could it be colon cancer OR colitis?

[Worried7725]

Ok well lets start off by saying I am 25 years old. My family has a long history of medical problems, ranging from vascular diseases, to colon cancer in my sister who was diagnosed at 35, BUT they assume it had been there for almost 6 years at least! So I have some questions. Two and a half years ago my bowels were normal. Then after I had my daughter they started to change. First I noticed mucous about two months after I had her. Then it started getting worse. I was only going regularly about twice a week, and when I wasnt going, I was only letting out mucous. NO BLOOD at all. Then about a year ago, my bowels started to become thinner, then got to the point where they were pencil thin. Now a year later (two years after first symptom) my bowels are ONLY pencil thin, I have mucous daily sometimes ALOT of it. When I go to the bathroom or feel like I have to go, sometimes or most of the time nothing comes out except for mucous. And when I do go (maybe every other day if lucky), I never feel satisfied. Sometimes I lie in bed with the urge to go, and try to go and nothing comes out. I have been feeling SUPER sleepy, and has gotten really bad!  I have actually become kind of dizzy lately, with light sensitivity to my eyes which radiats a big headache, I have pain in my right eye and cheek bone, and ALSO at the upper part of my nose on the right side between my eyes but on the right side ONLY and also hurts my nose when I chew but doesnt hurt my jaw, and this has started about a month ago now, where it sometimes seems unbearable and debilitating, I do not know if this kind of sign has ANYTHING to do with my bowel symptoms or not, MEANING if it is colon cancer or colitis cause can be bacterial, could it have spread to my nasal cavity or something? Anyways my question is, do any of my symptoms seem like colon cancer, or could it just be colitis? I have really become worried now after some abdominal discomfort on my left side kind of towards my hip.

[Ratnakar Kini, MD]

Hi,
The symptoms you have mentioned are nonspecific and can occur in both colitis and cancer.
Since the symptoms are been there for quite sometime now, colitis is the first possibility.
But as you have family history of colon cancer, I would like to suggest that you have colonsocopy done for evaluation.

[Worried7725]

Well the whole thing about having it for so long, my sister was iagnosed about two years ago with stage four colon cancer. For ten years she had some sypmtoms, they kept writing it off and giving her pain meds, she had her gallbladder removed at some point, and they just never found it. well ten years later she had severe pain etc she too have just had a baby! Well she went in with abdominal pain and well they found the tumor which had now grown out of the intestine and into her belly! They hadnt noticed the tumor even with ultrasound cause it was probably in the intestines until it started growing out into the stomache. So she delt with this for they assume at least 6 years, maybe even longer. she though said she had some bleeding and watery stools WHICH I do  not have, but she can not be sure either how far after that the blood started. My sister was incredibly tired all the time, I remember that. I was adopted when I was a baby, I met my real parents at 18. Of which my mom died two weeks after I met her suddenly. She had had a blood clot SUPPOSEDLY 6 months earlier her doctor said after she died. the doctor said she never got it removed like requested and she BELIEVES it had now traveled to the heart. At that time unfortunately I didnt have control over what happened to her body and her brother cremated her. So we have no clue why she TRULY passed! She was plagued with ALOT of things including mental illness and ALOT of health problems, BUT she was also a drug addict who never cared. I dont know much about history on her side. My dad on the other hand is an alcholic who I know is anemic and also whos stools are almost BRIGHT red blood! Supposedly from a hemroid which I dont beleive, but he doesnt care either, and is an alcholic. So unfortunately me and my sister are on our own for this. And I quite frankly do not talk to my sister much anymore either as I found out she too has used some drugs, I stay FAR away from alchol and drugs as I can. So my family history is not well knwon other then from what I have seen and heard. All I know is all my life I have had some kind of health problem! And my mom who is a Practitioner (my adopted mom) gets worried about me alot. Anyways thank you, I truly dislike going to the doctors! I probably would ONLY go if it was a risk for cancer, BUT since I am not bleeding (or maybe I am actually meant to ask, MY stool is a light tannish color constantly, and in the tan on a few spots are like a dark mahogony color, could that be blood? Is a stool normally all one color but then have a few spots that are darker? It definately stands out! Dont know if that could be blood?? Also I am not loosing any weight either! So I am assuming im safe! Thanks, Jamie

[Worried7725]

Oh might I ad, my mom was only 39 also when she passed!!!!!!!!!