100% of donations to Bowel Research UK - I am paying all costs.

I've signed up for this challenge to mark my cancer anniversary (who knew that was a thing?!) with something positive and to raise funds for a charity which has helped to save my life and also allow that life to be normal, even without a bowel. Walking lots of miles a day and eating Indian food may test exactly how 'normal' my body is though!

I was diagnosed with bowel cancer at 1am on Friday 13th March 2020. I had been feeling ill for months and had various tests before being sent to hospital by my GP for an urgent scan. The scan showed a pineapple sized cancerous tumour which had attached to various organs then perforated, causing sepsis. I had emergency surgery on 15th March (4 years to the day before the start of this trek) to remove a large cancerous tumour, my colon and my omentum. I had a stoma bag fitted and as I was recovering in hospital, covid started to change life outside. Visiting got more and more restricted, my youngest wasnt allowed to see me, which was particularly hard on Mother's Day, but I came out of hospital on 24th March, the day after lockdown started.

I was told the cancer had not spread to my lympth nodes but, as the tumour had perforated, I started chemotherapy in the June as a precaution.

I had my stoma bag reversed on 19th March 2022. I have had 2 lots of major surgery and chemo but recovered well and have learnt to live bowel-free.

This trip is from 15th to 26th March 2024, 4 years after my initial surgery and 2 years after my second. Once I get to the Himalayas and start the trek, I will be walking 15 - 20km a day, some at high altitude. Nights will either be camping or in basic lodges and some of the trek will be remote, where we are unlikey to see other tourists or walkers. The difficulty level is ranked as Challenging.

So why am I doing it?

My surgeon for both operations and an amazing consultant over the last 4 years, Dr Jim Tiernan, is a patron of Bowel Research UK. I am hugely aware how incredibly lucky I am to be alive and well. This is a way of raising funds and awareness. I have felt very emotional at various milestones since (seeing my children finishing primary school / starting secondary school and attending school prom, taking them on holiday) and I know I would have completely taken these for granted pre-cancer. Dame Deborah James, who sadly lost her life to bowel cancer in 2022, was an inspiration to so many and did an unbelievable job of raising awareness for bowel cancer. I could so easily have died from it too and I feel a responsibility to do my bit.

Thank you for getting to the end of this post and for any sponsorship you give. All donations are greatly appreciated and will help save more lives.

Finally, a reminder of Dame Deborah's mantra - check your poo!!