Very Scared

What kind of doctor have you seen? A GI should not be laughing at you if you have had bleeding and mucous. Sounds like you need a colonscopy to see what is going on. If you are seeing a GI and he is laughing at you then its time to get a new one. Don't panic...you need to know whats going on and stop googling as that will make anyone freak out.

Hey jade!
I can relate to what your going through! It must be very tough and annoying to get laughed at for complaining about all of your symtoms. My doctor kept telling me I was causing my own pain because I got too stressed out, but my mom kept on fighting to get me into more tests. Once I saw my GI I had a colonoscopy and found out I have crohns. There can be complications with meds but they will probably be help you more than harm you! And yes you can get a bag but that chance is very slim nowadays! Please keep fighting and find a new doctor! Best of luck!
Callie

Whoa, slow down. Take a deep breath. I would really try and not stress too much while you're waiting for test results to come back. Stress is going to make symptoms so much worse!

Even if you end up having Crohn's, it doesn't mean you're going to get osteoporosis or end up with a colostomy bag. I've had this disease for 14 years and (knock on wood) haven't had either. But you will need to take care of yourself (which everyone should do anyway) - which means not letting the fear get to you too much. That's always easier said than done, but in the long run it will help if you just realize that the future is completely unpredictable and that just because you are ill, doesn't mean you won't get better or have good days/months/years.

Also, doctors see this kind of stuff *all* the time, which is why they don't tend to take people too seriously. The fact that you aren't in any pain is also a (somewhat) good sign. The other symptoms suck for sure but not having pain is a good thing. I think if you are able to calm yourself down a little some of your other symptoms will get better or even disappear.

I'm sorry you're not feeling well and are scared. I know what that's like. Just know you have support here and please let us know what your tests results say. I wish you the best!

Woah, slow down that train of thought!

Firstly, you are unbelievably far away from having a bag. Most folks diagnosed with UC or Crohn's end up never having a bag, so even if that's what you have, the chances are still much higher than not you will be bag-free your whole life.

Secondly, don't google. Seriously. Don't google. Google just has a knack of leading you straight to the most dire cases or telling you will die. Which brings me onto point three.

Three, blood in the stool terrifies many people. It just looks scary. But in IBD, it's actually a fairly normal symptom - extremely so in UC. It's not benign as such, but it's also not a sign of anything life threatening. There are times when it can be dangerous: if the blood is black (a sign of bleeding higher up in the GI tract, which is more serious) or if the blood is literally pouring out into the toilet bowl. But usually it's just an unpleasant byproduct of having inflammation and ulcerations in the bowel.

Four, your doctors are idiots to ignore blood in the stool. I have just said it's usually not life-threatening, but it's also not normal either. You could just have internal haemorrhoids, but the other symptoms make it less likely - and besides it's easy enough to check for haemorrhoids. Other possible non-IBD causes include anal fissures (can be a part of Crohn's as well though), colon cancer (virtually an impossibility in somebody your age), diverticulosis (again, an affliction of the elderly), or intestinal infections which mimic the symptoms of IBD.

Five, please find a doctor who will run the relevant tests, eg stool tests, blood tests, colonoscopy. If it helps, take somebody along with you for support and try not to look/sound scared in front of the doctor. I know that sucks, but the calmer you can appear, the harder it will be for them to fob you off with 'stress' or 'IBS'.

And finally, don't worry about theoretical, long-term risks, like cancer or osteoporosis. You would have to have pretty severe disease for decades to have an increased likelihood of those things. Or, for osteoporosis, to be on steroids long-term.

Good luck; I hope this helps at least a bit...

Hey jade!im new here but have probably had crohns sice I was 19-20..the reason I say probably is I didn't get diagnosed until 2000 after being flown home from Africa while in the peace corps. I have been afrai of getting an ostomy in the past but not so much now. There are plenty of 'war' stories..I have my own..I would say the same others have said. Go to a good gi doctor and they can do all the tests needed. Having IBD is hard I won't lie..but it's by no means a death sentence. Some people only need a few meds and are just fine.
If you can,try not to project what you may or may not have..I've done it too and it only caused me pain..you have support here!