Latex Bums!

My day part two…..

So Steve and Rebecca wake, the day has already been planned from last night. Food shopping and then we are going to a charity event for bowel cancer. Rebecca used to work with a gentleman called Chris. He had cancer years ago but Rebecca when asked previously had never known the details as she didn’t like to ask him.

Steve and I head off the Sainsbury’s which reminds me of a joke I like ‘Why do we have Sainsbury’s? To keep the riff raff out of Waitrose,’ lol!

Whenever I go to there I always think of the day pre operation I went with my mom. I was in so much pain that I hung to the trolley and it took all my strength to not cry as I struggled around. I hate going there as I always think of that day and twice walking around with Steve today I have to fight back the tears. The frst week of chemo is so hard to go through and I’m better enough to go out but this can still be overwhelming.

Back home, showered we head off to the charity event. Rebecca was playing in the mixed football team at one o’clock. We take Molly dog with us. When we arrived there was a handful of stalls, a tombola, a raffle, a BBQ and the all important drinks and cake tent. About 100 people there, most wearing t-shirts supporting bowel cancer. Wow a charity event for people like me. Rebecca is not the most confident of people and was unsure of playing as she didn’t know many people, well just Chris really. I thought of all the times I had watched and cheered Richard on in this sport and now it was Rebecca’s turn to feel some love. However I don’t even think she knows the basic rules of the game, this doesn’t matter.

I started talking to a lady who was wearing a pair of shorts that look like her bum is hanging out, plastic naked bum shorts, so funny. She then told me the story of why they do this charity event every year. Now I’m going to recall the details as best I can however if I get any of this wrong then apologises to the family and friends of Steve.

Steve became ill at 33 years of age. He was diagnosed with bowel cancer in the autumn, 3 years ago. In the spring he was told he had about 2 years to live. He completed two cycles of chemo but then stopped. He died in the June at the age of 33, under a year of being first diagnosed. He achieved his dream to visit Vegas and Nicky has a treasured photo of him in the Grand Canyon. When she told me this I cried, I couldn’t help it and I’m crying typing it as I feel their loss. Her loss, the loss of a sibling. He continued to work up until the day he died and they were all with him when he died.

Chris went to school with Steve. The football events were started by Steve to raise money and awareness for bowel cancer. His family and friends have continued this in his name, in his honour. I met his sister, Nicky and I had a wonderful chat with his mother, Pat.

I cried for Nicky, Pat and for Steve. There was a photo of him on the raffle table. Taken at such a young age, so tragic so heartbreaking and yet they all come together to have fun and do there bit for him, for each other. They told me of the charity Beating Bowel Cancer. Now when I started looking on the internet I never found this site. I was given leaflets. The charity is run purely by volunteers and yet bowel cancer is the biggest killer of cancers in the UK, I didn’t know that. Every 30 minutes bowel cancer claims another life. Yet it’s a small charity as ‘Bowel cancer isn’t sexy’ well it isn’t. I’m not knocking breast cancer (excuse the pun) but I can’t run around with pink pants on at midnight can I???? Or can I LOL, now there’s a thought!

I have included the following photo’s and videos of our day. To share the joy of Rebecca playing football and fighting Chris in a Sumo suit. For me it was 3 hours of enrichment, fun,  laughter and tears. That’s why it needed it’s own page.

Each day I have the shitness scale. 0 – 10, 10 being really awful. Today for me has been a massive 0. Thank you to everyone I met today. For the advice and sharing the story of Steve.