'A colonoscopy found five polyps in my colon'
Gerard White's bowel cancer was caught early, which minimised his treatment. Picture: Gareth Chaney.
Gerard White, a 71-year-old retired legal and compliance manager from Dublin, is a passionate advocate for the BowelScreen programme. This is because it probably saved his life.
He and his wife, Fionnuala, were first invited to participate in the programme when they turned 60. “We got a letter in the post, agreed to take part and were sent the test,” he says.
He didn’t find it difficult to do. Nor was he squeamish about it. “All you do is do a poo and open a canister that has a stick attached to it, insert the stick into the poo and put it back into the canister and send it off for analysis,” he says.
“The kit has very detailed instructions and graphics. It’s foolproof, really.”
He and his wife did that every two years and received negative results each time.
“That changed in July 2021 when I received a letter telling me that blood had been found in my sample,” says White.
“I was invited to a colonoscopy, which found five polyps in my colon, one of which was cancerous.”
Things moved quickly from there. Within a matter of weeks, he was in hospital having surgery to remove the affected section of his colon.
“And that was that,” he says. “Because the cancer was found early, it was localised and hadn’t travelled or spread. I was spared the need for any further treatment.”
Since that experience, he has followed a five-year care plan involving regular CT and MRI scans, blood tests and colonoscopies.
“Those healthcare checkups have found other issues such as atrial fibrillation and a cyst on my kidney, both of which I am now monitoring, but which I’d be unaware of were it not for the initial BowelScreen test,” says White.
The experience has made him value his health and prioritise it more. He started cycling with Cycling Ireland, and on the day he spoke to the , he had just completed a 15-kilometre cycle.
“It’s a great way to keep fit,” he says. He urges everyone who is invited to take part in the programme to participate. “Don’t put it in the bin or forget about it,” he says.
“It’s simple to do, costs nothing and could save your life.”
See: www.cancer.ie
- Changes in bowel habits — diarrhoea, runny bowel movements, constipation, needing to poo more or less often than usual.
- Blood in your poo, which may look red or black.
- Abdominal issues — cramps, general abdominal pain, bloating that doesn’t go away.
- Weight loss when you’re not trying to lose weight.
- Tiredness and lack of energy when you’ve had enough rest.
- Any unusual change you know isn’t right for you.
- If you experience one or more of these symptoms, you should make an appointment to see your GP.
- For information on bowel cancer screening and using home test kits, click here.
