Advertisement

We need your help now

Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.

You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.

If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.

Paul Mohan

'If you think you have a symptom, get checked - bowel cancer is a silent killer'

It’s Bowel Cancer Awareness Month this month.

“I FELT QUITE well, I didn’t feel sick, but I was just diagnosed with bowel cancer.”

Paul Mohan was diagnosed with testicular and kidney cancer at the age of 21 in 1984. After a short battle, he soon recovered.

Living as a diabetic, Mohan, now aged 54, has had to undergo regular blood tests for years.

In 2016, one particular blood test came back with inconclusive results. His doctor ran the test again. It still wasn’t right.

“I was passing a bit of blood too, so my doctor took the initiative and he sent me to St Vincent’s Hospital Dublin for a colonoscopy,” Mohan told TheJournal.ie. 

Once at the hospital, Mohan saw a consultant and had an MRI scan done.

It showed that I had a tumour, high up in the colon. I was diagnosed with colorectal cancer.

Mohan received his diagnosis on 30 December 2017.

“It was upsetting. Considering I don’t smoke and at the time I was just a social drinker, and particularly the date that was in it, the day before New Years’ Eve, it wasn’t ideal,” he said.

“The first thought that went through my mind was how do I tell family and friends. The second thought was what did I do to cause it but the doctors said I did nothing.”

Keeping positive 

On 7 March 2017, Mohan underwent a 10-hour surgery on his colon. He spent over three weeks in recovery. 

Two months later, he began the first of 12 sessions of chemotherapy, which he would receive three days every two weeks.

“It was hard going but as the sessions went on it got harder and harder because it had a cumulative effect,” Mohan said.

Despite the fact that the chemotherapy got increasingly harder, Mohan said that it was vital to keep a positive mindset.

“During chemo, I made sure I was getting up every day. I read what chemo can do and thankfully it just made me very tired,” he said.

I would urge people to keep away from Google. Anything that you want to know about cancer, just ask the oncology team and they will tell you in plain English.

Mohan noted that keeping a positive mindset certainly isn’t the easier thing in the world when you are facing a battle with cancer. However, he said that setting small goals for himself throughout his journey helped him keep a bright outlook on his life.

Rely on family and friends and talk to family and friends. Try to get your own mind around it and ask your oncology team everything. When it comes to something like this there is no stupid question.

“To get your head around it would be to sit down and say this time next year I will be back to work. Set yourself small goals, say you’re going to do this or that in one month’s time. One very small goal I set myself was to get out of bed every day,” he said.

Getting checked

Over 2,700 people are diagnosed with bowel cancer each year in Ireland. More than 1,000 people die from the disease every year, making it the second most common cause of cancer death in Ireland.

Throughout his conversation with TheJournal.ie, Mohan stressed the importance of going to see a doctor if you have even the slightest concern about a symptom.

“I would urge anybody who even thinks they have a symptom to go to the doctor because this type of cancer is basically a silent killer,” he said.

“The only symptom I had was sometimes passing blood. I felt actually quite well, I didn’t feel sick.

There’s nothing to fear in going to the doctor and there’s nothing to fear in a colonoscopy. If I hadn’t have gone to the doctor, chances are I would be a lot sicker today.

The symptoms of bowel cancer include:

  • A change in your normal bowel motion, such as diarrhoea or constipation
  • Feeling you have no emptied your bowel fully after a motion
  • Pain or discomfort in your abdomen or back passage
  • Trapped wind or fullness in your stomach
  • Weight loss
  • Tired and breathless (due to anaemia from blood loss)
  • Rectal bleeding or blood in stool

April is Bowel Cancer Awareness Month. To speak to a cancer nurse on any aspect of bowel cancer, contact the Cancer Nurseline on 1800 200 700, or email cancernurseline@irishcancer.ie.

Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone...
A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation.

Close
31 Comments
This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic. Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy here before taking part.
Leave a Comment
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Larry David the 2nd
    Favourite Larry David the 2nd
    Report
    Jul 4th 2015, 5:41 PM

    Ok advertising works cos I am getting me one of those babies ASAP.

    432
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Red Marauder
    Favourite Red Marauder
    Report
    Jul 4th 2015, 5:52 PM

    This must have every peeping Tom drooling!

    221
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute dstaffx
    Favourite dstaffx
    Report
    Jul 4th 2015, 6:20 PM

    Can it see through curtains?

    123
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute David Carino
    Favourite David Carino
    Report
    Jul 4th 2015, 7:12 PM

    only shower curtains

    68
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Oliver
    Favourite Oliver
    Report
    Jul 4th 2015, 5:43 PM

    I want it…

    108
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Paul Furey
    Favourite Paul Furey
    Report
    Jul 4th 2015, 8:10 PM

    I went and checked and for some strange reason there is a shortage. Berminghams say 6 weeks wait and camera.ie have 10 on backorder and you have to pay full price €650 up front. Oh well.

    30
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute cosmological
    Favourite cosmological
    Report
    Jul 4th 2015, 5:48 PM

    Excellent, thank you Journal.

    94
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute CW
    Favourite CW
    Report
    Jul 4th 2015, 5:47 PM

    That’s crazy stuff, holy mother of Devine Julie’s Caesar’s àrses bloody banana….

    Must get me one of them.

    82
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Pee Shank
    Favourite Pee Shank
    Report
    Jul 4th 2015, 7:20 PM

    amazing

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Tap Solny
    Favourite Tap Solny
    Report
    Jul 4th 2015, 5:58 PM

    A Nikon D3200 or a Sony A58 would cost €450 including a 18-55mm kit lens. Either camera is far superior to the Nikon Coolpix p900. The D3200 is a DSLR, the the A58 is an SLT and the Coolpix is a bridge camera. The Coolpix is quite good up to 83x but it cannot be compared to a DSLR.

    32
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Pee Shank
    Favourite Pee Shank
    Report
    Jul 4th 2015, 6:07 PM

    Wow

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Joseph Siddall
    Favourite Joseph Siddall
    Report
    Jul 4th 2015, 6:18 PM

    Tap, all very true but “Bridge” cameras sell very well for a reason. Most people see them them as being a very acceptable compromise answering all their needs in one piece of reasonably priced kit. Modern bridge cameras are really quite superb…within their operational parameters.

    54
    See 1 more reply ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Tap Solny
    Favourite Tap Solny
    Report
    Jul 4th 2015, 6:32 PM

    Agreed Joseph. I have the Nikon Coolpix P900 and a Sony HX400v – both are superb bridge cameras. I also have a Sony A58 and a Sony A77ii – both are excellent DSLRs (SLTs).

    19
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Maximus
    Favourite Maximus
    Report
    Jul 4th 2015, 7:50 PM

    Very impressive, WoW!.

    23
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Paul Mc Nulty
    Favourite Paul Mc Nulty
    Report
    Jul 4th 2015, 8:28 PM

    Tony and Joseph comparing their cox…

    22
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Gemma Shah
    Favourite Gemma Shah
    Report
    Jul 4th 2015, 9:31 PM

    My Uncle visited last week toting one of these. Totally in awe. Well worth the money I reckon.

    15
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Kemberlee Shortland
    Favourite Kemberlee Shortland
    Report
    Jul 5th 2015, 1:45 AM

    My Canon Powershot SX60 does the same shot of the moon, if not better.

    7
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Eoin
    Favourite Eoin
    Report
    Jul 5th 2015, 12:41 AM

    Paparazzi wet dream.

    4
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Ger Clifford
    Favourite Ger Clifford
    Report
    Jul 5th 2015, 12:05 AM

    So does my Canon 18x zoom SX600hs.

    3
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Una Simms
    Favourite Una Simms
    Report
    Jul 5th 2015, 12:48 PM

    eh..I dunno…..I’d like the zoom to go a little closer….. This just doesn’t try hard enough…….. (awesome actually)

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute cp
    Favourite cp
    Report
    Jul 5th 2015, 10:35 AM

    Now that’s impressive! Definitely putting that on my wish list!!

    1
Submit a report
Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
Thank you for the feedback
Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.

Leave a commentcancel

 
JournalTv
News in 60 seconds