"My journey through bowel cancer"

It all started in January 2025 with a colonoscopy due to the results from a postal poo test. Sadly the colonoscopy showed that I had a restricting tumour, this came as a dreadful shock but all of the staff there on that day were very kind and reassuring which helped no end. After various appointments, tests and scans it was decided that I needed a course of chemotherapy to shrink the tumour before surgery. 

After a couple of chemo sessions I suffered a blocked bowel and was admitted for an emergency operation which resulted in me having a stoma.  At this point it looked as though the tumour may not have responded to the chemo, so a PET scan (at the RD&E) was done.   This showed that the tumour had in fact shrunk a bit, so the last chemo sessions resumed.  Once these were completed I had another CT scan which showed that the tumour had shrunk enough to operate.  Due to possible complications the surgery team at NDDH referred me to Derriford Hospital for the operation, this was successfully carried out in July 2025. 

As I live nearer to NDDH at Barnstaple than Derriford at Plymouth, I asked for all follow up appointments to be held at NDDH.  At my last oncology appointment I was given the wonderful news that the tumour had been completely removed with no further spread.  I was told that I would be monitored for some years to come in case of the return of a tumour.  Throughout my whole treatment the staff in all of the departments from reception, colorectal clinics, Chemotherapy, CT, ECG PET scans and Xray, A&E, ICU, HDU Lundy and KGV wards (NDDH) and Stonehouse ward (Derriford) and the surgery teams in both hospitals was outstanding.  I can not thank them enough.

If I do have any quibbles, then it would be the apparent lack of communication between departments at Derriford and also with myself.  Hopefully this will improve when Derriford start using the same IT system (Epic) as NDDH. I have found the  My Care element of it very useful, for keeping informed of appointments and test results etc.