Denise and her family walked the Edinburgh Kiltwalk to end the stigma of talking about our bowel habits

Denise and her family decided to take part in the Edinburgh Kiltwalk by completing the three-mile event in the city of Edinburgh to raise money for Bowel Cancer UK.

Having suffered from Crohn's disease since the age of 10 I know about the stigma around bowel issues. After being diagnosed with bowel cancer I realised it was more of the same: under resourced, not discussed enough and scarily, the second biggest cancer killer. I felt it was important to fundraise to help support others, educate people and end the stigma – we all poo and we all need to keep vigilant for any changes in our bowel movements. This year we decided to sign up to the Edinburgh Kiltwalk as a family to raise funds for a cause that was important to us.

I was diagnosed during the pandemic, I noticed unusual bleeding. Despite experiencing many symptoms over the years with Crohn's disease through inflammation, abscesses, fistulas, scar tissue etc. I knew this was different. Despite this, I was still expecting to be fobbed off with steroids or anti-inflammatories to treat Crohn's when I called my GP. Thankfully, however, she wrote to my surgeon straight away and I was seen within two weeks. It was too painful to examine me on the day, so I was booked in for a biopsy under anaesthetic and told I'd get the results in a couple of weeks.

Just a few days later I answered the phone with my surgeon, and she confirmed it was cancer – this was all in spring 2021. The surgeon wanted to do a CT scan and full colonoscopy before surgery to make sure the cancer was only in the one spot and so, because of waiting times and staff shortages (due to COVID), it was July 12^th before my surgery date. The waiting was really difficult and it was at this point I found the Bowel Cancer UK forum invaluable, speaking to people going through the same thing made it a little less lonely and scary.

It was explained to me that because the cancer was so low in the bowel it was not possible to undergo a resection. I would need APR (abdominal perineal resection) surgery where my rectum was removed and sewn closed, and a non-reversible stoma created. My Crohn's had been much worse when I was younger and the possibility of ending up with an ileostomy or colostomy had been discussed before so none of this was alien to me. I honestly didn't care what they did as long as I was going to live. My children were 13 and 19 at the time and I was ready to fight as hard as I could to see them into adulthood.

I was of course nervous on the day of the surgery, but everyone was so lovely. I went to sleep and woke up several hours later. The recovery wasn't easy, I was in hospital for 10 days, out for four and back in for another week. It took a full six months to feel myself again and I'm still now waiting on a further surgery on my scar (and my delayed one year CT scan) but I'm feeling healed and positive for the future.

One of my concerns going into the Kiltwalk was being fit enough, a dodgy knee and still needing surgery on my poor scar, meant I was sceptical about my ability to walk even the shortest distance (four miles which ended up being six miles as we got the start location wrong!). My daughter, who dances 20 hours a week, decided to keep me company though and being a teenager made light of my discomfort. Apparently, I was "being dramatic" complaining about how my knee wasn't appreciating the extra two miles and she could've walked all day! My partner and son, both also fit, walked the full 24 miles but were more than a little uncomfortable the next day. My son had his first experience of 'chub rub' – usually more of a female problem – the kilt is not great for thigh chafing!

I think we were all looking forward to something different at the end of our walk, my partner to walking across the finish line and getting his medal. My son was looking forward to seeing his girlfriend (our cheerleader for the day) and listening to some of the Red Hot Chilli Pipers, as he's a piper himself. My daughter was eager to spend lots of my money at the food trucks (the churros were delicious) and personally I was looking forward to a nice sit down!

We managed to raise £2,900 through donations from colleagues, friends and family, including £500 'matched giving' from my partner's work.

Feeling inspired? Sign up today to take part in one of the Kiltwalk events in 2023