Karenina, thank you for being so frank and open, and Don, I am very pleased your wife is ok. Do not be worried about having a colonoscopy, Karen, I have had numerous. They don't hurt and when I advised the surgeon to bottle the anaesthetic and sell it as he could make a fortune, he did reply that he worried about me! I went through all the tests many years ago and a tumor was removed, but fortunately, I needed no further treatment for that particular problem, apart from regular colonoscopies as I was considered "young" at that time to have that condition (I was then under age 50). The worst part of the treatment for me was the stuff you have to take to make you purge, so make sure you are very very close to a reliable toilet!
8 years ago, I did have a battle with breast cancer, totally unconnected to previous problem. I, thankfully came through all that was thrown at me and consider myself a much stronger person because of it. I no longer worry unnecessarily, do speak my mind when I need to and will not suffer fools gladly - a total transformation from the previous person I was.
You are very very brave to open up on a forum such as this, it can only help those who are worried themselves. Do not be afraid of being emotional, I and many others I got to know cried buckets and more importantly laughed hysterically through our treatments.
If you ever feel that you would like a chat privately, please do pm me.