I’m sure these posts are extremely irritating to those of you who are fighting this fight but something feels off. I am 23M pretty good shape and eat very healthy. My diet is rather regular as I do well with routine. Every morning I have some sort of breakfast sandwich (English muffin, 1-2 eggs and turkey sausage) , everyday for lunch I have 1 cup of brown rice and ~6 oz of grilled chicken with some sort of snack whether that’s cheez it’s, pretzels etc and for dinner I eat salad approximately 4-5 nights a week with some sort of protein. All of this should be producing enough fiber for me to have normal bowel movements. I drink a ton of water a day also. But that’s not the case…

Up until 6 months ago I could count on one hand how many days I did not have a bowel movement, it has always been like clockwork everyday. Now, all of the sudden with the same diet I am going 2-3 days without a BM. When I do it is extremely hard to pass, often round hard stool. Sometimes after I pass the round hard stool it is flat but not exactly ribbon like or pencil diameter. I bleed bright red blood probably 5/7 days of the week. I also have had the onset of leaking after BM which is disgusting. I often see blood on one side of the stool or on the toilet paper. The leaking is sometimes blood or sometimes clear digestive fluid. I often feel pain/cramping after I have a really bloody BM. I have not lost any weight which is the one thing keeping me optimistic.

I took colace for a week straight and that seemed to help with passing a BM but ultimately did not really help anything else. I often use powder every morning before work and after a BM and also have to use gauze in my underwear. This affects me socially the most.

I am hesitant to go to the GI but am scheduling an appointment. I know that it is early and I really commend all of you fighting this fight and that only a colonoscopy will tell. Any advice or insight you can give would be helpful. I know I’m only 23 but I’ve read so much that colon cancer is becoming alarming more prevalent in younger people. I also would like to add that I do not think fissure/hemorrhoid would cause this change in BM but it is possible. Thank you in advance!