Through June I want to raise awareness of the importance of getting screened and to share with you my personal reason for feeling so strongly about bowel cancer awareness. It is not embarrassing or something that you need to shrug off. It is something that you need to get checked if your bowel movements arent normal. Here is why.
Hi! My name is Talya Goding and bowel cancer is something that affects me and my family deeply. Looking back there were signs but they were ignored due to it being embarrassing. But if it had been taken seriously I would probably still have a dad here with me.
Both my dad and myself have a condition that is really rare and it is called Familial Adenomatous Polyposis or known as F.A.P for short. This is a rare form of bowel cancer that is only attibutes to 1% of total bowel cancers. It is a inherited condition which if left untreated the polyps will turn into cancer.
But the signs had been there my whole life and just thought it was normal.
I was officially diagnosed in 2010 at age 19 by blood test and colonoscopy. My dad was diagnosed in 2010 a week after my wedding in July.
I noticed a change of my bowel habits when I was 15 and went and saw numerous doctors who told me my change in bowel habits was normal and nothing worth looking into. I also had numerous subaceous cysts and fibroma's removed from when I was 9. Which unknown to me or my family or my doctors is a tell tale sign along with a freckle in the eye.
In 2006, when I was 15 and in year 10 my bowel movements changed when I was menstruating each month to having horrid diarrhea. Which in 2009 had changed to losing more blood through my bowel then the 'normal' way each month. Again was dismissed by doctors and told it was normal. In 2009 also saw a constant change from normal movements to diarrhea and since then I had never had a normal bowel movement since.
In 2009 I was diagnosed with severe anemia as I was losing a lot of blood through my stools but was told it wasn't an urgent case and as I was only 19 and no KNOWN history of bowel cancer in my family so I went on a 12 month waiting list to see a specialist.
Then in 2010 I knew my dad was having issues with bowel movements and had even expressed this to my doctors that there might have been something going on. I got married in July 2010 and on my wedding day had noticed my dad had dropped a lot of weight in the 2 weeks since I last saw him and knew he was sick. He wouldnt talk about it that day and kept saying I will tell you when the time is right.
A week later I was called along with my family to a family meeting where my dad confirmed his diagnosis with terminal bowel cancer and that it was a inherited form.
The next day I went back to my doctors with this news of my dads case and I was bumped up the waiting lists and began consulting with genetic counsellors, bowel surgeons and more specialists.
It was confirmed a week later that I did in fact carry the FAP gene and was booked in for a colonoscopy the following week.
Polyps were found during the scope and was told I needed to have 6 monthly scopes to monitor.
In October 2012 I had adenoma's removed from my ovaries, endometriosis removed and had a scope which confirmed polyps were turning into cancer. Also confirmed that polyps were growing in my bowel, rectum, stomach, duodenum and GI tract.
In a week I will be having my entire colon and rectum removed with a permanent ileostomy to prevent the cancer from forming and spreading.
So if there are changes in your bowel it is not something to just shrug off. No matter your age get tested or screened. You aren't only saving yourself but also your family from the heart ache of losing a loved one.
My name is Talya, 22 and bowel cancer has hurt my family deeply leaving behind children now without a father, a partner without her love, parents without a son, siblings without their baby brother.
This is my dad with my younger siblings on my wedding day in 2010. My dad was 39 here in this picture. 2 short years later he lost his battle at age 41.
He is dearly missed everyday by those who loved him greatly. We have our memories and know he is always in our hearts.
This image was taken on Dad's birthday the day before he passed and was the last photo we have with him. Here are Dad's children (both biological and step along with our partners). As you can see he was surrounded by loved ones and we all loved him deeply.
Please take the time this month and help raise awareness for bowel cancer.
I will be having a fundraiser through my business page as a market night in June (details to follow) but have also started a fundraising page here!.
Thank you for reading this today and together lets raise awareness of this horrid disease.
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