A Bowel Care Nurse for the Sunshine Coast

Our Bowel Care Nurse team now includes the first Bowel Care Nurse for the Sunshine Coast and surrounding region.  Bowel Care Nurses provide patients with a constant, dedicated point of contact throughout their care, and offer ongoing support during and after treatment. 

Increasing access to quality patient care is a priority for Bowel Cancer Australia, which is why we are working with Bloomhill Cancer Centre to support the first dedicated Bowel Care Nurse in the Sunshine Coast region, for the next three years.

Bowel cancer is the fourth most prevalent cancer diagnosed in Australia, and the second deadliest cancer. The new appointment of dedicated Bowel Care Nurse, Kirsty Ferguson will increase bowel cancer awareness in the community, help coordinate patient care and improve bowel cancer outcomes by enabling patients to take a more active role in their bowel care treatment.

“I really appreciate this opportunity to develop a community-based bowel cancer care role – where I can support patients and their families, because no one should go through bowel cancer alone,” Kirsty said.

“I will also be involved with raising awareness for prevention and early detection in the community, which I’m really looking forward to and I can’t wait to see what we can achieve over the next couple of years,” said Kirsty.

The simple, easy, convenient way to safeguard the people you love

Earlier in the month we reached out to share one of the easiest ways to take care of the people you love the most: by writing a Will online with our partner, SafeWill. 
 
Have you started your Will yet? It only takes 20 minutes to complete and can give you peace of mind that you are protecting the people and organisations that mean the most to you.
 
It is also a gift of hope for the future, one way your lasting legacy can help create a world without bowel cancer.
 
Safewill makes it more affordable for Australians that don’t have a legally binding Will to protect the people and organisations that mean the most to them, by creating a bespoke Will online.

For the month of February, Safewill is offering all Bowel Cancer Australia supporters a discount of 50% to help them protect their loved ones. With this discount you can prepare your Will online today for just $95.

This 50% discount will expire on February 28 so please act now.

The time to speak with your healthcare professional is NOW

“I was 29, didn’t drink, and was super healthy, but decided to see my GP after noticing a very small amount of blood in my stool. He referred me for a colonoscopy which I wasn’t looking forward to. I called a week before, hoping it had been cancelled due to COVID restrictions.

Fortunately/unfortunately for me, it wasn't,” said Sam, who was diagnosed with bowel cancer in April 2020, at the height of the pandemic.

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“I have no family history of bowel cancer, had no other symptoms, and my age wasn’t a concern, so doctors, as well as a specialist, suggested my symptoms were likely due to food intolerances, or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). A few months later a CT scan revealed a bowel obstruction. I found myself having emergency surgery and was diagnosed with stage 3c bowel cancer. Shortly thereafter it was discovered that I had a metastasis on my ovary, not previously detected, and my cancer was restaged to stage 4. All this was happening when COVID-19 was in full swing,” said Gemma, who has just finished 12 rounds of chemotherapy.

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Although fewer colonoscopies, sigmoidoscopies, and bowel cancer surgeries were performed between January and September 2020 compared to the same period in 2019, Sam and Gemma’s lived-experiences highlight the reality that bowel cancer continues through the pandemic.

Delays in diagnosis and treatment resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic have serious implications for bowel cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.

So, if you have experienced new symptoms, received a positive test result, missed a medical appointment, or had your treatment adjusted now is the time to get back in touch with your healthcare team.

And remember, Bowel Cancer Australia is here for you too.

Calling all 'kick ass' women

Are you a kick ass woman living with or beyond bowel cancer, or do you have a female family member or friend that is?
 
In celebration of International Women’s Day (8 March), Bowel Cancer Australia raises awareness of bowel cancer in women and shares empowering stories from Aussie women who are kicking bowel cancer’s ass.
 
It is a common misconception that bowel cancer is an old man’s disease. Yet the reality is, bowel cancer affects women of all ages, and almost half of all people diagnosed with bowel cancer in Australia each year are women.
 
Find out how you can join our campaign to increase awareness of bowel cancer in women.
  
Share your story now and help us kick bowel cancer’s ass.