Bowel Cancer Fight – Gisborne Herald

“I knew something was wrong, but still felt as good as gold. I didn’t know what would happen.”

Roger Faber hopes he was listening to his intestines, even if the problem was a bit below.

Seven years ago, a 52-year-old doctor went to see a doctor after he realized he had a little blood in his poo.

“Men can be pretty useless to get tested, but in the end I went and explained the symptoms and had a prostate cancer screen. Mostly.

“It became clear and I was told that I had hemorrhoids, so I took the medicine and continued my life.”

For Roger, it continued as chairman of the Gisborne Tapapouri Sport Fishing Club, running a 25-year co-owned (and 43-year worked) carpet-court business, and lots of fishing, football, and more recently. It meant spending time with his first grandson.

However, by November 2019, his blood had become more apparent and, with insults to injuries, he was occasionally experiencing an “accident.”

“I returned to the doctor and had another test for prostate cancer, but this time I recommended having a colonoscopy.

“So a few weeks later I headed to Gisborne Hospital for that, and when I met the surgeon told me I had a stage 3 bowel cancer.

“I knew something was wrong, but I still felt as good as gold. I didn’t know what would come.

“I soon realized I had coffee with my doctor’s friend before the surgery.

“He feels good now, but soon we’ll make you feel absolutely crap,” he said.

“And they did.”

At the end of January, Roger went to Waikato Hospital for five days of radiation therapy and two weeks later returned to surgery to remove a 30 cm intestine. Create a stoma (to release waste and allow healing); lymph nodes are removed for further examination.

After that, everything didn’t work.

“A few days later, I was terribly painful and vomiting a lot of gastric juice, so I was rushed back to surgery to remove the 4 liters of gastric acid that had leaked into the organs around me. ..

“The surgeon was then told that I wouldn’t be alive and out of there, so it was a wake-up call.”

Roger’s five-year partner, Penny Purdeau, said it was the only time she saw her scaring him.

“Before he returned to surgery, we didn’t really know he could die, but we knew something was really, really wrong.”

There are many more.

Roger was asked if he wanted to receive chemotherapy because one lymph node tested positive for cancer (making him more than 80% likely to survive for years to come).

Make the most of his remaining life

He chose chemotherapy that started in late February and underwent Covid-19 lockdown.

“I was lucky to be able to escape some side effects like nausea, and I haven’t lost much hair, but it sure does a rough ride that is completely tired and tired of you. is.

“I understand why some people give up. It’s brutal. But I think it’s an investment in the rest of my life, and I want to work hard to figure it out.”

Being a non-smoker who had a healthy and healthy diet, he was unaware of other common symptoms such as changes in bowel habits, abdominal pain and lumps, and tiredness, in addition to blood stains Weight loss or anemia.

He loses a little weight, but after slowly dropping from his usual 88kg to just 70kg, he is slowly training.

The decisions he makes today are aimed at helping him make the most of his life.

“Penny was there to support me, it was great, and now I’m selling my business so that I can focus on this stage and the future of my life.”

He wants to spend more time with his two adult sons and his now two grandchildren.

He wants a long and relaxing trip on his boat.

He wants to go fishing play soccer. Return to Tennis Court

Perhaps ironically, Roger is 60 years old this year. It’s available to people aged 60 to 74 and is the age of passing the exams for a very simple, free national bowel screening program.

A test kit will be mailed to you to detect the small amount of blood in your stool sample. It’s simple, fast, and easy to do.

Persons with symptoms should see a doctor immediately.

• See also This story Intestinal screening test.

Cancer Advice: Bowel cancer survivor Roger Faber says he hates talking about bowel cancer, but says “anytime, anywhere, especially to men.”