Highland mum fronts bowel cancer awareness-raiser after devastating diagnosis at the age of 36
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A HIGHLAND mum found to be suffering from bowel cancer at the age of 36 after struggling for months to get a diagnosis has embarked on an awareness-raising mission she hopes could save lives.
Rowan Muir, who is from Achiltibuie in Wester Ross, has embarked on a 12-week-long challenge – including walking, cycling and learning Gaelic – to raise money for Bowel Cancer UK.
She took it on just two months after her own successful treatment for the disease in Edinburgh, where she now lives with her family.
"Statistically it’s unlikely that a younger person will get this disease, but no one knows your body like you do – if you think something doesn’t make sense, then keep pushing for answers.” - Rowan Muir
Because she was just 36 years old, the mother of two young daughters – Morven (3) and Mhairi (1) – says she struggled to get a diagnosis due to her age.
She now hopes to raise awareness of the symptoms of bowel cancer, especially among younger people.
When the fit and active non-smoker started experiencing possible bowel cancer symptoms, her doctors looked for a different explanation, testing for irritable bowel syndrome. But she was convinced something wasn’t right.
She said: “I experienced increasingly significant symptoms for five months before I was diagnosed with bowel cancer, and I had to keep going back to my doctors until I was finally given an urgent referral for a colonoscopy. I remember trying desperately not to listen to news reports about Dame Deborah James [who died last year after being diagnosed with incurable bowel cancer], because it was sounding all too familiar.
“My baby daughter was just six months old when I had my diagnosis. That time should be so precious and instead our world was exploded with this news.
"But because I pushed for a colonoscopy and got an early diagnosis, my cancer was treatable and I’ve had the amazing news that it hasn’t spread. I want to encourage other young folk to get themselves checked out if they have any symptoms.
"Statistically it’s unlikely that a younger person will get this disease, but no one knows your body like you do – if you think something doesn’t make sense, then keep pushing for answers.”
While bowel cancer is more common in people over 50, it can affect people of all ages. Every year more than 2600 people under 50 are diagnosed with the disease in the UK, and this number is increasing.
Despite this, awareness remains low that it can affect younger people. That’s why Bowel Cancer UK launched its Never Too Young campaign in 2013 after increasingly hearing from younger bowel cancer patients that they were being diagnosed late, having been told they were too young to have the disease.
Fortunately, Rowan is now well on the road to recovery, and while at times nervous about the small chance of recurrence, enjoying time with her husband and two young daughters. She is now in the final few weeks of her 12-week challenge, which includes:
- Walking or cycling a total of 600km over the duration of the challenge
- Learning a tune a week on the low whistle
- Doing 10 press-up by the end of the challenge
- Doing Gaelic Duolingo lessons every day
- Taking her husband and daughters on a new mini-adventure every week
Luke Squires, director of fundraising for Bowel Cancer UK, said: “We’re very proud of Rowan for her incredible fundraising and for speaking so openly about her diagnosis and treatment to raise awareness of bowel cancer – Scotland’s fourth most common cancer.
“Whatever your age, if you’re experiencing red flag symptoms of bowel cancer like changes in bowel habit, bleeding from your bottom and blood in your poo, please contact your GP. They will want to see you and may ask you to do a Faecal Immunochemical Test, known as FIT, at home. It's very easy to do and will help your GP to decide whether your symptoms need further investigation.”
To follow Rowan’s challenge progress and to make a donation, visit her JustGiving page: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Rowan-Muir1
To find out more about the symptoms of bowel cancer, visit: https://www.bowelcanceruk.org.uk/about-bowel-cancer/symptoms/
Want to know more?
About Bowel Cancer UK
Bowel Cancer UK is the UK’s leading bowel cancer charity. It states: "We’re determined to save lives and improve the quality of life of everyone affected by bowel cancer. We support and fund targeted research, provide expert information and support to patients and their families, educate the public and professionals about the disease and campaign for early diagnosis and access to best treatment and care."
For more information visit bowelcanceruk.org.uk
About bowel cancer
Bowel cancer is the fourth most common cancer in the UK and the second biggest cancer killer, affecting both men and women. Every 15 minutes someone is diagnosed with bowel cancer. That’s nearly 43,000 people every year, nearly 120 people every day.
Bowel cancer is treatable and curable especially if diagnosed early. Nearly everyone survives bowel cancer if diagnosed at the earliest stage. However this drops significantly as the disease develops. Early diagnosis really does save lives.
Symptoms
The symptoms of bowel cancer can include:
Bleeding from your bottom and/or blood in your poo
A persistent and unexplained change in bowel habit
Unexplained weight loss
Extreme tiredness for no obvious reason
A pain or lump in your tummy
Most people with these symptoms don’t have bowel cancer. Other health problems can cause similar symptoms. If you have one or more of these, or if things just don’t feel right, see your GP.
