Is this cancer?

[mhenson9481]

I'm a 27 year old mother of 3 and am concerned. For about the last year I've had recurring bloody stools with a noticable amount of thick dark red blood in them. Does anyone know what this could be caused by? I'm concerned especially about this because i found out recently my father is dying of colon cancer. please help??
                                        Concerned

[jdwithhcv]

I'm so sorry to hear you have mets and are so ill.  Its awful that your doctor did not give serious thought to your pain when you first presented.  That is a shocking oversight!  I wonder why you did not get radiation and chemo before your surgery.  I am fortunate to live within sight of a world class teaching hospital with a wonderful cancer center.   I had excellent doctors and received the best possible care.  I hope you have access to that level of care.

I was young to have colorectal cancer (diagnosed at 46) but later discovered that I had family history - in fact I'm the fourth generation.  I should have had early screening.  By the time I was diagnosed I was T3 N5 M0.  

People like us who either are unaware of their family history or do not have access to that information are in a real bind.  Its frightening, and so upsetting when you realize just how much can be done for colon cancer if it is detected early on.

Best of luck with your chemo.

[cntrygrlgray]

Please get a colonoscopy, see a gastro doctor. I was 35 with the same symptoms and my doctor kept telling me I was depressed. Finally when I was 38 I could hardly walk for the pain and was given the run around by several doctors and a hospital till I finally went to a gastro. He admitted my to the hospital for tests and did a colonoscopy and found I had a good size tumor in my colon. I had surgery 2 weeks later for them to find it had grew into my muscle wall. For some reason I was not give chemo at the time and now at 41 I have metastatic colon cancer in both lungs and going through chemo. It had gotten so bad I cannot have surgery or radiation so I am at the mercy of the chemo. I did not know my family history due to being adopted. So please see a specialist, call your Dad's gastro. Colon cancer is becoming more common in all ages, not just over 50 and more doctors need to recognize this.

[jdwithhcv]

Please see a doctor right away.  Blood in the stool is never normal, and you have family history of colon cancer.  Best of luck.

jd