Raising awareness for bowel cancer

30 Jun 2011 02:15p.m.

Glenys Crawshaw wrote:

I have been battling the health system in Whangarei now for about 4 years with symptoms of bowel cancer. No one would help me even although I saw 4 different Doctors and a Specialist. All my blood tests were perfect so I was told I had menopause and so live with it.Finally after a severe bleed I got to go on the waiting list for a colonoscopy. The waiting list was 11 months long and finally at the beginning of June 2011 I got the news. CANCER!
Now I am again on the waiting list for an operation and have just received a note to say I am booked in for the 1st August. Talk about torture. THIS HEALTH SYSTEM HERE SUCKS. My family is in uproar and our youngest daughter has just cancelled her wedding in October as I will not be well enough to enjoy it. I am so very angry and sad at the way I have been treated and mostly frustrated at not being able to talk to the "Process" as that is all I am told whenever I ask why this is all taking so long. So next time you wonder why so many of us die from this disease you will know it is because of an incompetent health system where they spend our money on overseas rorts for the admin people

29 Jun 2011 10:01p.m.

Jan Anderson wrote:

I am so glad people like Chris Doig speak out on this subject, which is long overdue for some major recognition. If we know about it, we can be aware of the symptoms, so can our medical professionals. My husband was refused a colonoscopy at Dunedin Hospital in 2007, age 47, because there was no family history and he was too young to have bowel cancer. He was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer in 2009 and died in 2010. The cost of a colonoscopy was nothing compared to the cost of surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy - false economy. People suffering the fallout from this disease will of course have a different opinion from those who have not.

29 Jun 2011 09:06a.m.

lyn wrote:

I have had a family history of bowel cancer and the public health system has provided for me two colonoscopies. The 1st i had a 3mth referal wait now I am on a recall and get seen once every 5 years.

26 Jun 2011 05:11p.m.

Kim davis wrote:

What an inspiration to us all! We love you and encourage you through this difficult battle. Battle on! Your fight and determination to save so many others is commendable! Love from the U.S. We willl help make this message go on to so many here as well

18 Jun 2011 10:20a.m.

Cliff Scown wrote:

Firstly. Change your water. Make sure it it doesn't come from where they have put 1080 or pesticides. A letter has been sent to all Reg Councils from a person who experieced all of the above after drinking water from a stream on their own farm. Only one bothered to reply.! MOH would not even give the date the 1080 drop was done.

10 Jun 2011 09:29a.m.

Donna wrote:

Last year I endured 3 months of acute explosive diarrhea with mind blowing abdominal cramps (I could no longer even go shopping), my gp refered me for a colonoscopy. I received a letter from the ADHB saying I was on a waiting list and should bee seen in approx 6 months. Two days ago I finally got my appointment for July. If my calculations are correct, thats a wait of almost 9 month's. We all hear the publicity telling us that the most common indicator of bowel cancer is a change in bowl habits and yet in the time it has taken them to arrange my test, If I have/had cancer, I could now be riddled with it!

10 Jun 2011 08:49a.m.

Stan Clark wrote:

Pleasing to see this subject is receiving more publicity. For supporting information on the topic, search on the internet, the NZ Herald story "A Deadly Unfashionable Disease". It would appear to me that when there are noticeable symptoms, for most people, a cure is not likely. Early detection is the key, usually when there are no symptoms, but when and how to start remains controversial.

10 Jun 2011 08:12a.m.

Janice Gibson wrote:

Chris Doig's experience is one side of the coin! Mine must be the experience of hundreds of New Zealanders. I knew something was wrong so I went to a GP on 8 February. She charged me $20 to write a referral to the Tauranga Hospital's Gastroenterology Department and on 2 March I received their latter saying they have prioritised this referral as Grade A. Further, they state, "We therefore expect to schedule your treatment within 6 months from the date of this letter". Mr Doig would have been dead by the time the public health system got round to giving him his colonoscopy! As my symptoms are worstening, I might be too!!

09 Jun 2011 09:41p.m.

Elizabeth Finn wrote:

Great item on bowel cancer and the value of colonoscopy. It is not just as simple as getting the procedure,even in the absence of symptoms, as as Christopher Doig seems to be encouraging us to do. Quite apart from the risks of the procedure itself,and the issue of false positives and false negatives, the big issue is the funding. I think the public need information about the cost, whether a colonoscopy can be covered by health insurance, and if so, what are the circumstances when health insurance will pay.

Keep up the good work John!