HEALTH & BEAUTY


Bowel Cancer Awareness


In memory of Simon Cooper (1964-2019)


When Sarah Cooper and her husband Simon went to Kempton Park races in Surrey last March with her mum and oldest son, she knew something wasn’t quite right with her husband.


Usually, he loved to have a flutter on the horses with a civilised pint in hand making the most of the hospitality. But that day, he couldn’t manage a mouthful to eat and drank water all day which was really out of character. Sarah’s gut-feeling was right – something was wrong. But even a betting person like Simon wouldn’t have predicted the odds of what was to happen.


Just nine months later, on Boxing


Day, Simon passed away from advanced bowel cancer aged 55. After seeing a past article about the Be Cancer SAFE initiative which looks to raise awareness of all types of cancer, Sarah contacted us to


bravely share Simon’s story with our readers in the hope that it saves or prolongs another person’s life. Often regarded as a cancer that generally affects older people, with nine out of ten people diagnosed aged over 60, many people under that age may overlook or dismiss any symptoms related to bowel cancer.


But over 2,400 people under 50 are diagnosed with the disease every year and, as with all cancers, the earlier the detection the easier it is to treat.


Sadly for Simon, his cancer was picked up too late and quickly advanced to stage four. But other than chronic constipation, which


‘‘ith nine out of ten people dianosed aed oer  many people under that ae may oerlook or dismiss any symptoms related to bowel cancer’’


he’d always suffered with and didn’t think was a change in bowel habit, Simon showed no other obvious symptoms.


He wasn’t obese or overweight but neither did he lose weight. He’d always led a very active lifestyle, loved fishing and was a


junior football coach which is how he met Sarah in 2008 when their sons played for the same team. Looking back, Sarah says Simon did begin complaining about feeling full or bloated in summer 2018, but they were on a cruise and put it down to over-indulgence on the all-inclusive. Similarly, he was often fatigued after work but brushed it off as his age – he wasn’t in his 20s anymore, after all.


One of his main health concerns was his bowel habits which Sarah says were never great but, being a typical bloke, Simon downplayed it as ‘that’s just how I am’. He worked on the railway and could be on six-weeks’ worth of night shifts which didn’t help maintain a regular toilet routine.


Desperate for a solution to his persistent constipation, he visited his GP and also sought private help through his Westfield Health plan. But every time he was told to try stool softeners or laxatives to stimulate bowel movements. It was even professionally recommended that a pint of beer would help get things moving.


Last March, Sarah went to Poland with her youngest son


12 aroundtownmagazine.co.uk


while Simon stayed at home due to work commitments.


“It was never like him to complain but he phoned me one night in agony with stomach cramps, bloating and constipation. I told him we’d get something for it when we got home. He was advised to take eight boxes on lactulose at the maximum dosage of three sachets a day.


“Nothing happened so we went to see his doctor who took his bloods and sent us home,” Sarah says.


The blood tests came back clear and, unsure as to what could be causing Simon’s issues, a colonoscopy was booked for further investigation. But his condition worsened that night. Sarah took him from their home in Swinton to Rotherham Hospital’s A&E department where a scan showed thickening of his bowel. Back at home and unable to rest, Sarah spent the night searching the internet for what that meant, scrolling through endless articles related to cancer. But still, she tried to stay positive and hope for the best.


The following week Simon returned to hospital for the


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