This is going to be a long post, so please bear with me.
So this is something I never, ever thought I'd be posting on an Internet forum.
Go figure.
Anyhow, I have dealt with blood on toilet paper for literally decades. I'm 48 years old and I guess I first saw small amounts of blood on toilet paper maybe around 10 or 12 years old. It's always been small amounts.
For as long as I can remember, I've had to wipe, and wipe, and wipe, and wipe, and then wipe some more to get clean. I have no clue why other people can take 33 1/2 seconds to wipe and then they're done, while with me, sometimes (VERY rarely) it's quick, but most of the time I can spend longer wiping than I did having a bowel movement.
In any event, all of this wiping has lead to what I always assumed were small cuts which would bleed a tiny bit and then stop for days or even sometimes weeks.
I have also dealt with what I assume are hemorrhoids since about 2002. They were never officially diagnosed (although one doctor did tell me that I had a hemorrhoid one time when he was examining me for a different reason), but I've had all the classic symptoms of both hemorrhoids and anal fissures, but the bleeding has typically always been pretty minor.
In the last few months, I have occasionally had some small amounts of blood mixed in with the stool, but just minor streaking along with some small amounts of blood on the toilet paper.
Two or three days ago, this all seemed to change.
This past Wednesday (1/3/18), I had four bowels from about 5:00 AM up until close to 8:00 AM. Two of those were at my gym which, of course, has the cheapest, most horrible toilet paper around.
The last time I used the toilet, I saw fairly typical amounts of blood on the paper. But then later that day (about four hours later), I went home for lunch and tried to use the toilet again. I apparently did not need to, but I wiped anyway for good measure, and a substantial amount of blood was on the toilet paper.
Today, Friday (1/5/18), I had a similar experience: I had four bowel movements in a span of about 3 hours. This time, however, at the gym, I was much more careful and wiped very carefully. I did not notice any blood. But when I went home for lunch, I had another small bowel movement and this time, the stool was covered in blood, the water was all red and there was, again, a large amount of blood on the paper.
So, all that to say this: I'm convinced I have cancer and am going to die soon. Even though I have no symptoms of cancer at all, with the exception of the blood.
Can anyone help me out here? Should I expect only small amounts of blood with an anal fissure or hemorrhoid? Or are large, copious amounts of blood also common?
I should note that I DO typically and very commonly have all the symptoms of hemorrhoids and fissures (particularly fissures): intense burning while having a bowel movement and after, anal itching, etc.
I should also note that about two years ago I did have a bout with potentially IBS or IDB. The doctor wasn't sure as some symptoms were present for both, but not all of them. I only very rarely am ever constipated or have diarrhea.
Any help you all can provide would be greatly appreciated.
Feel free to ask any questions if I've left anything out.
Thank you!
KP