The Colon Club

Hello,

I'm a 27 year old male who very anxious at the moment. I have health anxiety and I have had rectal bleeding on and off 5 years. When this first started I was in college (2011) and went to the ER, and was referred to a GI doctor. I had a sigmoidoscopy and they only found internal hemmroids, and some signs of proctitis. I had two biopsies in the rectum and colon and they were both benign. They have me canasa and sent me on my way.

2 years ago I had a flare up for about a day and used the canasa which resolved my symptoms and I thought nothing of it. I have had small blood in stool here and there but it cleared up or it was from a fissure which my doctor saw while doing an exam. The last 2 weeks I have had a flare up again with bleeding in my stool. I went to urgent care and my primary care doctor and they did a digital exam and examed my rectum and saw 3 anal fissures. I also saw the GI specialist, and we talked about the symptoms and scheduled the colonoscopy. The colonoscopy is at the end of the month because I was persistent in getting everything checked out.

I guess I wanted to see if I'm over reacting and thinking this is colon cancer since I had a sigmoidoscope only 5 almost 6 years ago? My health anxiety has me googling 24/7 waiting for my colonoscopy and I won't stop reading. I have not been treating my anxiety and that might be why this is a bigger issue.

Other symptoms:
Some pressure in pelvic area that has gone away
Acid reflux that comes and goes
Anxiety
Blood in stool and TP
Tired and dizzy (most likely from anxiety?)
Burning sensation after BM
Itchy

This was the same as 5/6 years ago. I'm just looking for some support and some kind of guidance as the doctors believe it's hemorrhoids, anal fissures and the proctitis flaring up.


I'm on mobile so please excuse any spelling or formatting errors.

It sounds like you have a history of GI issues so I would suspect something along those lines. If they discovered anal fissures during your exam, then wouldn't that likely be related to the cause of the symptoms?

In my case I had no history of GI problems at all before rectal bleeding started. Blood turned to discomfort, fullness in the rectum, and pain. I went to the GI and got diagnosed. I actually was convinced I had hemorrhoids, but alas, no such luck.

It's understandable to be anxious but cancer in people our age is very, very rare. Usually there is a genetic element to the cancer when it develops early. In my case, I have Lynch syndrome, which means I was born with a broken DNA mismatch repair chromosome.

Good luck with your colonoscopy!

Try not to worry (I know how hard that can be so I don't say it lightly). You are taking the right steps. It is best to be proactive and make sure everything is okay but with your past issues and age it seems more likely to be caused from one of the other GI issues you are experiencing.

Veckon and pdp497,

I am trying not to stress and I understand that it most likely isn't cancer, but the health anxiety I have after is crushing me. I know my chances of colon cancer are around 1-2%, but if you know anyone with health anxiety, they think of the worst outcome regardless. The PA (emergency appointment after going to urgent care) looked at my bottom and said she did see 3 fissures that were "way up there". I just am worried that the blood on the stool is not from some cancers polyp.

I have good days and bad days and that is primarily due to what I see in the bathroom. I probably have no right posting here with my petty symptoms, but asking for opinions of people who have been through the process would help shed light on my situation. I am just curious if symptoms come on suddenly or gradual.

Everyone that has cancer I seriously don't know how you do it and I have the utmost respect of you! Regardless of my outcome I hope everyone gets well.

I'm sorry you're going through this!*hugs* I'm glad you're getting a colonoscopy for peace of mind.*hugs* You will have answers soon. It's so hard waiting. Stay away from Google because looking things up will just worry you.

Anxietysucks wrote: I'm just looking for some support and some kind of guidance as the doctors believe it's hemorrhoids, anal fissures and the proctitis flaring up.

Support we have here
Sharing and advice as well

KNOWLEDGE of your own situation will only come after your c-scope when the docs actually have a look at wazzup ... your BUTT
and that will NOT involve what they "believe" .... it WILL involve the actual FACTS !

not trying to be tough love on you
BUTT
get the scope
FIND OUT THE FACTS ... and then make a plan to deal buddy

real life advice from a homie here
post back in or PM me anytime

Best wishes
CRguy

Anxietysucks wrote:Veckon and pdp497,

I am trying not to stress and I understand that it most likely isn't cancer, but the health anxiety I have after is crushing me. I know my chances of colon cancer are around 1-2%, but if you know anyone with health anxiety, they think of the worst outcome regardless. [...]

I have good days and bad days and that is primarily due to what I see in the bathroom. I probably have no right posting here with my petty symptoms, but asking for opinions of people who have been through the process would help shed light on my situation.

I wouldn't be calling health anxiety a petty symptom; as you well know it's debilitating and makes your life absolutely wretched!
Clearly the GI specialist doesn't consider your symptoms petty because you're getting scoped.

Are you getting help from a therapist for the health anxiety? CBT is usually the first line of defence.
Beef up your relaxation techniques and strategies if you have them and if you don't: get some!

That's what you can do for yourself between now and the scope.

Ok....you need to STOP googling....it will only heighten your anxiety. "No use worrying until you have something to worry about" is what a wise friend once told me. Hang in there, get the colonoscopy and until then, don't let it consume you. It's really not worth it. You can do this.

michelle c wrote:Ok....you need to STOP googling....it will only heighten your anxiety. "No use worrying until you have something to worry about" is what a wise friend once told me. Hang in there, get the colonoscopy and until then, don't let it consume you. It's really not worth it. You can do this.

What she said! The biggest mistake I made at the beginning was researching on Dr. Google. I caused myself so much heartache and stress. Not only did it not help but the bad things that happened to me I never could have predicted. Believe me I know how hard it is to have to wait for the test to happen. Even though I got the "you have cancer" answer after mine I'm still here years later. Keep your chin up!

Thank you all for your comments and feedback. I did talk to my doctor today and he agrees with the specialist that it most likely is proctitis with internal hemorrhoids. He said it is rare at 27 to have colon cancer but the colonoscopy will give us all the facts.
I am slightly relieved that my sigmoidoscopy 5 years ago had biopsies and that they ruled out anything malignant.

We'll see what happens in three weeks when I have the scope. I'm doing it unsedated because I'm scared of sedation. Since I had the sigmoidoscopy without anything they are willing to do the colonoscopy without sedation.

Has another had the procedure without sedation?

Thanks again everyone!

Colonoscopy is tomorrow at 2pm eastern. I will update once everything settles.

My doctor and they said back in 2011 I had proctitis with internal hemorrhoids. I was told the mucus, blood, and diarrhea are all symptoms of proctitis. I hope they are right and hope the unsedated colonoscopy goes fast.

I know it's hard, I also have had health anxiety. Just try to not panic until it is time to panic.

I had an unsedated colonoscopy a few years ago. It wasn't that bad. It was mildly uncomfortable at the most, and for my upcoming colonoscopy in September, I will ask for no sedation as well. It's actually really interesting to see your insides, and have the doc tell you what's what.

As I watched the doc removed a polyp and I felt almost nothing. It looked horrific on the screen but truly, it was fine.

Good luck!

TXLiz wrote:I know it's hard, I also have had health anxiety. Just try to not panic until it is time to panic.

I had an unsedated colonoscopy a few years ago. It wasn't that bad. It was mildly uncomfortable at the most, and for my upcoming colonoscopy in September, I will ask for no sedation as well. It's actually really interesting to see your insides, and have the doc tell you what's what.

As I watched the doc removed a polyp and I felt almost nothing. It looked horrific on the screen but truly, it was fine.

Good luck!

Thank you for the kind words and thank you for sharing your experience. I'm a little bit of a control freak when it comes to my body and being put to sleep just doesn't sit well. I had an impacted wisdom tooth removed with only local and the sigmoidoscope 5 years back without anything. I doubt I'll watch but I'll just be really relieved if it comes back clear.

I hope your colonoscopy goes well and comes back clear!*hugs*

Completed the colonoscopy without sedation and it was not bad at all. My report came back with colitis in a few locations and will have to do blood work to determine if crohns or ulcerative colitis.

I am happy it's not cancer and I sympathize for everyone who have gotten that diagnosis. Thank you to everyone here for all your kind words!!!! If you're lurking here from google thinking you have colon cancer, go get checked, I thought I had cancer but I do not.