Help, very scared! Small amounts of Blood and Mucus in Stool!

this is sooo gross, but i'm concerned.  since i had my baby, my poo has occasionally been visibly mucus-y.  then this morning, as i was going pee, i had a slight urge to go #2.  so i pushed & something small came out (sorry..that's disgusting).  when i looked in the toilet, there was just a small blob of mucus (size of a dime) & it had speckles of blood in it!  

ok, fast forward to this afternoon - i had to go #2 for real this time.  i went.. no mucus, no blood.  BUT, at first it was very hard & there was a spot that was scratching me, but then it turned really soft.    

then all afternoon my stomach has been a little upset... kind of cramping.  if you've ever had diarrhea, you know that feeling like something is down there ready to come out.. and it's probably liquid?..lol..  well, i had that feeling a little bit (but i knew i didn't have diarrhea), so i went to the bathroom and had to push pretty hard.  2 very small bits came out & one had some visible mucus.. and 1 spot of blood in the mucus.  

ok, here are some things about me that might help any opinions you might have:

i've never actually been diagnosed with ibs, but i'm convinced i have it.  my poo changes a lot..  it always has.  

colon cancer does not run in my family.

for the first 4 months after i had my baby, my poo was very scratchy..

also for the first 4-5 months after my baby was born, i had an anal fissure that seemed like it would not heal.. but it is healed now.  

i don't have hemorrhoids (that i know of)

my baby is 11 months old

i recently started working out (3 weeks ago), mostly doing zumba and cycling classes.  when cycling, we go about 20 miles in 45 minutes, and the seats are very hard - i feel like i'm bruised for a couple days after i cycle.  i also have been lifting weights.  

i've done a self examination for internal hemorrhoids, but i have no idea what i'm looking for...

when i passed the small blob of mucus, i had to push really hard... same with the 2 small bits.  i strained pretty hard.  

last night i ate a fiber one bar.

i drink plenty of water.

i have a healthy diet - no pop or caffine, we have no snacks in the house.  i eat a lot of pb&j sandwiches, bread, grains, etc..  lots of pasta & pizza lately too.  

i'm still nursing.

i take a prenatal vitamin every day.


what do you think could be wrong with me?  i'm terrified that i'm dying of cancer & don't know it..  

also, A QUICK QUESTION - when there is "a lot" of mucus in the stool, how much is "a lot?"  because when i say "visible," i mean the size of 1/2 a penny or a dime.  i've never had more mucus than that & today was the only time i've ever seen spots of blood in it.  

THANK YOU!

[Benth23]

also, i'm 24 years old.

[B_Shel20]

Well, a few different things. One, colon cancer is found in people over 50, 90% of the time. For the most part, it is a disease found in older people. In people your age, the % goes to .01, so it is quite rare, but it does happen. 25% of those who get it, have colon cancer in their family, so its not always a family related issue,etc.

Now that thats out of the way, it very well could be IBS and hemorrhoids. Or even an anal fissure that has caused the blood. Internal hemorrhoids would be tough for you to actually find, considering they are inside the anus and can be small.

Your best bet is to get a checkup from your doctor, have them do a rectal exam for hemorrhoids,etc. They can also test your stool for hidden blood by doing an FOBT,(Fecal Occult Blood Test) From there your doc can determine if it is just hemorrhoids or if there are any IBDs going on.

So again, I wouldnt get worried, it is most likely nothing, but still, blood in stool should be checked out, as it could be other things like diverticulitis, chrons, ulcerative colitis,etc. Keep us posted!

[Benth23]

hi,
thank you for replying!  i saw the doctor today & she examined me.  it seems i'm developing internal hemorrhoids.  i'm so thankful it was nothing serious!