Nick Liddon, Southwest Coast Path Challenge & Bowel Cancer Journey

“In August last year I was told something no one deserves to hear…..You have bowel cancer, it’s advanced and its aggressive and at 36 years of age my whole world was torn apart. It’s been a hell of a journey and I would like to share my story to help raise awareness so here goes:

For months leading up to my diagnosis I was having stomach pains, always feeling bloated and having irregular bowel problems. It gradually got worse and I just put it down to stress,  induced ulcers or just something that would go away in time and I carried on regardless. I tried to change my lifestyle with a healthier diet and more exercise.

Several weeks later the pain started to get more localised around the stomach area. I would complain to work colleagues and family however I still wouldn’t go to see a doctor. They will only tell what I already know, I thought, you need to change your lifestyle, but then in July I started to bleed heavily when I went to the toilet. That’s when I decided it was time to see a doctor.

After the first appointment they were convinced it was a food intolerance such as coeliac, then an irritable bowel disease such as colitis or Crohn’s until they final decided to carry out a colonoscopy. A few minutes into the procedure, bang, there it was white and black tumours all around the wall of the large intestine, I knew instantly what I was looking at (This is so hard to write 😔).

After just a few days I was called back into the hospital for CT scans, followed by meetings with my consultants where they told me it was advanced and aggressive. The cancer had spread into my lymph nodes and they were worried it may spread into major organs.

Then just days before my treatment I become very ill and was rushed into hospital where I spent the next few days in bed fearing this was the end. If it wasn’t for the amazing people on the oncology ward it could have been, they nursed me back to good health, well healthy enough to start my treatment. There are three things I will never forget: The picture of the colonoscopy, them telling me I had cancer and how ill I was in hospital that week.

After several successful treatments I am feeling almost back to normal. I’m back at work and trying to live with this awful disease whilst I continue with my treatment and hope for the best.

I would like to use this platform to raise awareness of the importance of our own health and if ANYTHING feels different, big or small, please see a doctor, if I had done so my situation would be very different. As it stands  I could have 2-5 years, but it could be less or more, we just don’t know!

On to something more positive, this journey has made me realise life is so very precious and there are things I want to achieve. I have therefore signed up to walk the entire length of the Southwest Coast Path, 630 miles of fabulous views, this is no easy task. This walk will be equivalent of tackling Everest 4 times, and will take 7-8 weeks of living like a hobo with everything I need on my back.

My walk will begin on the 6^th June in Minehead, I will follow the coastline to Lands End and then travel east to Poole, Dorset where I will be crossing a stunning section of path with amazing geology and scenery along the famous Jurassic Coast. During this incredible experience I will travel through four different counties, Somerset, Devon, Cornwall and Dorset, where I will mostly be wild camping on beaches and cliff tops, whilst staying in a few hostels along the way. I may have to indulge in the odd B&B so I can shower from time to time! Each day will consist of around 15 – 25 miles of walking with elevation gains of up to 1,100ft, crossing the rugged high moors of Exmoor before walking through the surf beaches and finally passing through the fishing villages of Cornwall!

As well as ticking something off my bucket list, I also want to take this opportunity to give back and fundraise for Bowel Cancer UK. 1 in 2 people will be diagnosed with cancer in the UK, which is a scary thought, but if we all help raise awareness and vital funds to support research this statistic may change.

Below is a link to my fundraising page, thank you for listening to my story and any support would be so appreciated!

All the best. Nick x

Nicholas Liddon is fundraising for Bowel Cancer UK (justgiving.com)