Thread: Bowel Cancer

So my mate rings me from Perth yesterday and tells me he was diagnosed with Bowel cancer on the 22 January.

Same age as me, 57 and same Job. He started his career at 21 so has 36 years up as a professional Firefighter, on Workers Comp now and very unlikely to go back to front line Fire Defense.

A 6.5 cm malignant tumor found 3cm inside his arse.

Recons he's definitely not Gay, the things the medical staff have placed in his arse just don't feel right.

Anyway, they have placed a port in his chest and have been filling him up with Chemo and treating the tumor with radio therapy for six weeks to try and shrink it.

Next month he goes into Hospital for a major operation to cut the cancer out. Could need to use a Colostomy bag if things don't go well. 2 weeks at the very least in hospital the Doc says.

The Government passed a law 2 years ago covering certain cancers in Fire fighters under occupational risk.

His cancer is fully covered with all medical costs met, wages payed and more than likely a financial pay out.

He also has 1100 hours sick leave to fall back on.

Thing is, he may never get to use that, this cancer can kill him.

Fukin hell EH.

So glad I walked 18 months ago, never know EH. ??????

Good thing is Retired Firefighters with 15 years service or over are also covered under the Government act.

Nice for me to know that.

Hang in there Speedy my friend.

Terry, sorry to hear about your mate and I'm sure all members hear wish him the best in a fast recovery.

Sorry about your news. Hard one to get your head around. Just asking Terry, you got any statistics on the number of years people in your occupation live after retirement?

I looked at mine one day and it said 7 years average 9 if lucky. Insurance companies keep close track on their payouts verses pay backs. I retired way early as a combination of those results and knowing I didn't want to die from stress...get out early boys if you can...

Hope your mate recovers fully Terry.

Hope the best for your friend, terry.

If anyone reading this has any family members who have had bowel cancer, you need to have a colonoscopy soon.

Bowel cancer is probably the most preventable cancer....it takes up to 10 years for bowel polyps to develop into cancer.
Unfortunately many people did not know this until the death of Bewitched star Elizabeth Montgomery catapulted it into the news.

Elizabeth Montgomery - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

That sucks. I am sorry for him. We talk a lot of shit here on TD but I wish the best for all of us.

Originally Posted by ltnt

You got any statistics on the number of years people in your occupation live after retirement?

There are stats but I don't know what they are .

What I do know though is there was a shit load of guys getting cancers of all different sorts before I retired. Young and older guys.

They actually closed one Station down last year and moved the boys out because abnormal amounts of personal from that station were falling sick with Cancer.

My Mum died at 62 so I'm not pissing around.

I don't worry about it but I'm well aware the gig could be over any time.

When I retired some guys said to me, Hey just stay another 5 years and pick up an easy 700 K. That's wages and extra Super by the way.

I told them that they could jam that 700 K up their arse.

Simply cannot buy ones life back and by fuk the time is the flying already.

Some of these guys will be the richest fukers in the Cemetery if they keep on working.

My mate is certainly shitting bricks. If he pulls through his whole out look will change, I can assure you of that.

He was only hanging in there for the Extra Dollars.

If they've caught it quick enough he should be ok. Hope so and best for him Terry.

Originally Posted by terry57

There are stats but I don't know what they are .

A combined population of 30,000 firefighters from three large cities had higher rates of several types of cancers, and of all cancers combined, than the U.S. population as a whole, researchers from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and colleagues found in a new study.
The new findings are generally consistent with the results of several previous, smaller studies. Because the new study had a larger study population followed for a longer period of time, the results strengthen the scientific evidence for a relation between firefighting and cancer, the researchers said.
The findings were reported in an article posted on-line on Oct. 14, 2013, by the peer-reviewed journal Occupational and Environmental Medicine. The article is available online at Sign In .
The researchers found that:

• Cancers of the respiratory, digestive, and urinary systems accounted mostly for the higher rates of cancer seen in the study population. The higher rates suggest that firefighters are more likely to develop those cancers.
• The population of firefighters in the study had a rate of mesothelioma two times greater than the rate in the U.S. population as a whole. This was the first study ever to identify an excess of mesothelioma in U.S. firefighters. The researchers said it was likely that the findings were associated with exposure to asbestos, a known cause of mesothelioma.

The study analyzed cancers and cancer deaths through 2009 among 29,993 firefighters from the Chicago, Philadelphia, and San Francisco fire departments who were employed since 1950. The study was led by NIOSH in collaboration with the National Cancer Institute and the Department of Public Health Sciences in the University of California at Davis. The study was supported in part by funding from the U.S. Fire Administration

CDC - NIOSH Update - NIOSH Study of Firefighters Finds Increased Rates of Cancer

Does he drink and smoke?
Ganja?

Terry,

I hope the best for your friend.

And as we know, this could and may happen to some of us here.

Bowel cancer is one of the more survivable, and I wish your mate the very best- and to keep his mojo going, this can be beat. It wasn't so long ago I stood by, helpless, as a local mate of mine wasted and died from an inoperable oesophagal cancer. The best I can say is that it didn't take that long, from diagnosis to the end. But this can be beat, and all of his mates should help him keep his chin up.

All the best to your mate Terry

I,m also with you on the getting out bit ,, although I haven't gone yet realistically I only work part time now with the amount of hols I have .

Hang in there busy if your reading this

Interesting stats Norton. Think if I were a fireman I'd get regular check ups for sure after reading that.

Sorry to hear about your friend, Terry. It really knocks the wind out of you when you hear news like that. Hopefully, he will have success with his treatment and get on with his life.


Just last week I learned a friend of mine his stage 4 lung cancer. He's a lifelong kretek smoker in his early 80's. I wish for him a better ending than struggling with pain from cancer.

I had a colonoscopy a few years back, polyps found, removed, biopsied.
Result was non-cancerous (benign) tumours.

Since then no complaints or symptoms.

No family history of bowel cancer either, so technically in the clear.

It can often be an inherited or a family environment caused condition, ie. diet, lifestyle choices.

Vits B3 and C have been proven to be highly effective in treating bowel (and other) cancer, and a highly active lifestyle also reduces the risk of developing such.

Some references:

Vit BC and C
Vitamin B3, fiber 'protects against colon cancer and inflammation' Medical News Today

Active life style
Men who kept highly fit in midlife reduced their cancer death risks in older life Medical News Today

Survival rates for colo-rectal cancer, 60%
Two out of 3 people with invasive cancer are surviving 5 years or more Medical News Today

Originally Posted by Latindancer

That was a very large tumor. It may well have spread outside the bowel wall....and that's serious.

Well, I don't know shit about sizes of Tumors but 6.5 cm sounds a tad large to me.

He told me about this port they banged in his chest. He tells me they had it injecting Chemo for 24 hours per day for six weeks as well as receiving Radio therapy. ???

Does that sound right. ?

What-Ever, He aint feeling to flash, that's for sure, Chemo is a killer in its self.

He has lost 4 KG already which ain't to bad considering. I'll be lookin at him in 4 weeks, He was not a big guy so I expect he will look shit.

Long way to go though, he has to get through this Operation and get phyced up to wearing a fukin Bag.

Jesus, that sounds like Fun EH.

Best wishes for your friend.

A fact of life is that longevity is mostly down to luck and picking your parents well.

This is my mate. In two weeks time he was due to head off up to Coral Bay for our Annual fishing trip. He now getting ready to be torn a new arsehole.

Originally Posted by VocalNeal

A fact of life is that longevity is mostly down to luck and picking your parents well.

Yes, well I won't tell him that one.

His father was a career Fire Officer, had a heart attack on the Job and died at age 56.

His brother is also a career Firefighter with 37 years up.

His wife and Kids will be shit scared for him.

Before this incident I think he only even had a cut finger.

There ya go EH.

Truly, everyday is a blessing on Earth.

Too bad many only realized it when it's time to go.

Once he survives this scare with or w/o certain body parts he assuredly is going to have a much different outlook on how precious life really is.

The question is not so much the size of the tumour if it's encapsulated - it's whether it is a Metastatic cancer that has spread from its origin to other body parts.
Cancers are grouped 1 through 4...a 1 being better than 2 and so on.

Prognosis of cancer of the bowel /colon at the lower number provides better outcomes.
So I'm praying that he's lucky with that lottery.

All cancers are scary as hell (some more than others). Positive vibes of all his mates will help him through the tougher periods.
Attitude is everything. Wish him the best from Coffee too.

I posted this on the Cancer Sucks topic but I will post it again here for anyone who didnt see it.

I was diagnosed (in Thailand) with colo-rectal cancer in 2008 and after many tests and a lot of research on our part met with a Dr (surgeon) who was said to be a specialist. Asked him all the questions we had gleaned from our research and wasnt satisfied with his answers so looked around and found on the internet the CV's of several Dr's who were said to be the top in the specialty.

The No1 wasnt available so we contacted and met with one who was said to be the number 2 in the country at a private hospital in BKK and he told us he no longer operated due to his age and he introduced us to another surgeon who he recommended. He gave all the right answers and told us he was a military surgeon and could do the job either at the private hospital where we had met him or Pramonkutklau military hospital in BKK where he was based, the military option would be about half the price, we chose it.

Treatment started off with oral chemo and radiation to shrink the tumor which was diagnosed as advanced stage 2 or early stage 3 followed by an OP to remove the tumor and several lymph glands.
This was followed up with more chemo first by an injection that really knocked me back as it did the wallet as it cost 60.000b for one go. I said no more and went on an oral chemo which was much milder on the system.

After the OP I had a colostomy bag attached to the end of the small intestine to allow the repair of the colon and shortened rectum to heal, this for 3 months after which time it was removed by another small OP and the small intestine connecter back to the colon.
At this point I gave myself a problem by eating to much and ended up with a twisted bowel (small intestine) something I had heard makes you talk shit but is no joking matter.
Wont go into the treatment for that at this point but it was eventually sorted and now 7 years later after traveling to several countries and around Thailand I am feeling great, fit and healthy and keen to get out into the national parks and forests.

With your friends tumor being so large and so close to the outside it is likely he will have a permanent bag which isnt nearly as bad as being dead.

There are two types one which stays on and is emptied and the other which is removed and emptied or replaced. Both are on a plate that is glued on to the skin that has to be replaced every few days as the glue deteriorates.

It is something that is survivable as I have proved.

All the best to him and tell him to stick with it, no giving up.