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Scared and worried I have cancer

15 replies

squiddybear · 28/05/2022 10:49

This may be TMI as it is about my bowels

For context I'm 25, obese but otherwise healthy. I have always passed 'pellet' stools or pebble type 'sausages'.

On the 15 May I had a smooth 'sausage' bowel movement that was sticky and hard to 'clean up'. I'd had a stressful week and hadn't been eating much at all then on the Friday evening we had dominos with friends. After I ate it I started having upper stomach pain but no one else did. Over the next week I was passing sausage shaped stools that - to a normal person - would have been absolutely normal if not a little hard to clean up. I was going every other day/every 2 days as is normal for me.

On the weekend of the 21 May I hadn't been for a couple of days so passed a bigger stool which was fine but still 'smooth' rather than my pebbles again sticky and hard to clean up. Then 45 mins later I had to go again which was obviously much less solid but still in one sausage like piece. Before having this movement I got lower stomach pain as if I was going to have an upset tummy.

This week I've gone every other day/2 days as normal and things were beginning to improve and seem to be going, slowly, back to normal, hardly any stickiness etc. Yesterday I came home from work and went to the loo, it came out as a normal size for what I would usually say was my 'pebble sausage' but smooth, was difficult to clean though and sticky. Thought maybe it's just a buildup where I hadn't been for a couple of days and the ones I'd passed before were smaller. I must have passed that one at 5:30pm then woke up at 1am ish with upset tummy pain and had to go quickly to the toilet where I passed a loose stool but it was easy to clean! As soon as I went I started having that upset tummy pain again so took some Imodium to try and calm it down. At 1:15ish I had to go again and this time it was full on diarrhoea, but again easy to wipe.

There has been no blood that I can see and everything has been a normal shade of brown (except for the diarrhoea last night where it was a Sandy brown colour). I have had no pain except for the tummy upset incidents and before this started and I haven't been going any more than usual up until last night!

I'm terrified I have bowel cancer and this is the change in bowel habits. The only other thing I can think of is wheat sensitivity - I did cut it out for a couple of days just out of curiosity and it did seem to help slightly... I honestly am so worried. I will of course try and make a GP appointment on Monday unless you feel it should be before? But getting an appointment is a little tricky!

Any words of reassurance or any ideas from anyone would be great fully received.

OP posts:
vodkaredbullgirl · 28/05/2022 10:52

Sounds normal.

Winterhail · 28/05/2022 10:56

It doesn't sound worrying, but you can buy a test kit on Amazon, for reassurance. There are so many other things it could be, but I know we always jump to the worst conclusion.

squiddybear · 28/05/2022 10:57

Thank you both. For full disclosure I always have suffered from health anxiety but obviously this is a visible issue which I can see which makes it worse.

Don't know if I could have picked something up/maybe it is an intolerance of some sort

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1963andbewildered · 28/05/2022 11:00

My bowels are different every day …as long as you are not passing blood,eating ok and not loosing weight the chances are you are fine.
Sticky stools could be your gallbladder protesting if you eat too much fat .

squiddybear · 28/05/2022 11:23

I think what has concerned me is the runny tummy I had last night and am still feeling 'delicate' this morning!

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squiddybear · 28/05/2022 11:37

Trying to decide if I do try and make an appointment on Monday (can only make same day appointments) or see where I am next weekend due to jubilee etc

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Blossomandbee · 28/05/2022 11:38

It sounds like a normal stomach upset to me. Probably something you've eaten or could be a virus. Your normal pebbly suggests you need more fibre and fluids, sticky can be too much fat. The Dominoes you had would be high in fat and sugar and could have aggravated things.
I would just keep an eye on it. Obviously get checked if you're worried but it just sounds like a blip to me.

AGreatUsername · 28/05/2022 14:44

It’s very likely to be norma and simply an upset tummy. However, I would ask the GP for some bloods anyway maybe to check all looks normal. Have you had any other symptoms?

I went to the GP in April after about 6 weeks of bloating, “unhappy tummy” feeling and a change of bowel habits (not dissimilar to yours. Fine one minute then really loose and horrible the next) and have since been diagnosed with ovarian cancer, the bowel issues were caused by one of the masses pressing on my bowel.

But, to stress, it is WAY more likely you are fine. Please don’t panic. But after what I’ve been through over the last few months I’m definitely advocating at least mentioning any symptoms to a GP!

squiddybear · 28/05/2022 15:40

AGreatUsername · 28/05/2022 14:44

It’s very likely to be norma and simply an upset tummy. However, I would ask the GP for some bloods anyway maybe to check all looks normal. Have you had any other symptoms?

I went to the GP in April after about 6 weeks of bloating, “unhappy tummy” feeling and a change of bowel habits (not dissimilar to yours. Fine one minute then really loose and horrible the next) and have since been diagnosed with ovarian cancer, the bowel issues were caused by one of the masses pressing on my bowel.

But, to stress, it is WAY more likely you are fine. Please don’t panic. But after what I’ve been through over the last few months I’m definitely advocating at least mentioning any symptoms to a GP!

No other symptoms at all in any other area.

Hope all goes well for you

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squiddybear · 28/05/2022 15:41

@AGreatUsername Would you go to the gp yet or give it another week to see if anything changes?

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AGreatUsername · 28/05/2022 16:27

That is entirely your choice, I gave it a good 6 weeks to settle before going and realistically I think that was a sensible time frame. Am upset digestive system can take a few weeks to settle back down.

squiddybear · 28/05/2022 16:46

@AGreatUsername thank you. I'm thinking unless things get dramatically worse I will leave it another week (especially as everything will be delayed due to the bank holidays etc) and see where I am by that point.

The way I'm feeling today and yesterday evening it is a defo upset tummy feeling so maybe it is that I picked something up and it's just working it's way through very slowly!

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JesusSufferingFuck22 · 28/05/2022 16:58

Go to the gp. I had a big change in my usual movements over a relatively short space of time. It really scared me. I was drinking too much alcohol for years and I scared myself sober. Had blood tests and handed in a stool sampleBlushRuled out bowel cancer which was in the news a lot! You won't know what's wrong unless you go to the gp. Worrying about it can make you ill! Sooner you get the ball rolling the sooner you'll be informed.
I likely have IBS but still have to get another test done to rule everything else out.

Good luck xx

squiddybear · 28/05/2022 17:20

JesusSufferingFuck22 · 28/05/2022 16:58

Go to the gp. I had a big change in my usual movements over a relatively short space of time. It really scared me. I was drinking too much alcohol for years and I scared myself sober. Had blood tests and handed in a stool sampleBlushRuled out bowel cancer which was in the news a lot! You won't know what's wrong unless you go to the gp. Worrying about it can make you ill! Sooner you get the ball rolling the sooner you'll be informed.
I likely have IBS but still have to get another test done to rule everything else out.

Good luck xx

I will make a decision on Monday. It's really hard as any tests they do will be delayed due to the bank holiday and the waiting will stress me out more!

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squiddybear · 09/06/2022 13:39

As a quick update. I stopped eating gluten at the suggestion of a friend. Cleared right up. Are gluten on Tuesday and back to square 1 it seems! More solid but still not normal for me.

Called the doctors just to be safe - next appointment 7 July! Which I can't do so this is fun!!!

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