Mucus and blood in my stool varying consistancy

[rgl12]

I have had blood and mucus in my stools now for a little over six months.  I just turned 29.  I believe it started with blood (bright red), so I thought it was hemrroids.....but no pain whatsoever.  This varied to being in every stool (sometimes ALOT)  and then sometimes just a little, and then sometimes there isn't any at all.  It has been this way for the entire 7 months.  To add, I started noticing mucus in my stools as well, shortly after I noticed the blood.  And it has the same consistancyas the blood!  Sometimes it's alot, sometimes it's just a little, and then sometimes I don't see any.  I think when I really got concerned is when I would go to use the bathroom, and it felt like I pooed just a tiny bit, turned out to be a ball of mucus......this happens very often now.  I have read forums and posts trying to figure this out with no concrete answer.  I have also tried to figure out what could have triggered all this but so much was going on in my life that it's hard to pinpoint.  I noticed the blood shortly after a trip I had taken where I was too embarrassed to use the bathroom so I held it (for 3 days) so when I actually did try to go, it was probably the most difficult and painful stool I've ever passed.  Which led me to believe I had a hemmoroid or a tear.  But then I also had other factors involved that made me wonder if the timing of the difficult stool was just a coincidence.  Prior to that I had taken the diet powder SlimQuick for probably about 4 months to lose weight and ended up losing 25 lbs.  Also I was under a HUGE amount of stress (which I read could be a factor in certain symptoms), the type of stress you have when you are planning you own wedding, get married, and litterally WATCH your father pass away right afterwards.  I didn't go to the doctors because I had so much going on in my life and I had no health ins.  Can you PLEASE help me?  :(   After considering ALL of this, what do you think?

[rgl12]

Thank you very much to both of you for taking the time to answer my question.  

[Morecambe]

You should seek medical advice until the cause of the bleeding is firmly diagnosed - if necessary insist on a colonoscopy.  Rectal bleeding is never normal - google rectal bleeding to find out more - the Medicinenet site is particularly informative.

regards
Morecambe