You're not being silly at all - it's very normal to worry - but it really does sound like piles to me. I'm no expert, all I know is from my own experience, but all the symptoms you have mentioned - blood on the edge of the stool, some mucus, after a looser movement that may have meant a lot of wiping - sounds like piles to me.

The summer before last, I had rectal bleeding, some weight loss, occasional loose stools (maybe once a week) and trapped wind and the consultant said that if my mother came in with those symptoms, he would be concerned about the possibility of bowel cancer but as I was only 40, it was highly unlikely and I would have to be "the most unlucky person in the world" for that to be the explanation.

It turned out to be piles and while most of the blood was on the paper, I did have a couple of incidents (like maybe 3 in the last year and a half) of streaks of blood on the stool.

Thanks for taking the time to reply, I really appreciate it. I guess what worries me most is that the symptoms appear to be different this time to the last time I had piles. There is no blood on wiping, or perhaps sometime only a pinkish tinge or speck of blood, the blood appears to be on the stool only and usually mucusy in appearance. I have had two pregnancies since the last time I had piles so I guess it's possible they could be in a different place so the way the bleeding occurs could be different - I don't know, perhaps I'm clutching at straws! The specialist I saw seemed to think he could 'feel' a couple of internal  piles when he examined me and the examination itself caused some bleeding. He also said he couldn't feel anything else he was worried about so hopefully it is just those piles causing the bleeding. As I said, the bleeding only really happens if I've got a bit of an upset tummy and my stool is loose - I read that diarrhea and holding in the urge can irritate piles and make them more likely to bleed? Who knows!  My doctor also said I am not in the right age range etc but there has been so much publicity about bowel cancer in young people since the case of Bowel Babe I can't put it out of my mind that it might be something more sinister.