Story
Well, with the misplaced confidence of an apparently fit and healthy 55 year old man, I have started my annual training for the Prudential LondonSurrey Ride100 on Sunday 4th August.
The ride should take just over 5 hours in the saddle (although one day, with the help of a cunningly disguised bungee rope, I hope to break the 5 hour barrier without resorting to an ebike). 5 hours is more than my bottom can take in its stride and it will be pretty sore by the end. I think you know where I’m heading with this…….
Just as I did last year, I am putting myself through my battle with Newlands Corner, Leith Hill, Box Hill (and the unexpectedly unpleasant Wimbledon Hill) on behalf of my friend, Patrick Wymer, because it's the sort of thing he would do if he wasn't busy at the moment, still fighting stage 4 bowel cancer, with which he was diagnosed in 2017. His prognosis isn’t particularly good (somewhere around 12 months from now at the last count) but he is living his life to the full, raising awareness of Bowel Cancer and raising funds for research into the UK’s second biggest cancer killer, after lung and ahead of both breast and prostate cancers. As Patrick says, “it frequently seems to slip under the radar – the poo taboo seems to be alive and well. We must change that and ensure that bowel cancer has the profile it needs.” If you want to read about Patrick and his efforts to educate men and women of all ages (including apparently fit and healthy 55 year old men) then please follow this link – https://metro.co.uk/2019/04/06/i-want-to-end-the-taboo-around-bowel-cancer-before-i-lose-my-life-9112434/
Patrick's advice is don't die of embarrassment; if you notice any change in your stools or regularity, stomach pain, weight loss or extreme tiredness for no apparent reason, go and get yourself checked out immediately. Patrick's one regret is that he didn't act sooner, because bowel cancer is curable if it's caught early.
So that's it. Please donate what you can to help fund research into treating bowel cancer, lobbying for reducing the age at which people are screened and raising awareness of the symptoms. Over 41,200 people are diagnosed with bowel cancer every year in the UK. Patrick is one of them and I still don't know what else I can do to show him how much he means to me, other than riding 100 miles and getting a sore bum.
Thank you
Ian