For a couple of years I've had bowel issues (mucus, itchiness, fissures, occasional mild bleeding that disappeared the next day, oversensitivity to stress), but I never really did anything about them. I was at a doctor once when I've had a really bad fissure which took about 3 months to heal, but other than that nothing. I was both afraid of getting a colonoscopy and being diagnosed with cancer, and I always rationalized it as "more fissures", "residue from something red I ate", IBS, (even though I was never diagnosed with it, but my Mom was so I assumed "genetics"[plus my sis has got celiac disease]), haemorrhoids and what not. And so I persisted for at least 3 years. And for those three years I had those long periods of quiet with moments of sheer terror when my "Do I have cancer" fears flared up. Sooo today I decided to see my GP on this coming Friday and finally get to the bottom of it, come what may. If I am to die, at least I will see it coming. And oddly enough that brought me some degree of peace.