Hi everyone, I'm in need of some support and I feel like you guys would understand as I'm a long term HA sufferer.

A bit of background, a couple of years ago I had some terrible stomach issues mainly including diarrhea. I went to the doctor's who did a blood test and FIT stool test which thankfully both came back negative

They also did a stool test called what I think was Fecal Calprotectin which came back very slightly raised which the doctor said could indicate an Inflammatory Bowel Disease. However the doctor said that because it's so slight I should do a re-test as her money was still on IBS being the real culprit.

The second test came back completely normal filling me with massive relief although the stress of all these tests and waiting really affected me and has stayed with me but my symptoms did improve.

2 years later I have just turned 30 (male by the way) and the symptoms have come back with a vengeance.

This includes intense diarrhea as soon as I wake up with additional bowel movements during the day coming out either flat or thin.

There are also anal fissures and itching which means I have both fears of dying of cancer and a literal pain in the the butt driving me crazy.

The other symptom is that I'm feeling very gassy after eating and I often fall asleep after meals.

I think it's worth noting that I've recently lost my job which has caused an incredible amount of anxiety and stress and I know these things are linked to the gut. However the voice in my head screaming "BOWEL CANCER" or "CROHNS" is a lot louder than reason.

I am currently in the process of registering with a new doctor so it's a waiting game before I can even make an appointment so in the meantime I'm just experiencing a great sense of dread that my time in this world is running out.

If anybody has any insight about this or advice on how to improve this situation I would be so very thankful. Take care everyone 🙂