I was diagnosed with IBS at 10 (40 now). It waxes and wanes, sucks when it flares but it is what it is. I also have a family history of colon cancer. On my mother’s side my grandfather got it when he was in his 40’s (back in the 60s). He survived another 37 years but it came back decades later and he passed from it at 77. My uncle and cousin have had polyps removed in their 40s. Only my father’s side my great grandmother and uncle had colon cancer. While not colon cancer, my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer at 53 and passed at 58 (I was 28 at the time).
I turned 40 last year. For the past 2.5 years I’ve had a recurrent pain in my left side. It comes and goes at random but it doubles me over when it happens and feels like someone is stabbing me in the side with a knife repeatedly. Usually when the pain happens I end up needing to “go” about 10 minutes later. I’ve been trying my best to ignore this as it comes and goes. While it hasn’t gotten worse, it hasn’t gotten better. It doesn’t feel like the typical IBS cramping pain but I’ve always attributed it to that. This pain has been concerning to me but I’ve consistently ignoring it and haven’t even been to my PCP for 2 years.
This morning I bit the bullet and tried one of the at home occult blood tests that detects blood inside stool. The results were absolutely positive. Didn’t even need to wait the 5 minutes. The second the solution crossed the test portion the line appeared.
I’m planning on calling a gastroenterologist on Monday. I don’t really want to start this process. I feel like I will need to fight for a colonoscopy to my age and the thought of the colon prep makes me sick….hours and hours of pain and cramping is not a good time.
I’m a little freaked out by all of this and regret putting off seeing the doctor for so long since this pain started. 
I’m hoping it turns out to be nothing (I doubt it’s “nothing” as this pain is definitely not normal) but hoping it is something less serious than colon cancer.
I think my next step is going to be a colonoscopy and I’m terrified of what they will find, especially since I’ve been having potential symptoms for years now.
