A man who left a cancer test kit in his drawer for two years has urged people not to make the same mistake as him after receiving a devastating diagnosis.
Paul Kelly, 64, says he is ‘filled with regret’ after ignoring his first screening test for bowel cancer four years ago. At the time the kit arrived in the post, Paul said he was preoccupied with his 60th birthday celebrations.
Two years later, he received a second routine test and immediately carried it out and sent it off, having realised that he’d completely forgotten to complete his first test. The results showed he had stage three bowel cancer.
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"The test arrived on the day of my party and I just thought 'I'm gonna deal with that another time'," dad-of-two 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."
Paul underwent surgery to remove his cancer and has spoken out during Bowel Cancer Awareness Month in the hopes of encouraging others to never miss taking the potentially life-saving test, which is sent out by the NHS to people aged 60 and over every two years.
On receiving the second kit in the post two years ago, Paul said: "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.
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,” Paul said, about receiving the news he was cancer free. "It was a very memorable feeling. Almost like the feeling of when you have your first baby - it was that strength of feeling."
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 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?
"Screening is one of the best ways to detect the disease early."
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.
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