Your DIY lifesaver
THIS IS LUCKY TIM. HE DELAYED TAKING HIS BOWEL CANCER HOME TEST BUT LIVED TO TELL THE TALE
Tim Paget was one of those guys – the ones who put things off. He only did his at-home bowel cancer screening test when his daughter prompted him. The farmer’s positive result revealed he had polyps, but lucky for him they were identified before they turned cancerous. If detected early, 90 per cent of bowel cancer cases can be successfully treated.
Here Paget shares his story which illustrates why everyone should do the test when they receive it – it could prove a lifesaver.
Why didn’t you do your test when it first arrived?
I was busy, so I left it for a few weeks. I was watching television one day and saw an ad come on about the same test. My daughter was sitting on the couch with me, so I asked her whether the test would pick up any problems and she told me that it would tell me if there was anything that needed to be followed up, so I got onto it.
When you received the positive result, was it a shock?
The previous bowel tests had come back all clear, so when I got sent another test in 2020, I figured I would get the same outcome. I was told by my doctor that while my first sample in the kit that I returned was fine, my second sample tested positive for blood. He told me that blood could be an indicator of something more sinister, like bowel cancer, and I needed to get it checked out just to be on the safe side. He organised a referral to get a colonoscopy with a specialist in the next town over.
Did you have any symptoms or risk factors for bowel cancer?
I didn’t have any symptoms and felt healthy and well, that’s why it was such a shock. You never really know what’s going on inside you; I had no symptoms, and everything felt all right so I would never have noticed anything was wrong. It’s scary to think what would have happened if I didn’t do the test. After speaking with my doctor about bowel cancer, I learned that I had some risk factors, like drinking alcohol and putting on a few kilos over the years. I also didn’t realise bowel cancer was so common in the over 50s.
What happened next?
I was booked in for a follow-up colonoscopy a couple of months later. It was scary, as I didn’t know what the outcome was going to be. The morning of the colonoscopy was particularly nerve-racking, but fortunately it all went pretty well. When I woke up, the specialist told me that they found a few polyps that they had to remove, but no cancer. It was a huge relief.
Your polyps were pre-cancerous – what would have happened if they had turned cancerous?
I was told that most bowel cancers start off as polyps, so who knows what would have happened if I had left them unchecked.
What was your recovery like? How long did it take?
Recovery after the colonoscopy was straightforward, and I was back to work after a day or two with no issues.
What’s your advice for others?
I’m in my 60s and at my age, health becomes really important. I still run the family farm in Kingston and do a lot of contract work, so my income relies on me being fit and healthy. I have diabetes so I am trying to look after myself as best I can, and doing the test was another way for me to do that. My message to everyone, especially men my age, is to do the test. It’s easy to do, it doesn’t cost you anything and it gives you peace of mind. Why wouldn’t you do it?
Cancer Council and the
Department of Health are urging Australians aged 50–74 to Get2it and participate in the
National Bowel Cancer
Screening Program. Details: cancer.org.au/bowelscreening