Piles definitely have not been ruled out. I had almost the exact same experience, blood on the paper (though for a lot longer than 6 days, more like a month), went to the doctor, no sign of piles on the examination, then a colonoscopy and guess what was found! Piles. The nurses said beforehand that it wasn't unusual for nothing to be found in the doctor's office, that some of them are internal or are not visible at all times.

Nor are piles and cancer the only two options. There are loads of things that can cause rectal bleeding - a fissure, a polyp, ulcerative colitis, Crohn's... And given that you have young children, cancer is probably pretty unlikely. I was 40 when I had my colonoscopy and the doctor told me that if my mother came in with the same symptoms (rectal bleeding, some weight loss, some loose stools - maybe once or twice a week - and trapped wind), he would be considering cancer but that at my age, it would be the least likely of all the possible options and I would be "the most unlucky person in the world" if that turned out to be the explanation.

Hello [@MargaretMary]‍ , I've been scrolling through this forum as a way of finding a little comfort, as I received a positive fit test on Friday ( 162.3, patient at high risk, urgent referral needed etc). This was out of the blue as just a fortnight earlier I received a negative result for my national screening programme test. To say my anxiety levels are through the roof is an understatement. Although I turned 60 last November, I feel pretty fit for my age (gym at least 3 times/week, generally active, slim build etc). Despite this I suffer chronic anxiety and am aware I now fall into the age group that's more vulnerable to bowel cancer.

I really like your upbeat approach and wish you all the best for your own health journey (I'm Jane btw - pls excuse the weird username lol) xx

Hello [@MargaretMary]‍ , I've been scrolling through this forum as a way of finding a little comfort, as I received a positive fit test on Friday ( 162.3, patient at high risk, urgent referral needed etc). This was out of the blue as just a fortnight earlier I received a negative result for my national screening programme test. To say my anxiety levels are through the roof is an understatement. Although I turned 60 last November, I feel pretty fit for my age (gym at least 3 times/week, generally active, slim build etc). Despite this I suffer chronic anxiety and am aware I now fall into the age group that's more vulnerable to bowel cancer.

I really like your upbeat approach and wish you all the best for your own health journey (I'm Jane btw - pls excuse the weird username lol) xx