Please help talk me down from bowel cancer

[FrChewieLouie]

So I went to the GP today about unrelated perimenopause-related issues, but mentioned in the course of the consultation that I'd noticed the odd bit of bright red on the toilet roll after wiping my bum, about once a fortnight or so.

She's ordered blood tests, so obviously now I'm fearing the worst. But there are loads of other things it could be, aren't there?

Please help to calm me down - dd2 has a friend coming round to play in half an hour and I can't be a gibbering wreck!

Ok, deep breath. Have you noticed any piles? Constipation? Both of these can cause small tears/aggravation causing fresh bleeding. Odd episodes of fresh bleed are very unlikely to be cancer actually. Have you noticed any changes in bowel habit?
What is your GP testing you for? Do you have the blood test forms? I'd think if she thought it was cancer she'd be doing urgent referrals and sending you for a colonscopy. It's probably something quite minor. Try to relax - remember this: Reality is kinder than the stories we tell ourselves about it.

Thank you, A Little Faith . I think the blood tends to appear when a motion is quite hard, so perhaps a minor tear. There is a kind of tingly feeling when I contract my muscles, so I'm telling myself it's that.

No changes in bowel habit, though I've never been a regular-as-clockwork type anyway. Some days looser, some days average, some days harder, but never one type for days on end. I think all this is a good sign, right? Plus I'm not in any of the high risk groups and don't seem to have any other symptoms.

The blood test is for all kinds of stuff - she suspects possible underactive thyroid based on some other symptoms. She did say she would prob make a referral to the bowel clinic after getting the blood results.

I doubt it's bowel cancer. I've always had this on and off since I was a child .

Any of us could have cancer and not realise it without any symptoms. Not that this is necessarily reassuring

Cheers, Tobys - this was my thinking. I didn't think twice about it before because it was on/off and no particular other symptoms. I wouldn't even have mentioned it today if I hadn't happened to have had a bit of blood this morning.

Anyway, off to the funfair now with an assortment of excitable girls - should take my mind off it for the time being...