Colon cancer fears pls help :'(

[mia23]

I'm 19, and for a few months now I've had an issue with constipation. I always have the urge to go to the toilet but when I do, nothing comes out, but then in a few days it'll get better and i make a bowel movement normally but it keeps alternating between this and constipation. Either nothing will come out or I'll only pass a tiny amount of stool which is dark brown. No blood and no tummy cramps.
I keep thinking this is colon cancer and its freaking me out. I also lost some weight which I've been told is due to chronic meds I'm on as well as not eating properly, but now I'm thinking that what if i tumour has been growing in my colon since last year and now I'm showing the symptoms??? I did have a blood test in July that was normal, would it have picked up anything that points to cancer? Also can cancer symptoms come and go??
Lately i have been feeling very anxious so i think this issue can be attributed to that, but i still cant seem to convince myself that i don't have a tumour somewhere slowly killing me...

 

[cheer_mom]

You could have IBS with constipation. Does the constipation get worse with stress? I would think your blood work would have some irregularities if there was cancer present. Call your Dr and discuss your fears with him. He may be able to offer you some help as well for your anxiety.

 

[matisworried]

firstly, you're far too young to really need to worry about colon cancer. the chances of someone your ages getting it are extremely small. secondly, you say you are constipated, will have a normal bowel movement and then you're constipated again. if there was a physical blockage, like a tumor, mass or growth, it wouldn't go away and you either wouldn't be able to have a bowel movement at all or your stool would be pencil thin. what you are likely experiencing is IBS of the constipation variety. this can be triggered by anxiety. it can also be caused by dehydration, not getting enough fiber in your diet or just crappy (pardon the pun) genetic luck. try increasing your water intake and consider adding a fiber supplement like metamucil for a week or two and see if that helps.

 

[mia23]

firstly, you're far too young to really need to worry about colon cancer. the chances of someone your ages getting it are extremely small. secondly, you say you are constipated, will have a normal bowel movement and then you're constipated again. if there was a physical blockage, like a tumor, mass or growth, it wouldn't go away and you either wouldn't be able to have a bowel movement at all or your stool would be pencil thin. what you are likely experiencing is IBS of the constipation variety. this can be triggered by anxiety. it can also be caused by dehydration, not getting enough fiber in your diet or just crappy (pardon the pun) genetic luck. try increasing your water intake and consider adding a fiber supplement like metamucil for a week or two and see if that helps.

Thanks, this helped me. Unfortunately, this morning I have another fear....For a month or so now I've had allergies with a lot of phlegm, and this morning i coughed some up and it was yellow. I read that leukemia sometimes presents as cold flu like symptoms so now i fear i could have that

 

[cheer_mom]

Leukemia definitely shows up in blood work. Just to jot down your negative thoughts then beside them write down positive thoughts. Ex...negative: I have leukemia. Positive: I may have leukemia, but it is most likely a chest cold or a sinus infection. This is the basis of cognitive therapy. It really helps. My psychologist explained anxiety like this. Your brain is a computer. If you enter info into a computer it sends out an error code. So your brain knows what is going on with your body. If you think you have cancer and it isn't true, then your body sends an error code, ANXIETY that is higher than a 1 or 2. Fix the error and the anxiety comes down. I have been using cognitive therapy and it has helped me so much with my health anxiety. Please look into it.

 

[mia23]

Leukemia definitely shows up in blood work. Just to jot down your negative thoughts then beside them write down positive thoughts. Ex...negative: I have leukemia. Positive: I may have leukemia, but it is most likely a chest cold or a sinus infection. This is the basis of cognitive therapy. It really helps. My psychologist explained anxiety like this. Your brain is a computer. If you enter info into a computer it sends out an error code. So your brain knows what is going on with your body. If you think you have cancer and it isn't true, then your body sends an error code, ANXIETY that is higher than a 1 or 2. Fix the error and the anxiety comes down. I have been using cognitive therapy and it has helped me so much with my health anxiety. Please look into it.

Okay thank you. Its just so hard because you convince your brain of it and it just seems like you have whatever illness without a doubt. I'm so sick of it. Deep down i guess i know if i had a blood test right this second it would come back clear, but at the same time i just cant accept it

 

[cheer_mom]

Okay thank you. Its just so hard because you convince your brain of it and it just seems like you have whatever illness without a doubt. I'm so sick of it. Deep down i guess i know if i had a blood test right this second it would come back clear, but at the same time i just cant accept it

We all understand.

 

[matisworried]

Okay thank you. Its just so hard because you convince your brain of it and it just seems like you have whatever illness without a doubt. I'm so sick of it. Deep down i guess i know if i had a blood test right this second it would come back clear, but at the same time i just cant accept it

it takes a lot of brain training to get HA in control but it can be done!

as far as your new concern, ask yourself what the odds would be that THIS TIME your fears are real. isn't it much more likely that this is just another HA episode? isn't it much more likely this is just a cold and not leukemia? also, for what it's worth, when it comes to cancer or serious disease, "flu-like symptoms" means body aches, fever, lethargy, chills/sweats... stuff like that - it doesn't refer to having a runny nose or being phlegmy.

 

[mia23]

it takes a lot of brain training to get HA in control but it can be done!

as far as your new concern, ask yourself what the odds would be that THIS TIME your fears are real. isn't it much more likely that this is just another HA episode? isn't it much more likely this is just a cold and not leukemia? also, for what it's worth, when it comes to cancer or serious disease, "flu-like symptoms" means body aches, fever, lethargy, chills/sweats... stuff like that - it doesn't refer to having a runny nose or being phlegmy.

Yeah. Because pretty much all i have is the runny nose and phlegm..

 

[mia23]

It also sucks because I have no one irl i can talk to about my issues. My mom just gets angry with me and tells me I'm being ridiculous, same with my sister, and none of my friends know i have anxiety...it's like this constant internal battle I'm fighting alone

 

[matisworried]

Yeah. Because pretty much all i have is the runny nose and phlegm..

GREAT! SO YOU HAVE NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT!!! tell yourself that as much as you need to while you nurse your cold!

It also sucks because I have no one irl i can talk to about my issues. My mom just gets angry with me and tells me I'm being ridiculous, same with my sister, and none of my friends know i have anxiety...it's like this constant internal battle I'm fighting alone

do you have any friends you can open up to about your anxiety? have you ever tried therapy? i've found that a lot of times it's more beneficial to talk to a therapist rather than my wife or friends because their opinion is completely unbiased and devoid of any emotional attachment. plus, they're trained to deal with what we're going through.

 

[mia23]

GREAT! SO YOU HAVE NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT!!! tell yourself that as much as you need to while you nurse your cold!


do you have any friends you can open up to about your anxiety? have you ever tried therapy? i've found that a lot of times it's more beneficial to talk to a therapist rather than my wife or friends because their opinion is completely unbiased and devoid of any emotional attachment. plus, they're trained to deal with what we're going through.

i do have friends i could open up to but i just feel they wouldnt understand :/ and they'd judge me. I have gone for therapy before and i don't dislike it, but I'm not too crazy about it either. I've considered going back to the same therapist i did about 3 years ago but idk, i think it could be awkward...if things don't get better i think i will probably go see her.

 

[matisworried]

i do have friends i could open up to but i just feel they wouldnt understand :/ and they'd judge me. I have gone for therapy before and i don't dislike it, but I'm not too crazy about it either. I've considered going back to the same therapist i did about 3 years ago but idk, i think it could be awkward...if things don't get better i think i will probably go see her.

if you have a friend you trust, it might be worth opening up to them. sure, they might not fully understand but that doesn't mean they aren't willing to learn about what you're going through... or at the very least, be a shoulder to lean on when you're having a tough time.

have you considered trying a new therapist? i think i went to four before i found the one i'm seeing now. why do you think it would be awkward?

 

[mia23]

if you have a friend you trust, it might be worth opening up to them. sure, they might not fully understand but that doesn't mean they aren't willing to learn about what you're going through... or at the very least, be a shoulder to lean on when you're having a tough time.

have you considered trying a new therapist? i think i went to four before i found the one i'm seeing now. why do you think it would be awkward?

Hmm thats true, and i mean they care about me so they'll still try to help even if they cant really understand.

The thing with my old therapist is that I really like her and she knows me, so its not like I'd be dealing with a stranger. The thing is, it just feels weird going back after 3 years, thats why i think it might be awkward. Plus back when i saw her it was for a different reason entirely

 

[matisworried]

Hmm thats true, and i mean they care about me so they'll still try to help even if they cant really understand.

The thing with my old therapist is that I really like her and she knows me, so its not like I'd be dealing with a stranger. The thing is, it just feels weird going back after 3 years, thats why i think it might be awkward. Plus back when i saw her it was for a different reason entirely

on the flipside, could you imagine being friends with someone and then finding out they've been suffering alone for years when you've been there for them all along? that would be a huge bummer, i bet!

if it makes you feel better, i had a ten year break between when i stopped seeing my therapist and when i went back. in that time, i'd gotten divorced, remarried and had another child. i had a kid go from diapers to being a pre-teen. if i can go back after that, you can go back after three years. just remember that your therapist isn't emotionally invested in you. they don't take it personally and it really is part of the business. i'd guess most patients just stop going at some point.

 

[mia23]

on the flipside, could you imagine being friends with someone and then finding out they've been suffering alone for years when you've been there for them all along? that would be a huge bummer, i bet!

if it makes you feel better, i had a ten year break between when i stopped seeing my therapist and when i went back. in that time, i'd gotten divorced, remarried and had another child. i had a kid go from diapers to being a pre-teen. if i can go back after that, you can go back after three years. just remember that your therapist isn't emotionally invested in you. they don't take it personally and it really is part of the business. i'd guess most patients just stop going at some point.

Yeah you have a point, I'd be super bummed if i found out a friend was going through something and didn't tell me. Like a girl i met in college last year, her sister passed away last December from Lupus, and i was so shocked because aIl those months I had no idea her sister was dying. She opened up to me about it now but I'm still sad she didn't tell me before that she had to deal with that.

And yes, i understand your point on the therapist. Also, "awkward" isnt really in a therapists vocabulary since they're dealing with intimate details of your life. But i do need help because lately I've just had a preoccupation with death and its scaring me bc i feel its one step away from sinking into serious depression

 

[matisworried]

Yeah you have a point, I'd be super bummed if i found out a friend was going through something and didn't tell me. Like a girl i met in college last year, her sister passed away last December from Lupus, and i was so shocked because aIl those months I had no idea her sister was dying. She opened up to me about it now but I'm still sad she didn't tell me before that she had to deal with that.

exactly! so, like, don't be a hypocrite! if you have friends that you trust, that you've had serious or personal conversations with, it's ok to reach out to them. i mean... many including myself would argue that that's what friends are for. reach out. you might be surprised at the support system you suddenly have.

And yes, i understand your point on the therapist. Also, "awkward" isnt really in a therapists vocabulary since they're dealing with intimate details of your life. But i do need help because lately I've just had a preoccupation with death and its scaring me bc i feel its one step away from sinking into serious depression

then now's the time to act! anxiety and depression, much like the horrible diseases we spend our lives worrying about, are so much easier to treat when caught early!

don't waste your life worrying about death. it's literally one of the dumbest things any of us can do. do you think anyone has been on their deathbed reflecting on their life and thought to themselves "gee whiz. sure glad i spent years of my life worrying i was dying!" not a chance.

 

[mia23]

exactly! so, like, don't be a hypocrite! if you have friends that you trust, that you've had serious or personal conversations with, it's ok to reach out to them. i mean... many including myself would argue that that's what friends are for. reach out. you might be surprised at the support system you suddenly have.



then now's the time to act! anxiety and depression, much like the horrible diseases we spend our lives worrying about, are so much easier to treat when caught early!

don't waste your life worrying about death. it's literally one of the dumbest things any of us can do. do you think anyone has been on their deathbed reflecting on their life and thought to themselves "gee whiz. sure glad i spent years of my life worrying i was dying!" not a chance.

Yes it is super dumb come to think of it lol. This HA is super debilitating though. How do i distract myself when i have these awful thoughts?? A part of me is still fearing leukemia

 

[matisworried]

Yes it is super dumb come to think of it lol. This HA is super debilitating though. How do i distract myself when i have these awful thoughts?? A part of me is still fearing leukemia

for me, i have to tell myself that "I'm not gonna think about this sh*t right now" when the thoughts creep in. if the thoughts are strong, i add "getting off my ass and doing something" to the mix.

I'm currently typing this while on a very brisk walk.

 

[mia23]

for me, i have to tell myself that "I'm not gonna think about this sh*t right now" when the thoughts creep in. if the thoughts are strong, i add "getting off my ass and doing something" to the mix.

I'm currently typing this while on a very brisk walk right now.

It really helps to actually really helps to get up and do something because then you don't even notice your physical symptoms, they disappear. I'm actually thinking now how I was obsessed with colon cancer, it seemed like the only logical explanation - how ironic- and then i seriously thought I had a brain tumour. Now those fears have gone but i cant seem to shake this leukemia thing, my mind has a vice grip on it