Hi,
I posted last week about some noticeable changes to my bowel habits and received some good reassurance. I've been to my GP today and I'm now really frightened.
I'm 38 and for the last couple of months have had a noticeable change in my bowel habits. I've been having looser, more frequent stools. Each morning now, like clockwork, I will need to go and it is usually loose. I'm also having abdominal cramping and a specific pain under my ribs on my right side. There has been no blood that I can see.
Some family background: my mom, her sister and two of my cousins on that side of the family all have ulcerative colitis.
The doctor examined my stomach and did a rectal exam and confirmed I have piles. He then said he was referring me to a gastroenterologist urgently. He tried to do it under the 2 week wait referall but I'm too young so it's just an urgent referral.
I'm now absolutely terrified that this is bowel cancer. I have terrible health anxiety anyway and this is just pushing all of my buttons. I was expecting him to maybe refer me, but I wasn't prepared for it to be seen as urgent. I asked for reassurance and he just shrugged and said I have some symptoms of it but that I don't fit the profile as I'm under 40 (just!). He also said they would be looking for colitis at this point.
So I have to wait and see but I'm in an awful state and so scared that this might be the beginnings of something terrible. I don't smoke, have a good (vegan) diet and am fairly fit. Can anyone offer me any reassurance or experience? I just cannot cope with the thought of living with this hanging over me for some weeks to come.
Thanks in advance.
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General health
Urgent referral to gastroenterologist
15 replies
BonnieBlueButler · 26/05/2017 17:03
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