Greg Brooks did the right thing when his ‘poo test’ kit arrived in the mail on his 50th birthday, but then he missed the next two.
The Strathmerton dairy farmer, husband and father-of-four missed tests at 52 and 54 before noticing some blood in his faeces after going to the toilet.
“I just noticed blood basically in the stool, and then pretty quickly made an appointment with the local doctor, and he said it could be that (bowel cancer), could be haemorrhoids or something like that,” he said.
“Then he quickly made an appointment to get the colonoscopy.”
Further tests proved he did have bowel cancer, and he quickly found himself in a routine of chemotherapy, surgery to remove the tumour and more chemotherapy.
“I’m one of those people, you reflect on what’s just happened, but I hate reflecting on, ‘oh, I stuffed that up’. Okay, I know that’s it. We can finish that discussion and now what’s the pathway forward,” he said.
“You do think of the worst-case scenario, that’s for sure, but I guess it wouldn’t play on your mind for a long time. Life’s busy, four kids and farm life.
“Life’s busy, so I probably didn’t pause too much and get too down, just jump the bridges as they come, I guess, was probably me.”
One of the bridges he’s still crossing is the recovery. While Mr Brooks is able to work, there are a few inconveniences he’s still dealing with.
“Still getting the system to work again, the ‘non-return valve’ because I actually went and saw a lady that does pelvic floor stuff just to help with that, but I’ve been pretty good,” he said.
“You eat normally, so it’s more there’s just times when you feel like you need to go to the bathroom and just working on control and things like that. I’m actually wearing a man nappy at the moment, so that sort of thing.
“Touch wood, I’m improving.”
Mr Brooks also encouraged families to normalise discussions around health issues to encourage action and an understanding of the importance of taking care of their health.
He also said it had been important to accept the help of family, friends and neighbours when offered.
Mr Brooks will make an appearance at the Biggest Ever Blokes Lunch in Shepparton on Friday, October 13 to share with men and their loved ones the advice of not to let ‘life’ get in the way of saving theirs because, despite the diagnosis and the surgery, he feels lucky, considering the tests he missed and the one he eventually did take.
“I feel like I might have dodged a bullet because of that test,” he said.
“I tell people, ‘Don’t do what I did’ because you mightn’t be in this position.
“I was feeling good. I was in good health. There was no other issue.”