AIBU? Worrying bowel cancer. 29

[mumstheword1x]

I’m 29 years old, female and worried I’ve got bowel cancer. I sometimes get a twinge / pain on my right hand side, where my appendix USED to be. It doesn’t hurt; it just feels a bit uncomfortable. I had my appendix removed 18 months ago and had a CT scan with contrast at the same time, which showed appendicitis. I sometimes feel pressure down below and like I need to pass wind.

I don’t have any other symptoms, other than sometimes I go to the toilet more and sometimes I go less, but I’ve always been like that.. I think.

There’s no blood, no weight loss, no fatigue, no loss of appetite.

AIBU to myself by worrying so much? - I can’t bring myself to go to the GP as I know they’ll fob me off because of my age, and I can’t pin point what the pain feels like or how often it is.

Go to the GP and ask for the screening test.

I can’t bring myself to go to the GP as I know they’ll fob me off because of my age

Go to the GP and ask for the screening test.

Do you suffer generally with health anxiety? People of course can get bowel cancer at any age but your symptoms don’t sound like it because all of the people I know who’ve had this illness, they were all in quite a lot of pain and also had to adjust their day for changes in bowel movements and be aware of where they could use toilets etc.

I would go to the GP and ask them to do an examination of your tummy and tell them your symptoms but try not to panic.

Say your having pains after having appendix removed, it could also be adehisons after surgery, this happened to a friend of mine after appendix removed. I started getting ovulation pain just on one side and it feels very similar as well. But for your peace of mind, screening test is simple. You could also do it online I think and via post privately?

Sounds like adhesions from your surgery.

With no other symptoms, I think it's unlikely to be cancer.

It’s a horrible feeling to worry. From what you’ve described there aren’t any red flags but do go and talk to your GP and ask for an at home test. They can also sign post to support if you have health anxiety.
https://www.bowelcanceruk.org.uk/about-bowel-cancer/symptoms/

Yes I suffer terribly with health anxiety since my son was born and put on life support extremely prematurely 2 years ago. I bounce from illness to illness, I’ve started meds and having counciling - I’m really heightened to every sensation too.

Yes. It is unlikely, but on the remote possibility it is, they will run the test if you ask.
Plus it could be many other, treatable, things. A doctor told me Millennials/young Gen X have more bowel issues, probably because we were fed more UPFs and given more antibiotics than older people, so this is why we're seeing it in younger people-even those actors who seem to have healthy lives.

I’m so sorry to hear this - I have been through the exact same thing - extreme health anxiety after my first baby was born and it was a traumatic delivery.

I started convincing myself I had cancer and I had to have a course of CBT which did actually help.

It really is very hard to cope with, how all consuming it can be and I completely empathise.

Of course you don't have bowel cancer OP!!! It sounds like trapped wind.

I say this as someone with health anxiety who has many many gastric symptoms. You don't need to be screened for every little symptom or you'll be constantly in a state of stress about test and results.

So so so unhelpful of the posters above posting stuff about bowel cancer and saying it's increased. Makes me so cross as I fell for all the health scare stuff when I was young...constantly having moles removed etc.

Thank you for saying this! I seriously don't understand all of the feedback to posts like this with all the ridiculous "my 3rd cousin once removed once met someone whose dentist's gardener found out they had Ebola, I think you should get tested"

The OP did not describe one symptom that would lead any reasonable person to believe there is a current risk for them. And all of these replies are just feeding into the OPs anxiety.

@mumstheword1x you clearly know this is your anxiety speaking. This is the medical issue that you need to address. Understand you are working on it, but the anxiety is what needs to be solved. Please just walk away from this thread and don't let yourself get caught in a spiral.

What a traumatic time you’ve had. Has your therapist helped with any strategies to help with the anxiety. There are grounding techniques which can help when you’re in a spiral. Be kind to yourself as horrible as this anxiety, hyper vigilance is a very common reaction to trauma. Take care

See your GP, this could be a gynaecological issue, ask directly about this, take care

Your symptoms dont sound like bowel cancer in any way

Hi OP, I've recently been to the GP after a change in bowel movements (sometimes more, sometimes less), abdominal cramping, fatigue (could be explained by having a baby that still wakes through the night and thyroid issues but still). I'm 33

GP said they'd check for bowel cancer, it was unlikely but important they always take it seriously. FIT test came back negative. They did some extensive bloodwork and I had low iron, undertreated thyroid and possible coeliac disease, the latter being another thing the GP mentioned initially. Absolutely worth getting checked out.

There is a 0% chance that you have bowel cancer. In January, you posted that you were worried you had lymphoma. With all the kindness in the world, you need to continue your counseling for health anxiety because it may not be working yet (obviously, only YOU can know if the thoughts are becoming less intrusive, but I hope it helps soon/more, because anxiety is just a thief, any anxiety - it steals your life from you. Sorry you’re going through this ♥️). But no, with your history of health anxiety and your previous insistence on scans when you were convinced you had lymphoma, I would never screen you for bowel cancer if your only symptoms were a twinge in your abdomen and a very small, possibly nonexistent, change in your bathroom habits.

I think they were very kind in soothing your fears about the lymphoma with three scans, but (and I am not saying this to try to hurt you or make you feel guilty), the NHS is in really dire straits - you cannot use unnecessary medical care to treat your health anxiety, nor will it help you, and might even make you worse. Make a note of your symptoms and discuss them and your fears about them at your next counseling appointment. Perhaps trust your counselor and GP to know when you need screening/scans/tests.

thanks, but apart from my CT in a&e 18 months ago on my abdomen because my appendix was erupting. the scans on my lymph nodes have all been via my private medical insurance.

I get occasional pain in my right hand side and over the years have convinced myself it is everything from liver failure to cancer (fellow health anxiety sufferer). It took me a good while to work out that is actually trapped wind and just whenever I have trapped wind that’s where I happen to feel the pain .

I know someone who had it younger than you , but had a lot more symptoms than you.

Ask to be checked to reassure yourself.

It could easily be scar tissue pulling if its where your appendix was removed. Which, as far as I know is on the other side of the abdomen where most bowel issues may be (happy to be corrected)

I’m sorry I mentioned the NHS because it detracts from my comment, and obviously it upset you. And I’m sorry that I missed your health anxiety started after a traumatic birth. It’s is VERY, very common for this to happen after traumas; please know you’re not alone. It’s just that it doesn’t matter whether they’re NHS or private - having unnecessary scans is not helping you, and not good treatment protocol for health anxiety. And it may have been better on the NHS because they don’t want your money, so they would have told you after your first scan that you were fine and three scans was overkill. It took three scans to try to convince you that you didn’t have lymphoma and even then, you started a thread on here because you were still worried and wanted a fourth scan. I’m saying this just because I’m not sure how any of us could convince you that you don’t have bowel cancer.

There’s not much else you can do except work as hard on developing coping mechanisms through therapy and using them. It’s a difficult process, I know. Would you consider attending, or find helpful, an online or in-person support group for either health anxiety or those trying to recover emotionally from traumatic births? I’m happy to try to find you one and either one could help. I suffered from anxiety (not health anxiety) for 15 years and it affected my whole life so negatively. I just don’t want that for anyone else.

I had side abdominal discomfort for around 2 years and was constantly low-level concerned it was bowel cancer or similar - had multiple blood tests, ultrasounds, examinations, etc, nothing found, and after hearing it recommended as an all round essential good for everything supplement I started a decent probiotic and my symptoms went within days. Turned out it was indeed trapped wind 🤷‍♀️🙈

As well as my gut issues disappearing, remarkably I am now rarely ill and my general health has also improved 💪 I now recommend everyone to take a decent probiotic. Worth a try, Op!?

@Shallwemarrywhich probiotic did you use?
I'm waiting for the results of an additional fit test after displaying some symptoms...
Negative coeliac test, iron and thyroid ok.
So a bit lost

You can get a home FIT test kit.
Maybe pick one up in a pharmacy for peace of mind.

Sorry, Forgot about this thread! I use this one:

Naturelo Probiotics

I think I must have sensitive guts as if I go more than a day or 2 without, the issues start to come back... I've also picked up on certain foods that exacerbate the problem such as rocket (!) and too much refined sugar...

Not that long ago I read that our stomach is our second brain so it's not surprising it can be so reactive 🤷🏼‍♀️

Hoping you get this post and that all is well! 🙏