About 3 weeks ago I realized that I had not had a bowel movement in several days. This was odd for me, as I have always had 2-3 movements a day. Then I realized that I had not even had the urge to go. I took a laxative and finally went; the stool was of normal shape but large.
Since then, I have had zero urge to go and only go because I force myself. My stools are usually wide and flat, though sometimes "pencil shaped". However, on occasion, my stool will be of normal shape and size.
My questions are: 1) Is not having the urge to go the same as being constipated? 2) Are my symptoms suggestive of colon cancer (though I am only 36, I was a heavy drinker in the past, a risk factor for colon cancer)? 3) Since my stools are occasionally of normal shape and size, would this mean that when they are pencil shaped that it's caused by something other than an obstruction, such as straining? 4) What tests - if any - should I have performed?