For my 65th birthday in May 2013, I treated myself to a colonoscopy and, like my doctor said, it was the best present I could have had.
Being over 60, people kept telling me I should have one so I decided to have one to mark my birthday.
For years, I’d been in rude health, bouncing around the place and full of fantastic energy, but I’d started feeling irritable, bloated, suffering stomach pain and having to go to the loo as soon as I ate anything. My stools were loose because my bowel didn’t want to work. I just didn’t feel right.
My doctor had already confirmed that I was suffering from irritable bowel but the pain had got worse, which is why I felt it was time to check things out at the Prince of Wales Hospital in Sydney’s eastern suburb of Randwick.
Beforehand, I was terribly nervous and had to fast and take a laxative to clean out my bowel. This was so they could obtain the best results from the colonoscopy, where a tiny camera is used to examine the colon.
During the procedure, the specialist discovered the edge of a tumour, but luckily was able to scrape it out. This meant I was in the operating room longer than usual, about two and a half hours.
The wonderful specialist did a lot of work and, fortunately, didn’t have to cut me open to carry it out. Mind you, I still found sitting down difficult for a few days afterwards.
In fact, the specialist identified two ulcers in my intestine, explaining why I was in so much pain, but one had become cancerous. Afterwards, he said that if I’d left it any longer, I could have been in real trouble.
I should have seen the warning signs because my mother died of bowel cancer a few years back – she was in her 70s. My father died of lung cancer . So I saw the colonoscopy as a real life-changer for me.
The specialist gave me the all clear but warned that I had to be careful and step up the diet regime I was already following. Yes, I still had irritable bowel, but felt so much better after the ulcers were removed.
I have to return for checkups but, thankfully, the ulcers haven’t reoccurred.
In terms of eating, I’d already cut out a few items which were irritating me, including wine, which is tricky in such a big wine-producing and consuming nation. My friends thought I was mad!
But I went further and ditched coffee and tea. Now I live on peppermint tea and water.
If, like me, you’ve been a long-term coffee drinker, it can be tricky because you end up with about four weeks of headaches before the caffeine is out of your system. Now, if I have even half a can of Coke I feel very wired because caffeine is a stranger to me.
Getting rid of caffeine from my lifestyle means I don’t suffer mood swings, either – I feel more calm and relaxed.
I stick with wholemeal and rye bread and goat’s cheese. It’s just about watching my diet . If I eat anything too crazy, something spicy, I’ll suffer for a couple of days.
One thing is certain, altering my diet and lifestyle has made me feel stronger and energetic. I sleep longer too – up to eight hours sometimes.
I take plenty of vitamins and supplements too, including triple-strength garlic + C, an immune-boosting complex, a B-complex vitamin and probiotics. I take Probex too, an anti-inflammatory probiotic, which helps.
OK, there may not be a cure for irritable bowel syndrome, but changing my diet has helped me manage the condition.
Alternative medicine is becoming more important in treating all kinds of conditions. I’ve discovered a marvellous method called BICOM therapy.
It’s mostly administered by acupuncturists because they understand the body’s pressure points. It addresses the imbalances in the body caused by irritants and toxins.
Its aim is to activate the body’s ability to regulate and heal itself and it aids blood flow and helps muscles and nerves.
Since I started on this, I’ve felt great. It’s made me more regular and lets me digest food, allowing the small intestine and bowel to settle down and work more regularly rather than getting inflamed.
When it comes to my everyday diet, breakfast normally consists of goat’s cheese or Vegemite, the Aussie equivalent to Marmite , on rye toast.
I don’t usually eat a big lunch. For dinner tonight, Donna is making steak and salad. And I’ll have a beer to wash it down. If I’m watching TV until late, I might have a carob biscuit.
I must admit, I don’t do a lot of exercise these days. I can’t run any more because of the knocks my legs have taken over the years, including falling off stage. And while I’ve still got enough energy to take walks, it’s not something I do as much as I did.
Mind you, when I’m touring, I must run miles on stage – my band members can’t believe it. Long may it continue.
- Leo begins a UK tour tomorrow. For dates, visit leosayer.com. His album, Restless Years, is out now.
Dr Anton Emmanuel, of the British Society of Gastroenterology, says:
“Ulcers can occur almost anywhere and one of the most common is in the stomach and in a year, around 2% of the population will suffer from one.
“An ulcer’s location will determine what symptoms are experienced.
“If it’s in the gullet you’ll get a heartburn feeling, in the stomach a gnawing, pain.
Ulcers in the colon are much rarer and sufferers will feel abdominal pain and even suffer rectal bleeding.
“We tend to think of cancers as lumps but some can present themselves as ulcers. They can appear as an erosion rather than a growth so it’s important that ulcers are investigated.
“Whereas ulcers in the stomach are more common and driven by factors such as lifestyle, smoking, stress and too much acid in the diet, colon ulcers can be as a result of inflammation – perhaps a kind of drug people take as medication or there may be a cancerous cause.
Colon ulcers are rare but can occur in men and women of all ages. Once its cause is determined, the best form of treatment can be agreed.”
