this is my first post.I am a realist and DONT talk bulldust.Yes I have been through what Peter has just endured.I very rarely ever went to the doctors.Retired at 59.When on our annual 3 monthly winter holidays in cairns. I had to see a doctor due to severe leg pain.The gp prescribed panadol forte .Whilst at the gp my wife says to me tell him about you having the ****s.Yes I had been going to the lavatory at least 6 times a day for the past 6 months and the colour of the crap. was a very dark brown and mainly watery . To me I assumed it would clear up .(when, I didnt know).The gp said those pills should fix up both problems..So 2 days later back to gp yes legs are not as bad but still have the ****s.From there (same building) to give a crap sample and a blood test.Next day(friday) test results back and gp does not give me a diagnosis but sends me to a specialist to arrange e colonoscopy.This was arranged for the next friday.Lucky my van has got a dunny in it because that stuff I had to take for the pre cleanout is a very fast and severe acting medicine Results of the colonoscopy showed not very much because the camera would only go up 6inches.That is where the cancer was.The reason the crap was watery is the body apparently causes this to happen as there was still enough room for the thinner crap to pass.Also the dark colour was caused by blood in the crap..As I knew blood was red I did not know I was passing it because the colour was closer to black.. and of course no alarm bells were ringing as technically I did not know I was passing blood.The result the specialist said is you have the cancer ,how bad he did not know but he said when they operate all will be found..My first question was How long have I got ?and he said get it looked at within at least 6 ..weeks..I was devistated..I had to wait 6 weeks before I could see the specialist in Melb who was to diagnose further.Within a week I was at the Alfred hosp as a day patient where they gave me 6 weeks of chemo(which is useless I believe) and also 3 days a week for 6 weeks of radiation treatment.(this did actually shrink the cancer a bit)For men before the radiation treatment have as much sex as you can possibly have because.....The radiation burnt my bum hole it was very sore ( especially being wiped 6 times a day as well) also it burnt all the goodnes from the testicles and completely upset the erection process. enough of that...After the radiation and chemo I finally got cut open and more cancer was found further up the tube as well so was also cut out.Whilst getting the radiation etc other parts of the body were checked for cancer and a spot as big as a pin was found in my liver. This happens from the cancer cells running around in the blood and just hopping off(in my liver)it is called metatasus. Now I have a **** bag attached to my stomach (not to be permanent so on the right hand side)..After a furthur 8 months the small mark in the liver is now real big ..Yes bad cancer.. In operating on the liver the surgeon used keyhole surgery going in through the **** bag hole (removed half my bloody liver) and connected my bum hole back up again so no more **** bag..Now after 2 and a bit years the cancer is growing in the liver again.Apparently in a position where it could not be operated on..They gave me ten months before the inevitable would happen,(this ran out 23/12/13).From the day I got the bad news I have been eating APRICOT kernals approximately 6 a day somtimes more...BELIEVE if you want to, but I am well past the use by date AND the cancer is still in my liver but up until now it has not spread any furthur..Why is this It is not chemo as I have refused to have it after the first episode..The oncologist at the Alfred Hosp.will not say why the cancer is not spreading although he told me NOT TO STOP taking the apricot kernals,even though in his opinion he did not know why the cqncer was not spreading..Maybe this may help somebody...Yes Peter you are one very lucky bloke you got diagnosed early...cb.