"After two years of ill health, I was diagnosed with colon cancer"
"I was in shock. I also felt angry and stressed because I had suffered symptoms for almost two years before an accurate diagnosis was made. Naturally I felt scared of the unknown but didn’t want the people around me to worry unduly so I played the seriousness of it down for as long as I could."
"There is no doubt in my mind that the way I was told I had cancer by the colorectal specialist nurse, Barbara, was paramount to my acceptance of it. She was at my bedside, and she found the right words."
"The whole team was brilliant. They combined dignity with professionalism and gentle humour. I never felt rushed or brushed aside and, as a result, what I was experiencing was so much easier to handle."
"I think it’s essential that those who deliver care receive good quality feedback, irrespective of their position. I believe they want to know what we have to say. Our society is encouraged to complain; that’s easy to do and it’s not always justified. In my view it’s even more vital that staff know what part they played in our healing."
"I wanted to let them know what they did for me, and to encourage them to keep caring for others in the same way"
Beating Bowel Cancer
Brian supports Beating Bowel Cancer, the UK charity dedicated to beating bowel cancer and supporting people and their families through their cancer journey.
Beating Bowel Cancer are encouraging people to share their stories with Care Opinion, and they are reading every story that we publish to help understand how people are supported and treated by the NHS.
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