NEWS DESK
Busy life carries a health warning Neil Walker neil@baysidenews.com.au WHEN Donna Bauer first felt fatigued she put it down to the relentless workload of being a state MP and working mother. “I was working very long days in Parliament and in the community and by the time I’d get home I’d be so exhausted,” she said. After a battle with bowel cancer, the former Liberal MP for Carrum hopes other may be able to learn to seek early diagnosis and treatment to save lives. The 44-year-old mother of four first noticed “twinges” of pain in her stomach while training to walk the Kokoda track in mid-2013. “When I was in Kokoda I had extreme abdominal pain but I pushed through and finished the track,” she said. The abdominal pain was “spasmodic” upon her return to Australia, flaring up every three or four weeks. “I just lived with it. I ignored it and it wasn’t really until nine months later than I started looking into what was causing that pain.” Tests revealed she had advanced bowel cancer. “I got so involved in my career, my busy professional life and being a mum … that I put my own health last like a lot of busy people do.” June is bowel cancer awareness month and Mrs Bauer said it is not just “an old person’s disease”. Bowel cancer claims the lives of 77
Australians each week, according to information from Bowel Cancer Australia. More than 1000 Australians under the age of 50 are diagnosed with bowel cancer every year. “Bowel cancer is preventable through raising awareness and taking a bowel kit test or colonoscopy. Having polyps removed prevents bowel cancer,” Mrs Bauer said. She said people should be aware of the danger signs such as fatigue, stomach pain, unexplained weight loss and blood in bowel movements. Seeking out a family history of bowel cancer is also paramount to assess the risk factor. An uncle and cousin of Mrs Bauer both died of bowel cancer aged in their 40s. “People need to be alert that if they have a change in bowel movements then go and see a doctor and get it checked out.” If bleeding or pain persists, Mrs Bauer recommends insisting on a colonoscopy. She considers herself lucky to have had such expert medical treatment after the delayed bowel cancer diagnosis. “Don’t wait until it’s too late … it nearly cost me my life. I was told if I presented three months later I would have had a 50 per cent change of survival and six months later the cancer would have been inoperable.” See bowelcanceraustralia.org for details of bowel cancer testing or call 1800 555 494.
25%
Bay Trail works begin
Survivor: Donna Bauer wants others to heed the warning signs of bowel cancer since early diagnosis is crucial for survival. Picture: Gary Sissons
WORKS have begun on the “missing piece” of the Bay Trail after the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal endorsed Kingston Council’s plans for the project (‘Bay Trail gets VCAT go ahead’, The News 9/4/15). This will allow a 600 metre section at Mentone to complete the continuous bike path around Port Phillip Bay. The three-metre wide path next to Beach Road will run from Charman Rd to the Mentone Lifesaving Club. A reconfiguration of the Mundy St car park will allow the new path to link up with existing sections of the Bay Trail. Some vegetation along Beach Rd has been removed, which the council says it will compensate for with off-set plantings elsewhere and other vegetation and weed control works. The mayor Cr Geoff Gledhill said the project had been discussed for many years and he was pleased residents would soon be able to enjoy the results. “This is a valuable community project that will make it easier and safer for the community to walk, ride and run along our beautiful foreshore area,” he said. “I’m pleased that VCAT agreed that the project would cause only a ‘negligible’ loss of native vegetation that would be compensated by off-set planning.” Construction works will take about two months, depending on weather conditions. Some traffic and parking changes will occur in the area during the construction works, which may affect travel times in the area.
-OFF-
STOREWIDE* Must End Monday 8th June MASSIVE STOREWIDE SAVINGS!
ON ALL FURNITURE & HOMEWARES
BARISTA
TYSON
150-260w extension dining table in oak WAS
designer chair in noosa blue fabric
$1999
$1199
WAS
CRISTO dining chair WAS $199 NOW $129
$949
$712
NOW
PORTSEA
200w entertainment unit in white wash WAS
$999
$749
NOW
MOJITO
3 seater sofa in diego fabric WAS NOW
$2999
$2249
PORTO
big drawer buffet in clear lacquer / multi WAS
$2199
$1649
NOW
www.ozdesignfurniture.com.au 25% off storewide available on all new orders of furniture and homewares from 30-05-2015 till 8-06-2015 inclusive. Not to be used in conjunction with any other offer including Super Savers. Terms and conditions apply please visit www.ozdesignfurniture.com.au for further information.
OZ DESIGN FURNITURE MORNINGTON PH: 5977 0942, Showroom D4, Peninsula Home, 1128-1132 Nepean Highway OZ DESIGN VIC LOCATIONS: ESSENDON 9379 5792, GEELONG 5272 2744, HOPPERS CROSSING 9748 3044, NORTHLAND 9471 0244, NUNAWADING 9894 1566, RICHMOND 9429 8382 Chelsea Mordialloc Mentone News 3 June 2015
PAGE 3