Steve Thorne says that he knew next to nothing about bowel cancer, until he was forced to learn the hard way five years ago.
What started off as an embarrassing problem, turned out to be an early sign of the disease.
Steve, 61 said: “I had lots of excessive wind and was burping all the time.
“I didn’t put it down to anything else but stress, I was a financial advisor for a bank and I had lots of heavy targets.”
His doctor was also convinced that his symptoms were the result of stress.
“She diagnosed stress, but she said that on the safe side she would send me for tests.
“That was the best thing that she did and if she hadn’t of reacted in that way, I wouldn’t be here today.”
After a week of tests, Steve was diagnosed with bowel cancer, but it took some time for it to sink in.
“To be honest, I couldn’t really take it in, he said.
“I felt like I was almost in a different world, it just didn’t hit me how serious it was”.
Within a month of the diagnosis, the father of two from Cecil Avenue, Ardleigh Green underwent an operation to remove the tumour and started an eight week course of chemotherapy.
Steve says that he was lucky, but he knows that not everyone is so fortunate.
“It was a massive shock for me, but I was totally relieved to get through it and to come out the other side.
“I saw so many people in hospital suffering and many of them didn’t have the chance.”
Two years ago Steve, who has now set up his own business signed up to Macmillan Cancer Support to help those “unlucky ones”.
“I didn’t have a Macmillan nurse, but I saw so many of them in the hospital and I saw the difference that they made to the patients, he said.
“Like many people I didn’t see the personal advisors and the other Macmillan people who work in the background.
He added: “They make a massive difference to people.
“There is always a lot of emphasis on the patients, but sometimes the families, who are also suffering get left on the wayside, Macmillan does a lot of work to support them.”
Two weeks after signing up to the Romford branch of Macmillan Cancer Support, Steve was put on the spot and forced to think about exactly how much he wanted to help.
“I was one of two people who turned up for the first meeting.
“At the second meeting, the fundraising manager asked me if I would consider being the chairman of the group.
“I was the new kid on the block and I didn’t want to step on anyone’s toes but he said that if I didn’t do it there would be a good chance that the group would close.”
Almost two and a half years on, the group is going from strength to strength and Steve is appealing for more volunteers.
“People think that Macmillan is a national charity so it doesn’t need any help, but it is an opportunity for ordinary people to make a real difference.
“The more people we have on the ground, the more people we can help.”
The group has organised a race night at the Coral Romford Greyhound Stadium in London Road, Romford on Saturday July 13 in aid of Macmillan.
Tickets cost £25, which includes a three course meal and admission. Contact MacmillanRomford@hotmail.co.uk
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