You might find some useful info here.  alt.support.crohns-colitis or
alt.support.ibs hope this helps

matthew@puckertoe.com said...

You're welcome.  The people over on alt.support.crohns-colitis
are friendly and helpful in the main (there's always the odd
idiot in any group) should you need to ask their advice, but at
the moment I'd imagine they'd counsel patience for the time
being.  When you've had the tests and got the results you can do
all the panicking (that spelling looks wrong but I can't think
how else to do it) you like if it helps - but whatever you do,
keep your sense of perspective, your sense of proportion and -
most important - your sense of humour.  And please let us know
how you get on :-)

I'm not a medical person, so please keep that in mind... but my dad had
colon cancer a few years back (and survived it just fine), so I've read a
little bit about this question.

If you're passing bright red blood, that suggests that the blood source is
at the lower end of the colon or in the anus.  Hemorrhoids or an anal
fissure are likely sources.  When the blood originates higher in the colon,
it has usually turned a brownish colour by the time it's expelled.  In
fact, it's often so well mixed into the feces at this point that you can't
even see it.  (That's why the standard test for colon bleeding is called a
Fecal *Occult* Blood Test - "occult" meaning hidden.)

In my father's case, he saw some blood while passing stool, and checked
with his doctor.  The GP thought it was probably just hemorrhoids, but
wanted to be sure.  He sent my dad for a fecal occult blood test, then
(when the results were positive) a colonoscopy.  A small tumour was found
high in the colon, Dad had surgery, and everything was fine.  The doctor
later said it was probable that the blood *was* from hemorrhoids, as the
location of the tumour meant that it wouldn't have been bright red if it
was the source of the blood.  It was just fortunate that there was blood,
that Dad noticed it and thought to report it, and that his doctor
investigated it right away.

Speaking personally, I've suffered from both hemorrhoids and anal fissures.
Those !#$% anal fissures in particular can bleed quite profusely (scary
bright red blood, too).  The problem is that they can be hard to heal; each
new bowel movement tends to open the fissure back up again.  All the same,
it's not dangerous; just annoying and painful.  But - always best to have
it promptly investigated by a professional, to put your mind at rest.

No one can say yet what's happening with you, but I think there's a good
chance that it's one of the things people here have mentioned as
possibilities, and *not* cancer.  Please hold on and try to stay calm until
you get the results from your doctor.  Your chances are good that it's
something benign.

Gert

Of course I agree 100% about seeing the doctor. I'm just waiting on
the tests now. Hopefully they'll be completed this week. In the mean
time all I can do is wait. If other symptoms begin to manifest then
I'll head for the ER.

I cannot emphasize enough about the feelings I'm having though.
(Emotional) It's the damn waiting that's killing me. And my poor wife.
She's talking like there's nothing wrong. When I know that she's just
as scared as I am. And she's taking very good care of me. I guess
behind every sick man is a great woman.

Thank God for wives.

It's a new experience for us, and we're having a hard time dealing
with it.

Enough whining.

Thanks again for all the support and encouragement.

I'll let you know how this turns out.

Exactly.  I hope nobody talked Matt out of pursuing a colonoscopy by
telling him that it doesn't look like cancer.  My only symptom was
some bright red bllod on the toilet paper and I did end up having
stage 3 colorectal cancer... It does happen...

Having said that: Relax, Matt.  Go to the doctor.  Pursue the
colonoscopy and learn what you can about what you might have.  If it's
colon cancer, it's very curable in the early stages.

Elsie