At my wits end!!

5 replies
135 subscribers
1212 views

Hello everyone.

I don't even know if I'm allowed here as I haven't been diagnosed with cancer as of yet but I'm really struggling right now.

I just need somebody to talk to as there's only so much my poor wife can take.

For the last year or so, I've been having really unpleasant gastrointestinal problems. It's gotten much worse since June though.

I've been having rectal bleeding when I go to the toilet, not in my poo but when I wiped and in the bowl, severe abdominal and lower back pain, constipation, a pressure in my bottom, feeling like I have wind all the time, a feeling like I need the toilet a lot but unable to do much when I do go.

I'm not eating much right now as I feel like food goes straight through me and I just get the feeling like I need the toilet all over again.

So I went to the doctor in July. Had a FIT test, that was negative. Waited a few months, symptoms didn't subside so I went again and was sent for blood tests. Everything in my blood was fine.

Had another FIT test, positive this time. I was sent for a colonoscopy on the 2WW but only a 4mm sessile polyp in my rectum was found. It was sent to pathology with no sign of dysplasia.

This was last month. Went to the doctors again as I was still bleeding when I wiped and was diagnosed with an anal fissure.

Since then I'm still having abdominal and back pain and toilet troubles.

Went to doctor for a 4th time on the 21st of this month and she said it sounds like IBS.

The gastrointestinal problems are constant and it's just not consistent with what I know of IBS. This seems different and is destroying any joy I have in my life.

I'm so terrified that the colonoscopy has missed something and I do have bowel cancer that they haven't found yet.

Not only am I scared of that, I'm scared that it's metastasised as I've been having really achy feelings in both of my legs for months now so I'm terrified it's metastasised to my bones and it's too late for me.

I now feel like I'm on my own as I only went to the doctor on the 21st so they probably won't see me again.

I haven't been able to enjoy Christmas at all and I'm at the stage where I don't know what to do.

Thank you for reading.

Hope you've all had a good Christmas!

Take care

court over 1 year ago

Hi WorriedPangolin

Why don’t you give our helpline staff a call on 0808 808 0000.

They might be able to give you some advice .

And spread my mum had with cancer has actually never had any symptoms . It was all detected on scans . I hope that gives you some peace of mind . Bowel cancer occasionally goes to the bones but it’s not a common site of spread .

Take care ,

Court

Helpline Number 0808 808 0000

Josianna over 1 year ago

You must be worn out with fear and worry and it's perfectly normal that you want to understand your symptoms and know what's going on. It's the lack of knowledge and control that causes us to worry and lets our imagination run riot with all the 'what ifs.' I'm not medically trained but I have had bowel cancer and It sounds very positive that the colonoscopy didn't find any thing nasty, it's usually that test that does find things. Whether or not your symptoms are being caused by IBS or IBD or some other gastrointestinal problem I do know that the stomach and bowel react very strongly to anxiety and stress and will exacerbate symptoms. Perhaps you could ask your GP for a referral to a Gastroenterologist, that's what I'd be asking for. Best wishes

Shellbell24 over 1 year ago

Hi WorriedPangolin I too have had bowel cancer and mine was so obvious at the colonoscopy that they couldn’t miss it. Mine also hadn’t metastasised so although there’s no guarantees, I hope hearing this helps to reduce your worries. I also have IBS and although I have some of those symptoms, it’s not all the time and would seem unlikely it would cause so much trouble.

Perhaps if your doctor hasn’t been much help, contact 111 and get a referral to the out of hours doctors as the hospital? I have done this before! You shouldn’t have to live in such discomfort and worry, you may have to cause a fuss and force it to be looked into.

good luck!

Clothears over 1 year ago

I am so sorry you are going through this. Did you have any blood tests done? If your CEA levels are normal then most likely not cancer. That said, and I do not want to scaremonger, but my husband had stomach cancer in 2011 and his only symptom was blood in his stool. He had surgery and was then cancer-free for 12 years. I am not sure what it takes for your GP to help you with more follow-ups (I am now based in Japan), but it sounds like you may be able to get some advice from the MacMillan helpline. Wishing you all the best of luck for a cancer-free diagnosis.

Maninbath over 1 year ago

Hi. All I can offer is that if your bowel prep was good the colonoscopy would, more than likely, have identified bowel cancer if present. My bowel cancer was at the Splenic Flexture, so quite a way ‘in’ and I remember thinking during in the procedure that maybe I was OK. My brother-in-law has gut problems and an anal fissure that causes bleeding for him from time-to-time but none of that is cancer related. Whereas I was symptom-free and only discovered I had bowel cancer via a FIT test. I know people see the world differently - I’m a glass half full person and remain so even with a (now) incurable diagnosis - and it can be difficult to find the positives in this type of situation but try and focus on the knowns rather than the unknowns.

All the best.

Maninbath.