By Luke Voogt
About 80 Australians die each week from bowel cancer but most deaths are preventable, says Torquay theatre nurse Kimberly Rice.
To help the prevention push, this week Kimberly promoted a new website to access Rotary Bowelscan kits for detecting signs of the disease.
The website took orders for the life-saving $18 kit without having to attend a pharmacy, she said.
“You don’t even have to leave home. We’re trying to reach more people.”
The 35-year-old became a campaigner for the bowel cancer awareness after both her parents suffered the disease.
Her mum saw a GP immediately after noticing symptoms and survived, but sadly her dad put off testing and died.
Kimberly was 13 when mum Joan was diagnosed at 47 after experiencing lower abdominal pain and a change in bowel habits.
Life-saving surgery followed her diagnosis.
Three years later dad Keith noticed bleeding and appetite and weight loss.
“He said it was nothing to worry about, probably just haemorrhoids,” Kimberly said.
“He was absolutely terrified of anything medical.”
Keith, 61, finally saw a GP after becoming seriously unwell but the surgery was too late. He died two weeks later.
“I never want anyone to go through what we experienced as a family,” Kimberly said.
Ninety per cent of bowel cancers were curable if detected early, she said.
Now Kimberley uses the simple, non-invasive Rotary Bowelscan kit each year at home.
More information and kit orders are available at rotarybowelscan.com.au.
