When Paul Kelly received a bowel cancer screening test in the post, he was preoccupied with his 60th birthday celebrations. He put the package in a drawer and thought he'd get back to it, but never did.
Two years later, he received a second routine test and immediately carried it out and sent it off, having realised what he'd done the first time around. Devastatingly, results showed the dad-of-two had stage three bowel cancer.
This Bowel Cancer Awareness Month, Paul, 64, who underwent surgery to remove his cancer, hopes to encourage others to never miss taking the potentially life-saving test after feeling like 'an idiot'.
"The test arrived on the day of my party and I just thought 'I'm gonna deal with that another time'," Paul, from Staffordshire, told The Mirror.
"I popped it in a drawer. I have a drawer for things like that. And of course, a week or two goes by and I forgot about it.
"If you don't act immediately, the temptation is to sort of put it away and the original test was three samples so it looked a bit complicated.
"I thought I'll get around to that when I get a minute but then you never really get a minute."
Two years later, after he turned 62, Paul received his second routine test through the post and couldn't believe that he had ignored the first.
He carried it out straight away and sent it off immediately.
"That was the moment when I thought, 'Heck, that's still in the drawer.'
"When I opened it up, I was really pleased to see how much simpler the new one was. A covid test is honestly more intrusive than that.
"But when I got an appointment through to go and have a chat with them and get a colonoscopy - that came as a shock."
Paul had no symptoms and was relatively fit and healthy.
However during his check-up, a polyp and a large cancerous tumour were detected and he was scheduled for surgery six weeks later.
"I felt like an idiot," Paul admitted. "I could have maybe detected this much sooner when it was easier to treat because the sooner you detect anything, the simpler the treatment can be
"I've also had a close friend who ignored symptoms.
"He started getting symptoms before he reached 60 so he wouldn't have had a test anyway.
"But he ignored the symptoms because he was working away from home a lot. And eventually it killed him because it wasn't discovered soon enough.
"I was a little angry with myself for not doing this. I had quite a lucky let off with it because mine was caught in time for it to be surgically removed."
Paul said the hardest part was telling his family and friends, but he received tremendous support from them all.
Determined to make the most of his situation, he set about getting fitter by walking and cycling every day, and doing a programme of strength exercises. He thought that going into treatment fitter and healthier could only be a good thing.
Paul underwent his keyhole surgery in February 2021, where 13 inches of his bowel was removed.
It was at this stage it was discovered that he had stage 3, rather than stage 2, bowel cancer.
Nonetheless, he was up on his feet the same day and was discharged three days later – he even returned to normal levels of exercise after six weeks.
Four weeks later, he had another consultation and further testing, which showed that the treatment was successful and he was cancer free.
"It was like walking on air. It was a very memorable feeling," Paul said, about the news of being cancer free.
"Almost like the feeling of when you have your first baby. It was that strength of feeling."
Following his recovery, Paul ended up walking away from his stressful career as a software engineer and now works in retail for Halfords.
"I thought if this isn't a hint to change your lifestyle, I don't know what it is," he said. "My old lifestyle was quite stressful, sat at a laptop all day.
"Now I'm on my feet all day at work."
Paul hasn't had to make any other changes to his lifestyle and didn't need chemotherapy or radiotherapy, however his doctor advised him to have a high-fibre breakfast each morning.
Since his procedure, he has had an annual CT scan. The latest, just weeks ago, confirmed that he is still in the all-clear.
He is now warning others to get their symptoms checked out and to carry out the routine test sent in the post as soon as possible.
"Don't be embarrassed," he said.
"I guess it's one of those things that people might feel a little bit embarrassed about.
"But believe me, five minutes of embarrassment in front of the doctor is a lot better than a spell in hospital and surgery. So definitely, definitely, definitely don't ignore this free wonderful test that can reveal trouble long before it becomes a real problem to treat.
"I always regret not having completed that first test I received, and always wonder if I had caught my cancer sooner would my treatment been different?
"The test reveals hidden blood in poo which you wouldn't see, which is something that you can get created by a tumour.
"My best advice is to put it where you can see it and get it back to them ASAP. It could potentially save your life."
Bowel cancer is the fourth most common cancer in the UK, and the second biggest cancer killer.
Data shows 43,000 people in the UK are diagnosed with bowel cancer every year and 16,500 people die from it annually – around 45 people per day.
Symptoms of bowel cancer can include: a persistent change in bowel habit such as pooing more often, with looser, runnier poo; blood in the poo; abdominal pain, discomfort or bloating always brought on by eating.
Genevieve Edwards, Chief Executive at Bowel Cancer UK, said: "Almost 43,000 people are diagnosed with bowel cancer each year in the UK and it’s our second biggest cancer killer, but currently fewer than 40% of people are diagnosed at the earlier stages when it’s easier to treat.
"Screening is one of the best ways to detect the disease early."
Paul is supporting NHS England's 'Help Us, Help You' campaign which is encouraging people who are sent the NHS bowel cancer screening home test kit to complete and return it. Your next poo could save your life, so if you're sent an NHS bowel cancer screening kit, put it by the loo. Don't put it off.
People concerned that they may have missed their invitation or have lost or thrown away their kit can call the free bowel cancer screening helpline for advice on 0800 707 60 60. Information on bowel cancer and the screening programme can be found at: nhs.uk/bowel-screening.
