A lucky outcome

Thank you, Karen Middleton, for your article about undergoing bowel surgery for a neuroendocrine tumour (“When the phone rings”, March 26–April 1). Karen writes that her doctor said she should buy a Scratchie for her luck. I joke I need to buy a Scratchie for “winning” the genetic lottery of having not one but two parents diagnosed with bowel cancer. My prize is a colonoscopy every two to five years for the rest of my life. I’m very glad Karen is on the mend and grateful she took the step to talk publicly. The more we normalise the conversation about bowel cancer, hopefully the more people know the signs and get checked early. We have the technology, there is no reason for people to literally die of embarrassment.

– Meagan Kopatz, Kaleen, ACT