Bowel Cancer screening has been introduced to try and identify bowel cancer early, so early that you may not even have yet developed any symptoms of bowel cancer. And the sooner cancer is diagnosed, the better the chances are of having a successful treatment.
We asked Clive Challinor if he wanted to share his story having recently been diagnosed with bowel cancer, even before any symptoms actually developed. Please read his article below. Thanks Clive!
“I have been asked by my GP to put together my thoughts and honest feelings about a very important decision in my life and it is still going on today. Like most people, we get up in the morning, get dressed, pick your lunch, kiss the misses and kids and head off to work. Come home, kiss the family, do some DIY, have your evening meal, sort the kids then retire to bed ready to start again on the circle of life without a thought for things that can change your life.
Back in February I received a BOWEL TESTING KIT. I looked at it and like most people put it on the work surface to read later thinking ‘why have they sent me this, I have no symptoms, no pain, no discomfort, no bleeding.’ That’s WHY in-fact it took me about 2-3 weeks to make the decision to open it up and read it and work out the best way of using the poo stick. I finally did it and sent it off at the end of February thinking at least thats done.
I carried on with my life until one day I received a letter. ‘Please can you attend on the 5th march 2021 Warwick hospital ENDOSCOPY UNIT for a COLONOSCOPY examination’. I replied and attended my routine appointment. This took about 2 hours in total. At the end of my appointment I was in bits. See I was coming up to 63 years young, having lost my father some 30 odd years earlier with lung and brain cancer at about the same age.
WHAT NOW.... I have cancer, Christ what about my work, my family, my daughters and my grandson, I have not seen him yet. PANIC oh sh*t, I felt so alone just lying on the bed after the biggest event of my life. Then, after getting dressed and a few more tears I met Alison, my COLORECTAL NURSE, who said ‘you are not alone, we are all here to help you. All of us.’
This is now a journey of blood tests, scans, operations and chemotherapy and lots of doctors appointments and hopefully full recovery. So on the 13th April I checked into Warwick hospital 7.30 am 23 hour ward following a covid test 3 days before. I was sent upstairs after another check to meet my surgical team and got on with it. At 1530 i came round feeling rather groggy, but the nurses and doctors were fantastic, making me very welcome and comfy. I left the hospital on Saturday evening and returned home. About 2 weeks later my surgeon rang to tell me it was a success and that on further examination, they had found a small hernia and also removed 18 lymph nodes, with 1 being cancerous. Hence I needed chemo.
PLEASE DON’T IGNORE THE TEST get it done. I have and I am glad I did it.
Thank you for reading this, now for my next stage...
”
The screening test is sent every 2 years to those aged between 60 and 74 years. If you're 75 or over, you can ask for a kit every 2 years by phoning the free bowel cancer screening helpline on 0800 707 60 60.
For more details on screening, please visit the NHS bowel cancer screening page.