Debbie Roth’s Reviews > Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times > Status Update

I endured a squirming conversation with my GP in which I admitted that I’ve been studiously ignoring all the major signs of bowel cancer for about a year, and was referred for urgent tests and signed off sick.

The pain had built up through the night, he said, but by the time it was at its peak, the nurses were changing shift, so nobody could give him the medication to make it bearable. Then his appendix burst. He felt it happening. He screamed out in agony, only to be scolded by the ward sister for being rude and making a fuss. The man in the next bed had to get up to advocate on his behalf…