Be Loud, Be Clear . . . . and Talk!

Today sees the start of a special week for two of the leading cancer charities. For the Beating Bowel Cancer organisation it's "Be Loud Be Clear", and for Macmillan it's "Cancer Talk Week". So, what's it all about?

Bowel Cancer doesn't discriminate. It affects male and female, old and young, but it is curable if caught early. The problem is that not enough people are aware of the potential symptoms of this nasty disease, and that's what "Be Loud Be Clear" is all about. The aim is to bring to the attention of as many people as possible what to look out for and what to do about it.

Ignorance can kill. Yes I know I'm banging on about it again, but I know from personal experience that missing the important signs can wreak havoc with your life and your family's life. I had all bar one of the symptoms of bowel cancer for a long time and put them all down to old age! I was totally ignorant of what my various problems could mean.  That ignorance could have seen me off.

So go and find out what the symptoms are and if any of them apply to you then do something about it. I must stress that the signs of bowel cancer can signal other things varying from IBS or piles to a simple stomach upset, so please bear in mind their presence doesn't necessarily mean you got cancer. What they do mean is GET CHECKED OUT. See more at

http://www.beatingbowelcancer.org/be-loud-be-clear-2012


So what's "Cancer Talk Week" all about? Receiving a cancer diagnosis is hard, and talking about it can be even harder. Just hearing the ‘C word’ can be frightening and overwhelming, and many people find it hard telling and talking to other people. How do you tell family and friends? Once the initial shock of diagnosis was over I worked on the principal that if other people knew I was at ease talking about it they might be as well, and generally it seems to work. Shutting yourself off does no good for anyone, especially you!

Remember also that it's not only the patient that needs help and support. It can be just as hard for family and friends and they also may need support.

That’s why this year Cancer Talk Week is encouraging people affected by cancer in any way to get talking about it - and all of the associated worries - with partners, family, friends and professionals. As they say, a problem shared is a problem halved. See

http://www.macmillan.org.uk/GetInvolved/CancertalkWeek/CancertalkWeek.aspx