Our Impact

Testimonials

Paula: “My journey began in the summer of 2018. I felt unfit and decided to get a puppy so that I would be encouraged to get out walking more. The puppy arrived July 2018 and I started walking every day. I gradually increased my walking distance and the time but instead of feeling better, by the October I felt worse. I started to not feel like myself at all. I could barely walk up a gentle slope without feeling breathless and having a burning sensation in my legs. Walking upstairs and downstairs was painful in my legs and chest. I woke each morning aching from head to toe. Walking with others was embarrassing as I had to stop to catch my breath. I beat myself up internally about having let myself go. I was ashamed. I felt lethargic and totally fatigued, it’s a tiredness I cannot explain, a brain fog. I really struggled to work all day without wanting to sleep. I literally had to go into the loos at work and splash my face with water to keep myself awake. As soon as I got home I cooked our evening meal but had to sleep straight away, I was asleep by 7 on the sofa most nights. I also started to feel stressed about the smallest of things. Having family gatherings and cooking a meal for a lot of people was normal for me on the weekend but all of a sudden, I couldn’t cope with it. I couldn’t cope with lots of people or noise, I was extremely irritable. I had no motivation and had lost my personality. I can remember looking in the mirror one morning to put my make up on and crying as I didn’t recognise myself at all.

I decided to go to the doctors, as soon as I walked into the room I sat down and cried, I explained I just did not feel like myself and had no reasons to be down but felt so depressed. my doctor listened to me. She really was fantastic. I was diagnosed as severely anaemic after blood tests and was prescribed iron tablets. I stated to feel better and could now walk further and up hills without struggling. I was coping more with work and family life again. I was then told in the February I needed to come off the iron tablets to see how my haemoglobin levels would be. Within a week I felt awful again. It was around this time that my hairdresser a cousin of Benj’s mum came to cut my hair. She told me of Benj’s bowel cancer. She told me Benj had been anaemic. She told me how fit and healthy Benj was. She told me by the time Benj was diagnosed despite many doctors’ visits it was too late. She told me I had to go back to the doctors and get myself checked. I did exactly that.  Hearing Benj’s symptoms and how similar they were to mine I didn’t hesitate in going back to the doctors. I went back for blood tests and was severely anaemic again. This time the doctor said we had to investigate further and she referred me for a colonoscopy. The hospital wrote to me advising I was not eligible for a colonoscopy as I was of menstrual age. This delayed my colonoscopy by some months. Much to the anger of my doctor some months later. Due to the contraceptive I’m on I do not menstruate and she had told them of this in her referral. It has crossed my mind since that if I had been having periods would my outcome be different and I think of many other women who may have had diagnosis delayed because of this. My colonoscopy was eventually in June 2019. They found a mass. This mass turned out to be a 7cm Tumour in my bowel. The tumour would have caused blood loss therefore causing the anaemia but the blood would not have been noticeable in my stools due it being on the right side so I’m told. My initial staging was stage 3 as it looked as if the cancer was in my lymph nodes. I had a right hemicolectomy to remove the tumour and my bowel was re-joined. After the operation was probably the scariest time for me. Not knowing the official staging until the histology results were back after a major surgery was a real struggle mentally. I felt like I was in the dark. The terminologies used around cancer are very confusing. I was fortunate to be told some weeks later that my cancer had not spread into my nodes therefore I didn’t need chemotherapy. I was cancer free. I am cancer free. I wish this was true for so many others. Thank you to The Bowel Movement for raising awareness for many others out there. What you are doing is fantastic.” Paula  

Ollie: Although we don’t see each other your stories pop up on my Facebook feed occasionally. I’ve noticed a lot of work you have done for Dorothy house and the Bowel movement, you must have lost someone dear to you and I’m very sorry for your loss. Awareness is everything, and as you have rightly said awareness in young people, Bowel cancer is not just something for old people.

Anyway, I wanted to say a massive thank you for the awareness you have drawn to this, thanks to you I was caught at stage 3 Bowel cancer. The GP wouldn’t listen and we went private for a colonoscopy. It’s the Bowel Movement drawing attention to it, along with other campaigns, that have given me a chance. 

I’ve got such a wonderful life with my wife and kids and at one point I thought that was going to be taken away. Now I think it won’t be and I’ll grow old with my wife and see my kids into adulthood. I’m in hospital after some serious surgery and awaiting chemo. 

Thanks for your help, even though you would have been completely unaware you were helping me.