Intestinal Cancer Worry (TMI)

[bluemidnight]

Mostly I worry when I have symptoms that could be "in my head" but this time I have concrete freaky symptoms. Help?? This is definitely Too Much Information and I'm really sorry about that. Thanks to anyone who can talk me down from thinking I'm dying.

Around 5 days ago I had a bowl movement (which was completely normal aside from being slightly painful) and wiped and saw bright red blood. I had had terrible cramps right before that and assume "Oh! I must have my period", inserted a tampon and went on my way. When I went to remove the tampon later however, there was no blood. I freaked out. I realized it must have been from back there.

Next few days were normal, no blood. Then yesterday I had another (painful) bowl movement and had more blood (not nearly as much this time, just a light pink staining). There is no blood in my stool, none evident in the toilet bowl, I'm not having diarrhea, the blood is bright red, not black or anything, and It's only when I wipe. Over the last month I've seen blood probably... 4 times? Maybe 3 this month and once in early/mid January?

So, guys, I KNOW in my head that this is probably some abrasion I have that just taking its time to heal. Cognitively, I know that.

But I'm still freaking out! I'm having some stomach pain (last 5 or so days) that I think is just gas pain. But having intense cramping (so bad I thought I had my period) and then the blood freaked me out. It's been better since then and does NOT happen every time, just when it's a painful movement. The first time I ever had this was around a month ago during a painful movement. Like I said, everything there is usually perfectly normal and regular and I probably just got a scratch that one time that hasn't healed, right??
I'm only 25 and have *no* history of this. At the same time, my anxiety has reared its ugly head and I am getting these surges of anxiety that I am dying from intestinal cancer. Which is probably only making all of this worse and causing some of the cramps/intestinal upset. Can anyone help allay my fears? Again, sorry for the TMI

[WyattsMomma]

Sounds just like when my internal hemmroids flare up. You can't see them, they are inside, but they bleed. There are many more signs of rectal cancer than just blood when you wipe and cramping. My grandmother in law didn't even have blood when she was diagnosed. She is fine, years later, btw. You are fine :)  Edited to add: At your age and risk level, you reallllllllly shouldn't worry about this. Honest.

[bluemidnight]

Thanks for your reply - everyone here is so lovely and kind to be so helpful. I'll try to keep everything you said in mind.

[livelaughlove]

that sounds like you have hemorrhoids or a fissure, but probably hemorrhoids. Do you get constipated a lot, if so, you could take miralax sold over the counter, but go to a gastroenterologist and have them take a look. People have external hemorrhoids and can have internal hemorrhoids. Bright red blood means it comes from lower in the gi tract, most likely hemorrhoids. Black stool means the bleeding is up high in the GI tract, like an ulcer in the stomach. It turns black because you digest the blood and digested blood turns black. So being that you only have bright red blood when you wipe then it is probably hemorrhoids. Do you get itching there too? You could also do sitz baths. And use those TUX wipes. Only use white toilet paper, not colored toilet paper or perfumed toilet paper. Now, if you pooped and the whole toilet bowl was filled with blood, that is an emergency and you need a GI eval within a week to check for anemia, inflammatory bowel disease, but that can also be from large bleeding hemorrhoids that can be rubber-band ligated. They wrap a rubber band around the hemorrhoid, then it falls off i think. People also get thrombosed hemorrhoids. Thats when internal hemorrhoids stick out of the anus like a finger pointing out and they hurt. I work at a GI doc that's how i know this stuff. I would say make an appt with one and have your CBC checked for anemia. But seriously, you sound like you have hemorrhoids or irritation. Doesn't sound anything at all like cancer. Good luck!