Bowel patients, medical staff meet to catch up on progress
AN UNUSUAL reunion party took place at the weekend between bowel patients and medical professionals.
The event at the Professor Shaw Community Centre, organised by the Medical Specialist Group and supported by Health & Social Care and Bowel Cancer Guernsey, saw about 40 people attend.
Anyone who has undergone a major bowel resection at the Princess Elizabeth Hospital in recent years was invited, whether it was for cancer, diverticular disease or inflammatory bowel disease.
MSG consultant surgeon Carol Makin said the gathering was a great chance to catch up with patients, but also get feedback on the care the patients had received.
She enjoyed meeting the patients again.
‘For some of them, it is about them saying “I’m here, I’m alive”,’ she said.
This was the fifth gathering that has been held.
The first was in 2011 and the last one was held in 2016.
Clinical nurse specialist colorectal and stoma care Andrea Le Page said she enjoyed the event.
‘It is lovely to see them come back and to get feedback,’ she said.
Among the people attending was Margaret Allard, who had bowel treatment in 2011. She has been to a meet-up before and said she was pleased to be able to come along again.
‘They were also so good to me,’ she said.
‘They were fantastic.’
