Thread: Bowel Cancer

Lots of luck for Wednesday Mike

Good luck mate, I hope your procedure and recovery goes well.

Fully agree with you that we shouldn't think we are immortal (even though some of our body cells thinks so, hence the cancer) and get the tests done and then act on them if need be.


Peter.

Dear Mike,

Best of luck, and fingers crossed. Dad lost about 40cm of his bowel to diverticulitis years ago, and after things settled down for him, it was all systems go again - no worries. In a few months time you'll be firing again on all cylinders...

At least you don't have to blame the woodwork for it!

Best Wishes,
Batpig.

Mike,

It sounds as though you have caught your cancer just in time, before it has spread. Good luck with your operation. Many sufferers are not as fortunate.

Since the 5-year survival rate for bowel cancer (about 45%) is much lower than that for breast or prostate cancers (about 97% and 99% respectively), it is even more vital to try to detect bowel cancer at an early stage than it is for breast and prostate cancers.

Because my mother suffered from bowel cancer, although she actually died at the age of 95 from a fall, I have been alert to the possibility that I might develop this cancer. So about seven years ago I had a colonoscopy, although I was not having any symptoms. This revealed that my colon was still healthy. Eighteen months ago I still had no symptoms, but had another colonoscopy, which revealed that I had four polyps, which are the precursors of bowel cancer. The polyps were cut away and found to be benign, but I was told to return after a year for another colonoscopy, so this year I had another, which discovered one further polyp, which was likewise cut out and found to be benign. I am due for my next colonoscopy in two years' time.

The moral of my story is that, particularly if you have a close relative who has had bowel cancer, it is worth having a colonoscopy, even if you have not experienced any symptoms. If you catch any polyps whilst they are still benign, you can completely prevent bowel cancer. So it is well worth the minor unpleasantness of the preparation for a colonoscopy to ensure that you do not develop this potentially lethal disease.

Rocker

Mike, hope it all goes well for you and the results are clear. Very brave of you to mention it. Sturdee did a good thing I reckon, talking us through his experiences.

best wishes mate

Hope all goes well Mike.

Yes mate hope that all is well for you.

All the best of luck Mike, my thoughts are with you.

All the best Mike.

Fingers crossed Mike.

Best wishes Mike

Thanks for sharing Mike. All the best for the op and a speedy recovery.
Thanks also Rocker.

Heads up Mike - all fingers crossed

Like Rocker, I have a family history of Bowel cancer - Dad and his brother....
So I have annual colonoscopies. So far so good.

All the best for the op, Mike.