Most of you know that in January 2008 I was diagnosed with stage 3 bowel cancer. This diagnosis came after I had (I now realise) ignored some of the key symptoms for too long. Despite this, I was one of the lucky ones!!! I had some truly outstanding medical care that helped me through the operation to remove the tumour and through the chemotherapy treatment that followed. But even more fortunate was the fact that I went to see my GP when I did. If the tumour had grown further into stage 4 then the outcome probably would have been quite different!

So, whilst I learnt plenty through the whole experience... the thing that I ask everyone to do now is what I didn't do! Be aware of the early symptoms of bowel cancer and if you know anyone who has any of the signs, then get them to their doctor to get checked out asap.  The facts are that 3% of the UK population will get bowel cancer at some point in their life. It is the 2nd biggest cancer killer in the developed world. 35,000 people are diagnosed with it each year in the UK and tragically 16,000 people are killed by it each year. Despite all this, it is one of the easiest cancers to treat successfully if it is caught early.

Simply put, the best thing we can all do is to be more aware of the early symptoms. Briefly these are:-

      - Blood in the stools

      - Change in bowel habits (diarrhoea or constipation)

      - Losing weight

      - Abdominal pain

      - Straining feeling in the rectum

      - Vomiting

      - Bloating

You wouldn't, of course, get all these.  And any of them could be due to other illnesses, but if you get any of these symptoms for any significant period, then I strongly encourage you to have a chat with your GP.

Anyway... I'm fine now and I'm keen to spread the word to increase awareness. One way of doing this is to get you all to read this (done!) and then to ask for your sponsorship to support one of the key charities who dedicate themselves to raising awareness of bowel cancer.

On November 1st I will be running (well, starting at least) the New York marathon. I have never completed a run of this distance previously and at best I can describe my training as "patchy". For me it will be a signicant achievement that will help me move on from last year. As I run around the 5 boroughs of New York, I will be thinking of what I went through last year and what I can do to help other people avoid the same experience. If you are prepared to help me on this journey, then please make whatever contribution you can.

Many thanks for anything you are prepared to give to this important cause. Please dig deep!

   Andy Mc