Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Don't Die of Embarrassment




My first visit to the Liberty Stadium today. No, not to watch the Swans, or the Ospreys. I went to support the Wales Bowel Cancer Screening Team. Second time this week. In fact, I feel as if I've become a part of the team. I'm going to feel a touch resentful when I see future 'team' photographs - without me. The first photograph is of Hayley Heard, Head of the Programme - a Montgomeryshire girl. Actually the second photograph is a con. It was taken at Monday's launch at Llantrisant. The choir is the Mynyddislwyn MVC, and their conductress is Carys Wyn (where is she?) Today it was the Morriston Phoenix Choir, and they were very good too. Finished off with a thundering performance of 'Bread of Heaven'. And yet again, directing the men of Morriston was a lady - Sian Pierce. Sian Cothi has really started a trend. I kept an absolutely straight face when I said that I'd heard of the Morriston Orpheus Choir. Must go down as my best wind-up line of the year - and the boys responded as expected. The history is that a good few of the 'Phoenix' walked out of the 'Orpheus', with Sian, and set up on their own. I must add the word 'cultural' to how I describe the content of this blog.


All this is nothing to do with the issue of the day, which was extending the message 'Don't Die of Embarrassment' to the Swansea area. The day was set up with Ruth (2nd left) interviewing me about my experiences. Hilary (left) chaired the event and Hayley (2nd right) filled in all the detail). The audience was not of the age when bowel cancer is at its most threatening - but a fair few of the choir were. They were quite keen to discuss the issue over lunch. Great bunch of lads. I wish I could sing. Anyway, if any visitors to this blog are between 60-69, I will be very upset if they ignore the card when it comes through your letterbox. I expect you to spread a spot of your faeces/excrement/poo (or choose your own preferred word) on the card and post it back. Go on - do it for me. It might just save your life.


2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Your support for this campaign has been superb, I just wish that the screening programme had been extended to the 50-59 category as in England and Scotland.

Glyn Davies said...

Jonathon - You make a fair point. Another you could make is that the programme is being launched behind both England and Scotland. But I've sought to avoid being seen as in any way politically motivated, and so left these issues to you and others.

I should also add that I think the timetable of the roll-out to all 50-74 year olds matches the capacity to deal with anticipated numbers of tumours that are going to be found - roughly 300-350 pa. If test kits were to be made available to the whole age range now, there would have to be a Government decision to train several more colonoscopists, or contract some of the work out to private a contractor. I do have opinions on these issues, but I don't want to detract from my desire to encourage a high response rate to the campaign.

For the information of those who may read these comments the roll out is as follows.

2008 60-69 years old
2010 60-74 ..
2013 56-74 ..
2015 50-74 ..