Blog 191 Sunday 14th December 2014

Following the news of being three years clear of cancer, the medical surveillance regime of scans, blood tests and colonoscopy has all but disappeared. I no longer get appointments after appointments dropping on the door mat or thankfully having the agonising wait for results. I'm no longer visiting the various health professionals that I have come to know so well......... Its all a bit surreal really, If it wasn't for the scars evident all over my back and torso, its like that was a different person a different life.

I feel now, as if I've entered a new faze, that I'm starting a new chapter. I am extremely thankful, for the obvious extension to my life as a result of the medically hectic previous five years. I am now aiming for the next hurdle of being five years clear of cancer. I will still be below the age of participation in the UK government cancer tests screening  that my previous blog post informed about, but by then if nothing has happened to me I probably won't give cancer a second thought. (He says bravely now).

Since being given the all clear in September this year I have come out of retirement and returned to work. It didn't take long, a few applications, a couple of  interviews and I'm back full time in facilities management as a site manager in Peterborough.

This will probably be my last post for 2014. I'm really looking forward to 2015 and would like to wish all my followers and friends a fantastic but relaxing Christmas and a very healthy and prosperous New Year.
 

  

   

Blog 190 Tuesday 23rd September 2014

My Oncologist has given me the good news that my recent CT Scan was clear. Now, three years clear of cancer, I dare to dream of the next hurdle being five years. It could of been very different had the bowel cancer not been discovered when it was. On my original diagnosis and subsequent operation a CT scan then, revealed that the cancer had already spread to my lungs which put me into an advanced category.

By getting myself checked out, I seriously extended my life. A change in bowel habit (diahorrea) that lasted for longer than a few weeks was my reason to get checked by my doctor.

I have previously mentioned that Bowel Cancer can and does effect younger persons and have previously included all the symptoms to look out for.

At 60 years, If you live in England, Wales or Northern Island, (50 years if you live in Scotland)  other countries have screening from similar ages, BOWEL CANCER SCREENING comes into effect...............................,

If you are registered with a GP and eligible for bowel cancer screening, you will receive a letter and a leaflet explaining the home testing kit prior to receiving the kit itself. These will be sent to where you live. If you receive a kit please please please use it and send it back !! too many people don't.

The home testing kit tests for faecal occult blood (hidden blood in poo). It does not diagnose bowel cancer. This was the test used by my doctor in Australia  that finally gave rise to suspicion of bowel cancer in my case.

 

Blog 189 Friday 29th August 2014

My consultation with Richard Stacey at the John Radcliffe in Oxford went well and the MRI showed that the Thoracic Laminectomy last year, was a complete success. Last Tuesday I attended Northampton Hospital and completed the next round of CT Scans and CEA blood test (Carcinoembryonic Antigen (CEA) tumor marker test) I will get the results next week when I attend Oncologist  Craig Macmillan consultation fingers crossed please!!!

Yesterday was a great day, I attended Bowel Cancer UK head office in London SW1 where I met CEO Deborah Alsina and Andrew Jazaerli Senior Policy Officer. I have often blogged about the great work that is done by  Bowel Cancer UK staff and their many volunteers.

I was asked by Andrew and Deborah to take part in a focus group concerning the
research they are conducting into advanced disease.  The aim of the project is to investigate bowel cancer patients (and their families) experiences of treatment and care to identify both best practice and gaps in provision. Bowel Cancer UK  hope to use the information to influence government and healthcare commissioners, and ultimately improve patient care.

The Time for Guts Campaign is about saving lives from advanced bowel cancer.

It was also my pleasure to meet John Anton and Eleanor Harwood both have been through similar experiences as I and both are avid campaigners for Bowel Cancer UK

Symptoms of bowel cancer

The symptoms of bowel (colorectal) cancer can be:

• Bleeding from your bottom and/or blood in your poo
• A change in bowel habit lasting for 3 weeks or more especially to looser or runny poo
• Unexplained weight loss
• Extreme tiredness for no obvious reason
• A pain or lump in your tummy

You might experience one, some, all of the above or no symptoms at all. Remember most symptoms will not be bowel cancer.

If you are worried about any symptoms that you think might be caused by bowel cancer, make an appointment with your doctor.

Just remember you'll not be wasting anyone's time by getting checked out. If it isn't serious, you'll put your mind at rest. 

Early detection can make all the difference.

 Over 90% who are diagnosed at the earliest stage are successfully treated. So a trip to your doctor could save your life.

 

Blog 188 Thursday 24th July 2014

It's been a while since my last post no apologies just being lazy. I've been back and forward to Northampton hospital for various tests all of which have proved OK. Next week Monday, I have to attend the John Radcliffe hospital in Oxfordshire for an MRI scan on my spine following the Thoracic Laminectomy last year, just checking all is well there and nothing else has invading my spine. August brings on the next CT scan on abdomen chest etc then Oncologist visit. If all is OK that will be Three years clear of cancer, it's the first rung on the ladder, the first step that allows the cancer sufferer to "dream" of the second step being five years clear.

I took the opportunity in January this year to take part in an Advanced Disease Research project being run by Bowel Cancer UK CEO Deborah Alsina and Senior Policy Officer Andrew Jazaerli the results of the campaign will be released soon  including policy briefing on main issues found by their research.

Blog 187 Wednesday 14th May 2014

Quite disconcerting really, laying on my front looking at the stainless steel trolley with all the implements that are to be used to remove the carcinoma on my back. Not to mention the implement that resembled a soldering iron!! I was informed by the doctor it is used to cauterise the blood vessels, thanks for that. All in all, I am very glad that it is only the minor surgery that the patient is awake for. The staff within the very small room were very good at keeping me talking and informing what was going on Another scar to be added to the patchwork on my back. An yet another wait for the results

Blog 186 Wednesday 16th April 2014

I am very sad to report that my friend Michael passed away in late February this year, our heart felt condolences go out to Jean, Michael's wife and Louise his daughter from both Wendy and I.

I have previously blogged about my friend Michael who was undergoing the same lung operation as me at the Spire hospital in Leicester. Michael was the first bowel cancer patient that I had met to actually speak to and  discuss things with, since my diagnosis.

Michael and I met in the HDU (High Dependency Unit) of the Leicester Spire hospital . When I say met, we were both in a lot of pain and recovering from our lung surgery and both of us had tubes and all sorts of paraphernalia  attached to our bodies, but Michael managed to chat and make me laugh. 

On being discharged, we kept in contact via telephone and I met Michael and Jean again during a consultants follow up visit at the Spire, it was great to see Michael and Jean again.

Michael was such an inspiration to me, and  had a terrific sense of humour, he kept my spirits up even when in pain in the HDU and feeling that I had been run over by a bus!!

In order to write this blog today I wanted to know how many times I had mentioned Michael within its content the following blog posts tell the story  but blog 110 sums it up. 

Blog 17
http://livingwithbowelcancer.blogspot.co.uk/2011/07/blog-17-friday-22nd-july-2011.html
Blog 22
http://livingwithbowelcancer.blogspot.co.uk/2011/08/blog-22-tuesday-9th-august-2011.html
Blog 27
http://livingwithbowelcancer.blogspot.co.uk/2011/08/blog-27-friday-27th-august-2011.html
Blog 85
http://livingwithbowelcancer.blogspot.co.uk/2012/01/blog-85-monday-30-january-2012.html
Blog 100
http://livingwithbowelcancer.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/blog-100-monday-26th-march-2012.html
Blog 110
http://livingwithbowelcancer.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/blog-110-tuesday-15th-may-2012.html
Blog 111
http://livingwithbowelcancer.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/blog-111-wednesday-30th-may2012.html


Michael also via this blog commented on blog 18 post I had written

Michael wrote ...............Good to speak to you today John, hope all went well with your visit to the hospital this afternoon. I shall be back at the Spires for more torture tomorrow!!! Will speak to you soon.
Michael. (September 5, 2011 at 7:02 pm)

I feel the above shows how much of an inspiration you were to me Michael on my journey thank you so much
John Naisbit

 

Blog 185 Thursday 27th March 2014

Once again lots of visits from across South America, Ola Brasil !!

I was sent to the Dermatology department Kettering hospital, after the discovery of a strange looking mark on my back.  I was seen by consultant dermatologist Dr Olivia Stevenson she very quickly gave the diagnosis of a Basal Cell Carcinoma or BCC

A basal cell carcinoma is a type of skin cancer. There are two main types of skin cancer; melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer. BCC is a non-melanoma skin cancer and is the most common type.

The commonest cause of a BCC is too much exposure to Ultraviolet (UV) light from the sun. A BCC can be cured in almost every case and is not infectious. Treatment becomes more complicated if the BCC has been neglected for a very long time or if they are in an awkward place such as near the eye, nose or ear.

As well as the diagnosis Dr Stevenson gave me a right good telling off  as apparently I had neglected my skin over the years too much unprotected sun in South Africa and Australia no doubt but also she insisted I needed to "moisturise"   MMmmmmmmmm.................never done that......anyway after my diagnosis and rebuke, I was given the good news the BCC is to be surgically removed !! and the really good news..................................surgery on my birthday!!!!! apparently the only date available.

Trust me you do not want to say to the NHS "That date is not convenient"..............at best you wait a further three months, at worst you may get "lost" in the system. Oh well its only a local anesthetic and I should be out in time for the usual rendition of `Happy Birthday'
 

Blog 184 Monday 10th March 2014

Well yet another setback. On my last blog post I gave the good news of the "All Clear" but my Oncologist had noticed an unusual looking mark on my back. This mark I hasten to add was of concern to my wife Wendy for some time, but us guys think we know the best don't we? .............I have an appointment this Friday  for a skin cancer specialist to verify one way or the other what this unusual mark is ..... I'm certain it cannot be linked to bowel cancer... Maybe all those years under the South African and Australian sun has taken its toll on my skin we shall see. My oncologist and my GP did not give any reassurance when I asked if it was skin cancer.....another fast track referral to be seen within a week, great service by the NHS but crap deal. I'm now seriously considering whether I  want any further ops or procedures but I still cling on to Hope .......some don't have that luxury, I will be there! 

Blog 183 Tuesday 25th February 2014

All the waiting and worrying was ended late yesterday with my six monthly trip to the Oncologist in Northampton. The CT scan and recent tests have all come back clear.. my next round is in September.

If all is well in September I would have been "clear" for 3 years, 5 years clear is the milestone to head for before celebrating but I am extremely thankful for this small mercy   

Blog 182 Friday 31st January 2014

It was a year ago that the horse meat scandal hit the UK and Europe. Criminals were  adding horse meat to the food chain and passing it off as beef or other meat products. Today I was speaking to  Andrew Jazaerli, the  Senior Policy Officer of Bowel Cancer UK and the conversation reminded me of my blog post at that time.

I was amazed how fast the news of the scandal spread....It was "Top of the mind awareness" Millions of people thought of how it may have affected them..............

HOW CAN WE MAKE MILLIONS OF PEOPLE SIT UP AND THINK ABOUT BOWEL CANCER as easily as the horse meat scandal ?

The truth of the matter is that generally we do not consider bowel cancer or any other cancer for that matter,until it actually effects us, a family member or friend. Over 40,000 men and women are diagnosed with bowel cancer in the UK every year, making it the third most common cancer; that's someone every 15 minutes.

Causes & Risks

Although the exact cause of bowel cancer is unknown, there are certain factors that may increase your risk. In the UK, around 95% of cases occur in people over the age of 50. (I was 45) People with a mother, father, brother, sister, or child with bowel cancer may be considered for further testing. An inactive lifestyle and a poor diet may increase the risk of bowel cancer. A high intake of red and processed meat, smoking and excess alcohol may also  increase the risk

For further information and support please call the Bowel Cancer UK Information and Support Service on 0800 8 40 35 40 or email support@bowelcanceruk.org.uk



 

Blog 181 Wednesday 8th January 2014

A HAPPY,  HEALTHY AND PROSPEROUS 2014 TO ALL !!

Not long into the new year and the first round of cancer surveillance appointment letters have arrived !!

I will be seeing the urology consultant at the end of January. I have a chest/abdomen CT Scan during February and an Oncology appointment at the end of February.  I have often referred to this particular time as the waiting game. It really doesn't get any easier, waiting for the appointments..........and then waiting for the results, but it sure focuses your mind on what is actually important in life.  An interesting article I read in "The Lancet" you can make up your own mind, .........................

The Rhetoric of Cancer

“For 40 years the language of warfare has dominated cancer discourse”, explains Andrew Graystone in an essay complementing his radio documentary The Rhetoric of Cancer . “Today it's commonplace to speak about battling cancer, fighting cancer, even kicking cancer.

Oncologists are painted as heroic warriors, the SAS of the medical world—sometimes fighting hand to hand with scalpels, sometimes using lasers, ray guns, and chemical weapons.”

When Andrew Graystone was diagnosed with cancer three years ago, he soon realised that the language commonly employed to approach this disease revolves around military metaphors. He writes: "The language of war dominates cancer discourse, so whether we want to fight or not, people with cancer are conscripted into a battle against the self. Our bodies made into war zones, with cancer as the enemy, medical professionals as infallible heroes, and treatments of search-and-destroy by any means possible."

In an attempt to find language which feels more appropriate for him, Andrew visits the Christie Hospital in Manchester to meet Macmillan consultant in palliative care and oncology Dr Wendy Makin. They discuss the language that clinicians choose and the words that patients bring to the consulting room themselves. Also to Natasha Hill, director of brand and strategic marketing at Cancer Research UK about the rhetoric employed in advertising campaigns. He discusses the language employed at research level with Michael Overduin, professor at the school of Cancer Sciences at Birmingham University. Andrew also meets with Jim Cotter, a priest and writer who has leukaemia. And he shares his findings with theologian Dr Paula Gooder who has a special interest in contemporary beliefs about our relationships with our bodies, illness and death.

Andrew says: "If I battle my cancer I’m putting myself in conflict against myself . Don’t get me wrong, I don’t want to have cancer, but I warn you that when I die, if any one says that I have lost my battle against cancer, I will personally come back and haunt them.

Andrew Graystone. A graduate in theology, has extensive experience as a media professional, having worked for BBC Religion for over a decade as a producer and Development Executive. He has produced numerous TV and radio programmes. He has also worked as a radio and TV producer in the independent sector. He is a regular presenter of Radio 4's Daily Service and Sunday Worship. He lectures at universities and theological colleges, and trains and advises christian groups on how best to engage with the fast-changing media environment. Andrew is a licensed minister of the Church of the Nazarene.

When Andrew Graystone was diagnosed with cancer three years ago, he soon realised that the language commonly employed to approach this disease revolves around military metaphors. He writes: "The language of war dominates cancer discourse, so whether we want to fight or not, people with cancer are conscripted into a battle against the self. Our bodies made into war zones, with cancer as the enemy, medical professionals as infallible heroes, and treatments of search-and-destroy... 6 Show more