Hello there

I lost my Brother to bowel cancer 10 years ago, then i  nearly lost my other brother to bowel cancer within two years of that which was supposedly successfully treated with him then in remission last few years. Now it turns out not to be the case unfortunately.

As a family who now have regular colonoscopies i always say that 'my Brother saved my life if not his own' as the consultant says not one of us now should suffer from bowel cancer because of the family history. It was just unfortuantely we didn't get to my other brother sooner.

I turned 44 this year and both my brothers were diagnosed with cancer at age 44 and i was having some serious health issues around this time resulting in an absominal and chest scan. I was CONVINCED i was going to have the same fate as my brothers, absolutely convinced. It felt eerily like age 44 was the end of the game for me. I am pleased to say that the result was fine and I don't have anything at this point that should adversely worry me which is great.

I know that life is life so this wont always be the case. But I almost killed myself with the worry of it all a few months ago, this absolute belief it was going to be me too.

I'm glad your GP is good, mine was too once she understood my family history. So i do believe that simply because of them you will be taken seriously at least with any health concerns, this in itself is more than a lot of people get and I take a very bizarre comfort from the knowledge that i wont walk into the gp surgery and come across as a total nut job.

I suppose i'm trying to say in a very roundabout way that i believe this is the 'good legacy' they have left me with, that i wont get pushed under the carpet because of them, that my GP will listen to me etc and whilst i know it's not nice to ever feel like something is wrong with you (and it's hard given everything not to feel that way) it would seem that unwittingly you will now perhaps have better care taken of you. Try mabye and see this is their rather bizaree legacy to you too (if you can) x

Gosh, not sure if i make ANY sense here, either way - so sorry you are feeling this way.