#auguts hard to talk about
I had grown up with the belief that you weren’t supposed to talk about how you go to the toilet, especially as I was a girl. It took me 18 months to gain the courage to tell a GP that something wasn’t right. I was diagnosed with aggressive colorectal cancer and given life-saving surgery six months later. Society’s attitudes to girls and poo must change, it’s risking lives.
You could help our researchers make the breakthroughs that leads to life-saving and life-changing treatments.
Donate nowGut health is unique to you, so hear from experts, people with lived experience and the community to find out ways they manage their gut health. Scientists believe that, from birth, the gut microbiome is linked to virtually every aspect of our health. There is still much more to discover but take your first step here.
I am 71 years old. Diagnosed with Stage 3 rectal adenoma in March 2022. I had chemoradiotherapy and Contact Radiotherapy (Papillon treatment) as due to a rare neurological disorder, which compromises my daily living activities, I did not feel I would cope well with the proposed surgery and permanent stoma.
I had been ignoring an intermittent pain/ache in my left-hand side for over a year. The pain became more permanent and I started to notice my bowel habits change. I was a one time a day in the morning regular as clockwork for all my life. It then went up to 3 times and urgent and painful.
My bowel stopped working due to diverticulitis which caused a stricture. My caecum ballooned and this was removed together with 2/3 rds of the colon & a colostomy bag attached for 6 months. This was reversed after 6 months at St Thomas’s Hospital 6 years ago.
Join the #auguts campaign by sharing your own recipes, tips and stories via video or the written word!
Your video or written story will appear on our website and be shared on our social media channels. Please include your social media handles if you feel comfortable with us tagging you when we share your story. Submissions may be edited slightly, for example by adding captions or putting several videos together, or adding our logo.
Take a look at this guide for some tips on filming video on your phone. If you have any questions, email hello@bowelresearchuk.org
By completing this form you are agreeing to enter our newsletter database to receive additional email updates from Bowel Research UK about research, patient information and fundraising. Access our privacy policy at the bottom of the page.
Welcome to our #auguts campaign. This year we are focussing on the MicrobioME because gut health is unique to you. Discover our recipes, share your tips and get comfortable with the uncomfortable.
Watch the video