Today I had my colonoscopy, i had been terrified of investigating my symptoms which were severe abdominal pain, filling the pan with blood upon bowel movements with clots, weight loss, appetite loss and other symptoms indicating bowel cancer, plus a family history of bowel cancer.I had every symptom of it, I was terrified I was convinced it was cancer. 
the colonoscopy itself wasn't that bad, it wasn't painful I took the sedation and it just felt like being drunk, there was a few weird feelings in my tummy area but honestly nothing to write home about. the prep wasn't bad either providing you follow a low fibre diet first. It didn't cause abdominal cramps like a normal stomach bug would. 
I was able to watch the whole procedure on the screen and the nurses and consultant leading the procedure asked and answered questions throughout, were very complementary and chatty to keep me relaxed. 
I could see all the areas of my bowel as the camera worked it way through, it looked red with some bloody areas but they assured me that none of this was cancer. 
after the procedure they told me I had 3 small lesions from some form of inflammation, perhaps from gastroenteritis or something similar. definitely no cancer!! And these small lesions/ulcers will resolve on their own. Plus the dreaded piles 
They were able to see all areas of my bowel and complimented me on my excellent bowel prep. 
the point of my post is please don't fear getting your worrying symptoms checked out, even if they seem severe. I have seen so many posts from people who are terrified to get checked out, in fact I was for a long time. 
Any bleeding, pain or changes in bowel habits need to be investigated, the anxiety of not going to the doctor and trying to self diagnose is was worse than speaking to a professional. 
the chances are it's not going to be cancer, but if it is early detection can save your life. Do not put it off for months and hope it goes away. Speak to the doctor, your family and friends. Nobody likes to talk about their poo or intimate areas but this could ultimately save your life or the life of someone you love. And let me reiterate it's probably not going to be cancer anyway. Don't suffer in silence and in pain. 
my post is here to reassure those on this forum who are going through something similar with a positive outcome. 
I am going to stick around on here for a while to hopefully encourage other people to get checked out. And it's not always the worst case scenario. 
Thank you eveyone on this forum for the support during this time it's been amazing and I wish you all well and so much love Charlotte x