I have suffered from constipation for many years and I have never had the cause investigated. well recently I started having severe stomach cramps and dark stools with bright red blood on the surface. I was also having narrow stools and diarrhoea and constipation interchangeably. so I went to a new doctor and told her my history of bowel movements and recent issues. she did a rectal exam and found some sort of growth - possibly haemorrhoids - she referred me to a gastroenterologist to get a scope and to biopsy the growth in my rectum. she thinks it might be an issue and she's concerned that I have never had a colonoscopy before. my lymph nodes have also been quite swollen. I'm scared that the results come back positive because that would mean the cancer progressed pretty far.

it would really upset me to find cancer because I am only 19 years old and I am a medical student who just completed her first year. I have been to do many doctors about my constipation, and all I got was referral to a dietician or a bunch on laxatives. never a gastroenterologist. I heard that treatment (radiation and chemotherapy) can even make you infertile. I really want to have kids later in life and my degree is so demanding that I can't afford to miss time to get treatment.

please wish me luck going for my colonoscopy next Wednesday and biopsy later. hopefully the results are negative and the actual problem can be solved in due time!