Another colon cancer fear, could use some help.

[linnoix22 0]

Hi guys! I’m a 26yo female. I had my daughter in March of this year, that’s when my health anxiety really started to spiral out of control. I have no family history of colon cancer besides my great grandfather which my doctor said she would keep in mind but generally, that’s a little too removed.

At about 1 1/2 months post partum, I had a rather difficult BM but no blood..there was a sharp pain. 2 days later I had a BM and it was streaked with bright red blood. I stupidly looked it up online and I immediately panicked and got an appointment with my doctor as soon as I could which was about 5 days later. She did an FIT test and a digital exam both of which were fine, FIT was negative. She thought it was an internal hemorrhoid that she just couldn’t feel. After a few weeks went by, I kind of just let go of the CC fear. 

Recently, it has resurfaced. Last week I had a particularly hard BM and felt a sharp pain. There was a tiny tiny bit of blood. I’m guessing that was a fissure. I know this is really TMI but the. yesterday had an issue with a BM that I noticed blood when I wiped. HOWEVER, I also have my period and at the same time my tampon was actively leaking. The BM looked completely normal so Im thinking the blood I saw was actually my period as the first two days are really heavy for me and it had a bad leak. I can’t shake the fear that it’s CC even though logically I know it was 98% from my period! I have no other symptoms. 

I’ve just made myself sick with worry. I’ve started on an anti anxiety med and with a new therapist so this is all a work in progress of trying to get my health anxiety under control. 

I keep seeing that colon cancer in people in their 20s is rising at an alarming rate? Does anyone have more info on this? Also what are the chances of having this at 26 years old? Sometimes statistics oddly soothe me, haha. I just can’t tell If it’s now common to get it in your 20s? I get that anything can happen and sure there are people who get it in their 20s. I know some stuff in life can’t be avoided. There was actually a girl nearby me who died of CC at like 30 which is what I keep thinking of. However, I’ve tried to remind myself that I didn’t know her. I don’t know her family history whatsoever. 

I just feel like i’m in a limbo period of starting medication and therapy and am feeling rather alone right now. If there’s anyone who could provide some helpful stats or just any information that would be greatly appreciated. Thanks 🙂

[MARC 429]

Welcome to the forum. When I was 25 years old, which was some time ago, I had a BM and it felt weird. It hurt and burned. I looked in the toilet bowl and the whole bowl was blood red and when I wiped, the tissue was drenched with blood. I flipped out and thought I was a goner. My physician sent me to a colorectal surgeon who gave me a flexible sigmoidoscopy. I had a giant hemorrhoid and the stool hit it as it came out and thus the blood. Be sure not to strain, eat plenty of fiber and drink plenty of fluids.

[Bobnnat 496]

At 26 CC is less than 1 in 50,000. People who do get it typically have a genetic condition called Lynch syndrome. I’ll spare the details, but if you had that, it would already be very obvious to you and your doc and would have been discovered long ago.  I’d suggest do your best to let it go.