frequent but now i am consipitated. It does not hurt when i go to the toilet but the amount of blood and mucus is increasing every time i go. For the last day when i have flatulated, there has been blood. I have started to feel like i have ran a marathon with sore legs and feet after doing my 20-30 minute walk a day and now have a very dull ache in my tummy. I feel sick quite a lot but it is manageable but i have not actually vommited. I am only 24 years old and no history of bowel problems let alone cancer in the family so i feel like the doctor is going to test for everything other than cancer, which of course they have been doing. I have had 4 blood tests and 2 stool tests so far, first set (3 blood and 1 stool) came back normal so they are testing for celiacs which i assume will come back normal too. pardon the pun, but i have this gut feeling like this is something really bad and not just hemorrhoids. I was wondering what everyones first signs of bowel cancer were, if anyone else has had this feeling and it came back wrong, or they were right? if the fluttering/kicking feeling is a symptom or i am being crazy? How do i get the doctor to take me seriously and get a scan to check? I am at the point where i am anxious when i need to go to the toilet because i don't know how much blood and mucus there will be, or whether i will be able to go at all. 

  • Hello,

             as a recovered bowel cancer patient l can say l had none of the issues you describe,just black spots like raisins in the stool,which l recognised right away as stale blood.Interesting to note that stress and anxiety manifests in two areas,With some it goes to the head,but others like myself it goes to the gut,and can lead to cramp,wind,pains in the stomach and lower bowel,which can manifest extremely intensely.l recognise the effects now and have learnt to chill and take a step back at the outset, nipping it in the bud.l think most people fail to appreciate how much high levels of stress can affect the way your body functions.

     So yes l think it entirely possible that the fluttering/kicking feeling could be linked to stress,and not definately linked to your other issues,which l hope they get to the bottom of (whoopsy) quickly for you,

                                              Take care, David

  • Hi,

    thank you for your response. It is possible the later onset symptoms such as stomach ache and feeling sick is from stress, however before the flutters/kicking and blood and mucus came about i was not feeling stressed in any sense. When i first informed the doctor of my symptoms i believed there was no possibilty that this was bad, but my symptoms have got progessively worse in the instance of blood and mucus.

    Thanks,

    Abbie