I'm back for a bit at least...

[Jon Tilson]

Many thanks to Alun for passing on the news about my recent health issues. Something I didn't have time or strength to do myself.

Many thanks to those many of you who have sent me cards and good wishes. I have been quite overwhelmed by the response from dolly
world generally. It means a great deal to me.

I hope to get around to thanking folks individually in due course.

A word of advice....for those of us getting in to late middle age - don't ignore the NHS when they send you a request for a stool sample. You want the earliest diagnosis of the sinister you can get. Who knows but I might have avoided some of my recent experiences if I'd done that. Also no harm in bugging your GP for a blood test every 6 months. If they aren't interested change your GP. Keep an eye on your BMI and increase your dietary fibre. More chicken ceasar salds and fewer calzone's.....you get the drift.

When you need it the NHS does come through for you. The treatment I received was top notch.

For those of you interested in the medicine I had a sub total colectome. This means the removal of my entire large intestine. The skill of the surgeon was such that I dont need a bag. He joined my small intestine to my rectum and all is well on the waste products front now. It took a short time to get in to gear in hospital, but no need to bore you all with that story. I continue to recover well.

The bad news is I did indeed also have bowel cancer as well as the diverticulitis that caused or contributed to the bowel obstruction. This has spread to my liver so I now have to start chemotherapy in about 2 weeks time with a view to reducing the size of the 4 small metastases visbile on the CT scan to the point they can be removed with some surgical procedure or other. The prognosis generally seems to be optimistic.

The post would not be complete without my mentioning the peace that I have about all this. Most of you know that I am a Christian and my faith in this has been of immense value. God was there for me in the valley of the shadow of death - exactly as promised. This is not the place to say more on this I accept, but there it is....

So my posts in future days may not be as frequent, but this forum and the friends we all have all over the world is of huge value to me and I hope to stay on as long as possible.

All my best

Jonners

[marko]

GREAT. You are back on your feet for a (long) while longer we all hope. I too am a Christian and I prayed for you. I know how crucial my faith was for the recovery of my mental agility after I sunk to rock bottom. I'm still broken externally but god has restored my heart and soul.
Keep looking forwards.
Mark

[DazasDolly]

Welcome back Jon, thinking of you

Cheers

Darren

[SprintMWU773V]

Your wit and wisdom has been missed Jon, glad to see you're back. I wish you well with your upcoming treatment.

Though I am somewhat younger than you I totally agree that we men need to up our game when it comes to listening to our doctors, and indeed we need to be better at visiting them sooner rather than later. I'm glad to hear that the NHS did a great job for you, we hear too many negative things and often overlook the amazing treatment that is provided.

[Richard the old one]

Hi Jon.

I was sorry to read about your problems but like many other Dolomite owners I was glad to read that the problems are being sorted.

The advise that you give on checking our own health is good like all the advise that you have provided in the past in respect to our dolomites.

[MIG Wielder]

Hello Jon, Jolly good to see you back on here again. We've been quite missing your thoughts on the posts on here.
Guess what; a friend of mine had something similar to what you have just had done and that was 30 years ago and he is still around, and medical techniques have improved enormously since. He has cut down a lot on his smoking and drinking though.
Cheers for now,
Tony.

[xvivalve]

...and all is well on the waste products front now...

Shouldn't that be 'waste products back'...or was the surgeon a bit awry with his plumbing?

Good to have you back Jon, I told you that you would be.

[trackerjack]

I will second all the well wishes and its good to have my old foil back and just this once I will try and be nice.
The NHS is as you said fantastic when they are needed as when we are younger we take good health for granted.
My recent illness had a 50 50 survival rate and someone or something was looking after the old fool, or perhaps my mother was right after all when she stated a Jackson has to be shot it wont die
Sorry Jon could not resist after all

[mahony]

Glad to see you back Jon

[tinweevil]

Good to see you back Jon Rest & recover well.

All the best,
Julian

[grahamwatson]

A sub total colectome? That's just fancy words for a straight through exhaust, isn't it?

All the best, John.

[NickMorgan]

Good to have you back Jon. Best of luck with your treatment.
My mother was diagnosed with inoperable bowel cancer when I was nine. She was offered radiotherapy, which was quite a new thing then. She lived a healthy life for another 35 years after that with no return of the cancer.

[SprintV8]

Great to see you back here Jon.

Take it easy.

[tony g]

Good to see you posting here and FB Jon, all the best for a full recovery mate.

Tony

[cliftyhanger]

I will add my good wishes too.
And another survivor story.
My mum went in with some form of bowl cancer 22 years ago, managed to lose her spleen during the op too.
She is now 86 and trundling on. Still rather overweight, poor diet and smokes far more than she admits to. I believe that treatments have improved significantly, and yes, the NHS does a brilliant job when the chips are down.
Glad to hear you are keeping your chin and eyes up.