How taking part in ActiveApril helped Dan recover from surgery

Dan was diagnosed with bowel cancer aged 38 in 2023. Just a day after his surgery, he started his ActiveApril challenge.

It took falling off my son’s hoverboard and injuring my back, for me to see the doctor. They gave me a physiotherapy form to fill out about my back injury, but the answers I gave to the bowel habit questions raised a red flag about some symptoms I’d been too ’blokey’ to do anything about. At this point, I was going to the toilet more than ten times a day and I’d also noticed blood in my stool and felt very tired. Originally, I consulted Dr Google, and the answer seemed to be stress, which made sense.  

My physiotherapist advised I see my GP. On my first appointment, the GP gave me a FIT test to complete at home and it came back positive. I was referred for a colonoscopy, but it couldn’t be completed as the tumour was blocking my bowel. I had a CT scan and an MRI scan and was diagnosed with bowel cancer. The tumour was big but hadn’t spread and I was told I needed surgery and a stoma. The blockage in my bowel sped the process up when I became seriously ill one night and I was rushed to A&E. The next day, I had surgery.  

In the weeks leading up to my surgery, I had heard about Bowel Cancer UK’s fundraiser ActiveApril, which asks participants to get sponsored to do something active every day for the whole of April. It seemed to be everywhere right as I was being diagnosed, and the day after my surgery was April 1, so it felt like a sign that I should take part. For my activity for my challenge, I decided to walk every day. I was in the hospital for a week, so I walked the corridors and the wards.  

The challenge gave me a way to think positively about what I was going through. I thought, “I’m going to help raise awareness, make some money, and hopefully make a difference” It was perfect timing for me, because I was able to announce my diagnosis with a fundraiser. This felt like a more positive way of telling the people in my life that I had bowel cancer. It helped others to process it too, because they had a way to support me. It’s sometimes hard to know how to help someone going through this sort of thing, and this gave them a physical way to rally around me, either through donating or joining me for walks.  

When I got home from hospital, I started doing a couple of laps in my garden. I built it up slowly to local walks around the block, and then a longer walk with my family and friends at the end of the month.  

It was tiring, but it was great because it gave me some confidence. That helped with other aspects of my life. While I knew I had to be careful, it helped me realise I was able to do more than I originally thought I could.  

After the surgery, I got my all clear. I’ve since had chemotherapy which finished on Christmas eve 2023. I’ve now got regular tests lined up.  

I think ActiveApril is great challenge to help your mental state, so I would encourage other bowel cancer patients to do it. It gives you a drive and ambition to do something, and that helps in other areas of recovery. 

• Find out more and sign up to ActiveApril
• Learn about the symptoms of bowel cancer
• Read more real life stories