Kirkmuirhill man David Waters advice on silent killer

Survivor...David Waters (75), of Kirkmuirhill, is now appealing for other people in Lanarkshire to send off their bowel screening test (Submitted pic)

After all, the 75-year-old retired engineer from Kirkmuirhill says he owes his very life to paying attention to a bowel cancer screening campaign, despite the fact that, at the time, he thought he was entirely hale and hearty and, indeed, far fitter than most men his age.

The disease was already at work in his body and it was only because he got that early diagnosis back in November of 2010 that he is still alive to tell the tale today.

And that tale has a very simple message; get yourself checked NOW, no matter how superfit you think you are.

He said: “When I explain to people that the cancer was detected through screening, I’m astonished at the response.

“People either say, oh I’ve put that kit in a drawer and I must get it out or they say they don’t want to do the test because they don’t want to hear what doctors will say.”

Luckily, the outcome was good for David – after chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery in 2011, he was given the all-clear in August 2013.

For information on the screening programme, contact 0800 0121 833 or visit www.bowelscreeningtest.org And for the full interview, pick up a copy of this week’s Carluke and Lanark Gazette which is out now.