In June this year, at the age of 36 and a heathy, active, non-smoker with a 3 year old and a 6 month old baby, I was diagnosed with an aggressive bowel cancer. Having chased various GPs with symptoms since January, the following weeks were were pretty awful for the family and I, as I went for a CT scan and follow up assessments to see what stage the cancer was. The final staging couldn't be made until the tumour was investigated and in July, I had a successful operation to remove the tumour, lymph nodes and a decent chunk of colon. Later that month we finally had the results that amazingly, we seem to have caught the cancer in good time, and my wonderful surgeon Mhairi seems to have completely removed the cancer. In mid September I had a follow up CT scan to check something that had been identified on my lung in a previous scan, which confirmed that it was, as hoped, a benign pulmonary nodule and that for now at least, my cancer journey is at an end. While I'm still recovering from the operation, it should (touch wood) just be checks and tests from now on to try and catch any, hopefully unlikely, potential recurrence early. 

I've been left slightly reeling by the senselessness of it all however, despite the fact that the outcome for my health has thankfully been ok - I feel that I need to somehow turn it around, and into something more positive for our little family and hopefully beyond. So while it’s not really in my nature to share details of my personal life far and wide, I'm going to get over that and try and do some awareness raising and fund raising. I have 3 aims:

1. To spread awareness and encourage other young folk to get themselves checked out if they have any symptoms. I know it's shitty, in every sense, but please just do it. Statistically it's unlikely that a younger person will get this disease so it's often (understandably)  overlooked by GPs. But, increasing numbers of younger people are getting bowel cancer and as its typically more aggressive in a younger body, people are being referred later in the progression of the
disease, often once the disease has spread. Someone diagnosed in the early stages of bowel cancer, like I was, has a 90% chance of survival, but sadly almost 50% of people are diagnosed at stage 3 or 4, and with survival rates significantly reduced. I apparently was pretty lucky, and I wonder if I would have pushed the GPs so hard if Deborah James wasn't in the news so much at that time.

2. I'm aiming to raise some money for Bowel Cancer UK's campaign Never Too Young. I have put a lot of energy over the last few months into not allowing myself to imagine future in which I am not there for my girls as they grow up. Not able to see my husband, family and friends any more. It's been pretty exhausting. Now I'd like to put my energy into something positive, and hopefully raise some funds to help move us along another increment in the path to preventing death from bowel cancer.

3. To raise some money I have set myself some challenges for the (now that I'm writing it down, terrifying sounding) duration of 12 weeks. This is the same length of time from the day I met my big ugly tumour, blown up on a large screen at hospital, to the surprise of all in the room, to the moment that I realised I needed to do something positive to get myself out of the fug I have been in. I've landed on a set of challenges that will definitely be tough for my fitness (double whammy of pregnancy and cancer / abdominal surgery has left me feeling a bit pathetic), and my brain (if you know my spelling you know that Gaelic will not come naturally to me) but will also help me to get our family life back to being a bit more fun (I've been quite house bound post operation) and get me back into music, for some of this much hyped "me time". 

Challenges:

- Learn a tune a week on the low whistle (having almost completely abandoned it at age 16);

- 40 km travelled per week (by foot or bike) for the first 4 weeks, then 50km p.w. for the second 4 weeks, and finally 60 km p.w. for the final 4 weeks;

- To be able to do 10 press-ups at the end of the challenge (though this will depend on core healing post-surgery, which I'm working with a wonderful woman's fitness guru on, and will follow her advice.);

- To do Gaelic duolingo sessions every day;

- Take my wonderful husband and weans somewhere new every week for a mini adventure.

I realise that with cost of living and energy bills etc money may be a bit tight but I'd appreciate any donations big or small to push me on when I realise on week 2 that I've well over-committed myself. I'll share embarrassing pictures of my suffering and attempts at a push up, and some happy baby faces, to hopefully supplement the feel good from supporting an incredibly deserving charity, and help you to feel that it's been a good investment.

Thank you so so much for reading. 

Big love, 

Rowan

Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.