Worried

Hello everyone. I'm a 23 year old male, and I'm worried that about cancer; stomach cancer to be precise. On both sides of my family, cancer runs through-out it. My grandmother had a rare form of cancer that doctors were unable to treat. I can't remember what it was right off the top of my head, but it had to do with the head/brain. One of my aunts was diagnosed with rectal cancer, and has been getting treatments with that. My uncle was also diagnosed with lung cancer and they had to remove either part of one of his lungs, or one of them. I can't remember the details exactly.

 Anyways. I've just been worried lately. Back in February/March, I got this horrendous migraine that last for nearly 2 months. It never went away, even when I took medication for it. I went to the doctor, and it turned out I had h pylori and bacteria in the blood so I was put on antibiotics for a week, and some other medications. They also told me to take Protonix, which I was taking up until around 2 months ago. I found out that medication has been known to cause stomach cancer, among other things. Anyways, I've still been having weird symptoms. I found blood in my stool, which I went to the same doctor and they did a fecal occult blood test and it came back negative for blood. I didn't trust them, and wanted a second opinion so I asked for a referral to a gastroenterologist. He gave me a fecal occult blood test, and I turned it back in. That one came back positive for blood in it. I know it could be hemmoroids, but I don't think it is.

Other symptoms I've had is that..my bowel movements have changed quite alot. Now I can rarely go twice a week. Sometimes there's a foul smell, and the stool is black and tarry. Sometimes when I do go, I feel weak, tired, and light-headed after it. I even feel fatique and weak at other times. My sleeping habits went from around 6 hours a day to..I can sleep 10 hours, and still be tired. My apetite has also come and gone. At times I could eat a horse, otherwise..I can go a day or two, or more without even feeling hungry. I've also lost ten lbs within the past month, without really trying to lose weight (I went from around 170 to 160). My stomach is constantly hurting/discomfort, nearly on a daily basis. Sometimes it's right at the top of the stomach, around the center of the ribcage while othertimes it can be around my naval  area, and abdominal area. I get nausea which also comes and goes, and on top of that I have heartburn/indigestion like crazy.

I was scheduled to go back to the gastroenterologist this past Thursday, but they wanted 186 bucks up front, which I couldn't afford at the time.

I guess I'm just worried that it could be something. Has anyone else had symptoms like this and it turned out to be nothing or possibly an ulcer or stomach cancer? Should I try to find another gastroenterologist or a doctor that's willing to work with me?  I have no insurance at the time, and just recently got a new job, so yeh.

Btw, sorry for writing so much! And if it was somewhat grotesque. Just concerned, and felt like getting opinions and what not from others.

Hi,

I know exactly how you feel. I don't know what to suggest really. I just want to give you support. I noticed that doctors respond better to older patients here in Canada. I'm 27 years old and I've also been experiencing really odd symptoms myself. I've seen two different family doctor's and one of them was more concerned that he had not gotten paid by the gov't than the fact that I was showing really bad spasms in my hands in front of him. I had to even tell him what kind of medications i'm not allergic to from the antibiotics. So far I've been taking tretracycline antibiotics with little success. It's helped me mentally but I can't feel my mouth. i believe i have oral cancer because I seem to fall into all the symptoms of that and of tumours. I've been sent to get an ultrasound of my neck and a UGI.

Well, actually, if you want my advice, ask to get a UGI done if you are concerned of any cancer that affects the areas where the food passes. If you haven't had this test done it is very possible for nothing to have gotten detected. For 5 years I was told that I had generalized anxiety disorder and major depression. i knew something was wrong with me but because I had forgotten the major exposure I had from bleach fumes when i was 23, i could not convince doctors that i wasn't joking when i said that i felt a strange sensation in my throat. well, this sensation was numbed with anti-depressants, then a mixture of anti-depressants and anti-psychotics to anti-depressants, anti-seizure medication, anti-anxiety meds as well two years ago. Now I throw up everything except my anti-anxiety meds. I've cried so much when i think of how much i've been ridiculed. every doctor thought i was making it all up until i began spasming in my face. now doctors are just in awe and slowwwwwwwwwly trying to detect something. i've been twice to hospitals this week for throwing up, not being able to keep food inside of me. i'm so sick of these doctors. Don't waste time. Get the right tests done. Ultrasounds are really great tools to find unexplained illness as well. may God have mercy on you and help you and if it is something bad, i only hope you get answers faster than i have so far. Wish me luck as well please. Maybe God can answer each others prayers. Thank you.

 Vera