By Isle of Wight Observer
One Wight Health has been running its ‘Your Loo Could Save You’ bowel cancer awareness campaign over the summer. Faye Heal, widow of well-known Island solicitor and sportsman, Ian Heal, who died from bowel cancer last year, has been inspired by Your Loo Could Save You to tell the family’s story, in the hope it will further raise consciousness of the disease, and what to do if you are worried.
One night around Christmas I went to the loo just after Ian and found some tissue with blood on it. I asked him where the blood had come from and he said it had been from his bottom. This was the first sign that he had this terrible disease. In our case we acted promptly. Ian saw his GP who felt an abnormality in his rectum. She ordered a colonoscopy and within weeks the cancer was confirmed. Worse was to follow when they discovered it was a T3 stage cancer (advanced) and there were secondary tumours on his liver. Operations to remove the tumours and chemotherapy followed and the picture began to look a little brighter.
By October 2022, he had been given the “all-clear” so our little family of Ian, our daughter, Betsy, and I were feeling hopeful. But that hope was short-lived as, by the early part of 2023, the cancers had come back with a vengeance. From then on, despite Ian putting an incredibly brave face on it and continuing to work as best he could, it was a losing battle. Later that year we were told it couldn’t be fixed and we had to prepare for the worst.
With friends and family rallying to support us, we made the most of those last months before Ian passed in May 2024. There were hundreds at his funeral, from his working life, family circle and friendships across cricket, shooting and Round Table, in what turned into a true celebration of his life. And I can’t speak highly enough of the NHS care Ian received. From the beginning to the end, it was amazing. It was lovely when the memorial day on the anniversary of his death in May this year raised £14,000 for Mountbatten.
Reading about the Your Loo Could Save You campaign has been very thought-provoking. Ours wasn’t a case of us not noticing the symptoms but it is clear for many the main indicators of bowel cancer are misread or overlooked, so the outcome isn’t as good as it can be.
Your Loo Could Save You has highlighted the need to look for these symptoms:
Changes in your poo
Blood in your poo or on toilet paper
Persistent pain or bloating
Unexplained weight loss
Increased tiredness
Please consult your GP if you have any of these. And it is important for people to take and return the postal tests sent out as part of the national screening programme. This programme now includes people aged 50 to 74.
We lost Ian far too young, at the age of just 50, but if by speaking about our pain and loss can raise awareness of bowel cancer and, may be, save some lives, that has to be for the best.
I lost a loving husband, and father to Betsy, and his wider family and friends have suffered too. Check your poo and take the tests so that it isn’t you too who is missing someone from your life.
To find out more go to yourloocouldsaveyou.co.uk.