A woman from Stevenage who lost her husband to bowel cancer has committed to a swimming fundraising challenge.
Debbie Wylie will be swimming 40km in August in memory of her husband, Chris, to raise money for Bowel Cancer UK.
Chris was diagnosed with Stage 4 bowel cancer aged only 53 and died shortly after his 55th birthday.
Four years after his death Debbie, 57, is taking part in Bowel Cancer UK’s annual Swim15 challenge to help raise awareness of bowel cancer and its symptoms.
Bowel cancer is the fourth most common type in the UK, with one person diagnosed every 12 minutes.
Debbie said: “Before Chris’ diagnosis, he had generally been feeling a bit under the weather for a couple of months, but he had no specific bowel cancer symptoms.
"He went to the GP who sent him for some blood tests in November 2018, and they all came back fine.”
The couple were on holiday in Costa Rica in December 2018 when Chris mentioned he had found a lump on his side.
“I initially didn’t think it was anything,” Debbie remembered. “But when we got back home, he went to a locum GP, who was brilliant and instantly realised that this was serious.”
Chris was referred for urgent investigations and doctors discovered the lump in his side was secondary cancer of the liver.
A follow up colonoscopy found primary cancer in his bowel. The cancer was too advanced for surgery, so he was put on palliative care including chemotherapy to manage his cancer.
Debbie said that the first round of chemotherapy went well, and Chris’ cancer shrank. The couple made the most of their time together and went on holidays to Spain and Mauritius.
But then it became less effective, and a new round led to worse side effects as they faced the Covid-19 pandemic too.
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Chris was admitted to hospital in September 2020, the day before his 55th birthday - and spent six weeks there.
Debbie said: “Chris came home for his final couple of weeks but he sadly passed away on 30 October 2020. Although it was very difficult seeing him suffering throughout his illness, we both managed to make the most of the time he had left.”
In August, Debbie will be pushing herself to swim 40km for Bowel Cancer UK’s Swim 15 fundraising event.
“I’ve decided to take part in Swim15 because I want to raise money for Bowel Cancer UK. I also want to make more people aware of the signs and symptoms of the disease so they know when they should go to their GP.
“Early diagnosis is so important because bowel cancer can be cured if detected at an early stage.”
Bowel Cancer UK’s Swim15 asks people to get sponsored to complete either 15km throughout the month or choose their own challenge.
The funds raised will help stop people dying of bowel cancer by raising awareness of the disease, and funding vital services and lifesaving research.
Luke Squires, Bowel Cancer UK's director of fundraising, said: “Someone is diagnosed with bowel cancer every 12 minutes in the UK, but it’s treatable and curable if diagnosed early.
“The funds raised by our Swim15 challenge will help us continue to save lives and improve the quality of life of everyone affected by the disease.
"We are so grateful to Debbie for taking part in Swim15 and really inspired by her for speaking so openly about Chris’ diagnosis and treatment.
“Dive into action this August and join us in helping to create a future where nobody dies of bowel cancer.”
You can donate in support of Debbie's efforts here: https://fundraise.bowelcanceruk.org.uk/fundraisers/debbiewylie/swim-15
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