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Bowel Cancer Awareness Month

Sergeant Ian Trushell, an RAF Boulmer ICT Tech with over 23 years in the Force, has opened up about his battle with Stage 4 Bowel Cancer to raise awareness during Bowel Cancer Awareness Month.

Bowel cancer is the second biggest cancer killer and nearly 43,000 people are diagnosed with the disease every year in the UK. Whilst more than nine out of ten new cases (94%) are diagnosed in people over the age of 50 it can affect anyone of any age.

Image shows Sergeant Trushell

Ian's Story

I’d been feeling unwell for a while. My fitness levels were dropping off, but I just put it down to age, the stresses of daily life and a long-held belief that I was dairy intolerant. I’d just lay off the chocolate for a while and get on with life, but in July 22, following a bowel movement which revealed blood, I realised that I had to get it checked out.

A colonoscopy soon followed and the doctor who carried out the procedure told me there and then that he had seen, in his opinion, a cancerous growth in the upper bowel area. A biopsy was taken and I was given the news on 31 August 22 that it was cancerous and had, unfortunately, spread to my liver.

That moment was surreal, nothing in life prepares you for this. It was like I was viewing my ordeal as an observer, the news didn’t sink in straight away. It was like I was living a bad dream - my wife and I took weeks to process the news. I remember holding her shortly afterwards, both breaking into tears and feeling an overwhelming sense of guilt for what I was and will put her through; but the hardest part was breaking the news to our three children.

Image shows Sergeant Trushell and his wife

I remember watching my youngest son make himself lunch, I tried to picture what he would look like in 10 years' time and realised that I may not have that opportunity. I broke down and walked away before he could notice. This is overwhelmingly the hardest part, knowing that I may not be there for my children in the future, to guide them through life and continue to be a father to them. They do now know about my illness, I took my dogs for a long walk and my wife, Sarah, broke the news to them. I try to show them that it’s not impacting me too much, it’s all I can do to give them a semblance of normality.

As Ian is a serving member of the RAF, he has access to the many Royal Air Force Charities available. These charities provide vital funding and welfare support. The RAF Benevolent Fund gave Ian a grant to purchase a treadmill to aid his fitness levels in preparation for any potential surgery he may face. The RAF has also continued to give Ian full pay and allowed him to claim money back on the cost of travelling to the hospital and parking fees.

“For all that has happened in the past six months, I am so grateful to be part of the RAF. The financial aspect of being diagnosed with cancer is huge, so for civilians, the burdens following diagnosis can be overwhelming and will only make a nightmare situation even worse. Being in the RAF means these worries can be secondary and that I can concentrate solely on my treatment.

Image shows Sergeant Trushell and his children.

I still receive full pay and while my oncology team are entirely NHS, the Medical Centre and support network have been fantastic in accommodating my many needs, such as blood tests or just to chat about my ordeal. It feels contradictory to say that I consider myself fortunate, but being able to enjoy the beautiful scenery that Northumberland has to offer and having a fantastic welfare support system that the RAF offers has made my ordeal so much more tolerable and uncomplicated as can be.

I simply do not know what the next few years will bring. My life is different now with different priorities. What would I say to someone who suspects something isn’t right with their body? Get it checked out ASAP. Cancer doesn’t discriminate, and it is estimated that 1 in 2 people will develop some form of cancer in their lifetime. I didn’t think it would happen to me, I’ve run marathons, never failed an RAF fitness test, never smoked, barely drink and always kept a healthy weight, but it did. It literally can happen to anyone.”

Want to know how you can access health support within the RAF?

Visit our dedicated Health & Wellbeing page