Terrified I have bowel cancer

Im Bex, im 25. In August this year I went to the doctors because of blood in my stool, a lot of blood at the time. I was reffered to the hospital that day because it was active. I had brought my FIT test with me. My bloods were taken and a doctor examined my back passage. He said it could be irritable bowel, said bloods were fine. Told me not to send the fit test because all it would tell is that there is blood in stool which we already know about. 

 

I didn't send the fit test. 

 

5 months later still having trouble with soft stools and occasional blood. Went back to doctor, who said they never processes anything further because they didn't receive the fit test. it came back positive showing blood high in the colon. I get married in 2 weeks, this is now my 2 week wait for an urgent colonostopy and I am terrified! Im only 25, what if it is cancer and its been 5 months of spreading. what if its going to stop me having children? All of these thoughts wont leave my head. Everything online points towards bowel cancer and im so so so scared. 

 

  • Hi bex i am sorry to hear the news you having problems. I am 44 years old and also going through the same problems but im a few steps ahead of you i guess..  im shocked to hear abour the qfit test as im  sure this should have been done first time around.   and you being  25 is a big help for treatment if its required. the biggest thing i can say to you today is stop googling the symptoms. google will only show you doom and gloom. I just had my colonoscopy and you get a choice of sedation or gas and air i went for sedation as my wife was driving me.  for the colonoscopy my advice is to not be ashamed to pass wind as they blow air into you and i had the most painfull time because i was tensing holding it all in and it caused the worst pain ever. The nurse told me to pass wind if needed and wow the drop in pain was great consisting of three to 4 30 second farts.(the poor women at the other end)  it was all done so nicely and the nurses was amazing with me   sorry if this sounded crude theres no way to put it better.  best of luck and chin up. u got this. 

  • Thank you so much for your kind words and advice. You've no idea how much that's helped me today. My partner just keeps saying you'll be fine, you'll be fine. Which just isn't helping at all. This is what I needed to hear, so thank you. I hope everything goes well for you on your journey x 

  • Hi pretty much going through the same issue diahhorea,constipation lot of blood in toilet few times (not for about 3 weeks tho,hopefully a good sign) had a colonoscopy 3 years ago not the nicest thing to go through but not unbearable.i have to go for blood tests on friday as a result of my ct scan so needless to say I'm really scared,good luck with your colonoscopy and I hope all is well 

  • Hi Lee, I had the same thing, no sign of blood for weeks, then had a really stressful day at work and it was back again. It all is really scary! I'm praying everything goes well for you. 

  • Thanks and you,I'm sure you'll have the best wedding day too

  • Sorry to hear you are going through this. I had a similar scare over the summer, so I know how scary it is. My symptoms were a bit different (rectal bleeding, occasional loose stools - maybe once or twice a week - excessive gas and some weight loss). Like you, I was freaked, because googling gave me information saying weight loss and rectal bleeding had a 15% chance of being cancer. One in six. Sounded terrifying!

    Then I saw the specialist and what he said was completely different (which I guess is why googling isn't always helpful). He said that at my age (40, at the time), the odds of bowel cancer were really low, that those symptoms did mean it was one possibility but that it was the least likely of all the options he would be considering, that it was most likely hemorrhoids with a slight possibility of IBD and when I asked how worried I should be, he replied "zero. Not at all."

    The thing about online is that the more serious an issue is, the more information there will be on it. People will write about their experience with cancer. They are less likely to write about their experience with hemorrhoids or IBS or a fissure or any one of those little things.

    Given that you are much younger than me, I would say your chances of having bowel cancer are even lower than mine. Your symptoms could be a whole load of things - a polyp, IBD, a combination of hemorrhoids and the stress of worrying about the blood, etc.

    I will say that when I had the colonoscopy, it found nothing by hemorrhoids.

    I know you are always going to worry about the worst case scenario; even a tiny chance of cancer is scary. But the odds that you have it are probably really low. 

  • Hi Bex,

    Im 33 now and struggled with symptomps since I was pregnant with my now 6yrs.Went for private colonoscopy and was told stage 3 bowel cancer,within week operation and later chemo.Had 2 colonoscopys so far and both were ok,no discomfort.First one little bit uncomfortable but mind u I had 5 cm tumor inside obstructing but still was not too bad.Dont think will be bad as IBS is also possibility so are IBD and hemmorhoids.Positive mind really helps as I said to myself "Tears aside,need to face it and get on with the life"