I was fortunate and am a healthy survivor, unlike my sister who died in 2008 after battling the disease for three years.

Huge advances have been made in cancer research in recent years and, despite being second only to lung cancer as the country’s biggest cancer killer, bowel cancer is one of the most curable – if found early.

I have always been an extremely fit person and to be sick was almost unknown, as my previous doctor for more than 30 years would verify.

By chance, I was advising Dr. Cameron Weber on his garden one Friday afternoon nine years ago when he said he had to check on one of his patients who had cancer.

I mentioned that my sister, then living in Ireland, was also being treated for bowel cancer.

“What about you?” he inquired.

“Oh, I’m fine, I never get sick,” I said.

I was 65 at the time.

“When did you have your last colonoscopy?” he asked

“What on earth is a colonoscopy?” I replied, promising to report to my doctor first thing Monday morning.

From there, I was referred to a specialist, Dr. Graham Kaye, who gave me the dreaded news; yes, this supremely fit person who had never been sick in all his life had bowel cancer.

My sister hadn’t wanted to worry me and had been treated for at least two years before she told me she had bowel cancer. This was a bad decision and could have been the difference on my early diagnosis between survival and being treated quickly.

Once the diagnosis had been made events moved swiftly.  Dr Kaye referred me to surgeon Dr. Noel Tait and I was straight into hospital.

Fortunately, as the cancer was found early, I only lost a small part of my intestine. Believe it or not, I was out and about seeing my garden clients a week later.

I was so very lucky, for that chance discussion with Dr Weber was the difference between my sitting here writing this nine years later or being in another place.

I have had no recurrence of the cancer with regular colonoscopy checks. And, yes, I know what a colonoscopy is now!

My recovery was fast from a number of factors:  I was relatively fit, not overweight and  never smoked a single cigarette – plus a great team of doctors.  And, importantly, the huge support of my wife, Gerdina and family.

The moral of this story is once you turn 50, or if you are at a higher risk of developing the disease, get a check up.  For some reason men are more reluctant than women in being tested for any sort of cancer. The procedure is non-invasive and is very simple. See your doctor now.

More information at bowelcanceraustralia.org