bowelbabe : Most liked Posts

avabella said:

I’ve said this all along and to be honest the comparisons between Deborah and Monique are pretty disgusting. Not once have I seen on this thread about how beautiful and gentle a soul Deborah is - it seems you’re only a gentle and beautiful soul if you’re portrayed as weak and fragile as Monique has been in her posts.

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I think this is unfair. Noone thinks Monique is a good person just because she's weak and fragile. What a strange thing to suggest. It's because she genuinely comes across as a lovely, kind-hearted, down to earth woman. Deborah for most, does not. That doesn't mean she's a 'bad' person, but she comes across quite self-serving and certainly not very relatable, hence the comparisons. That has absolutely nothing to do with how ill they are or aren't. You don't have to like someone or give false compliments just because they are sick. In fact I think it would be more insulting to do so.

Morphine and midazolam are my drugs of choice for EOL. Very peaceful with the right doses. We’ve also got things to fry up secretions and anti sickness as standard down here too. Don’t be mistaken that a high dose of morphine will cause instant death. We can’t give enough to kill and it completely goes against our PIN to do so, however sometimes it’s a side effect that isn’t necessarily a bad thing at a certain stage in the dying process. I’ve never told a patient or their family that it is a side effect, just that it might make things more “peaceful”. We are not there to kill people, just make them more comfortable. Some drugs do lead to a faster passing, but that’s not the reason we give them. Just clearing that up!

It's very bizarre to explain but does anyone else find it surreal to imagine Deborah not here anymore? It's daft because this was always going to happen and it's been clear for months now that it was sooner rather than later, but she's such a larger than life personality and she's done such a good job at not appearing 'sick' that it's actually difficult to comprehend that it is indeed going to take her life. Sounds mad I know because I have always harped on about her being in denial and now it sounds like I am (!), but I guess somewhere down the line all this options talk really does tap into your subconscious and you get used to her always having another treatment on the horizon.

Maybe instead of another bowel babe thread we just create a general cancer bloggers thread. I personally don’t feel that much more needs to be said on BB going forward

I think when it comes to end of life care it is hard to know what you would do if you where in her shoes.
Im a stage 4 patient, recieving palliative chemotherapy on the NHS. I know I wont have as many "options" as BB but I had a good chat with my oncologist and we agreed that as long as my quality of life is good we would try everything we possibly can. I know my life will be cut short and I won't kive to see my little girl grow into a beautiful woman but I'll damn make sure I try everything to have quality time with her.
If I had BB's money I honestly think I would keep going if they let me do so.
It is difficult, really difficult.
I agree with what a lot of you are saying, that it doesn't seem like she has any quality of life but I can see why she won't give up.
I think to BB doing her make up, going to harrods etc etc is deemed having a good quality of life as it is something she couldn't do weeks ago however to most of is a good quality of life is spending it with our loved ones!
My point is palliative care is difficult to navigate, it is a difficult position to be in and when you have defied the odds so many times you may naturally want to continue to do that.

I’ve been following Deborah for a few months now. At first I was in awe at how amazing and positive she was. I just thought you are an inspiration to us all. On days when I didn’t feel like going to the gym I would listen to her and think for goodness sake if she can go to Pilates every day (whilst dying of cancer) then surely I should be getting off my backside and going to the gym. However, I am seeing a different side to it all now. Please don’t get me wrong, I still feel for her as she is terminally ill but honestly if you take that away she is intolerable. It’s all me me me! Full makeup when she goes in for the procedures. Even when she was walking for the first time with the drip she was wearing her off the shoulder hospital gown number tucked in to her sweaty Betty £80 freebie leggings. Constantly referring to her team of Drs giving her options. The totally inappropriate advertising for high end clothing and beauty products. Doing a period pant advert when at the beginning her sweet daughter said she didn’t want to talk about it. The interview with the doctor on bowel cancer on zoom- she was flipping her hair and actually pouting whilst he was talking. I could go on and on. She is presenting living with cancer from a wealthy, private healthcare perspective and to be honest I find it sickening. She has inadvertently highlighted the massive divide between private and NHS. I have stopped following her.

Karolina1985 said:

I know you won't understand it, because you are all not so keen od Deborah, but I will be devastated when she will die. I'm not a cancer sufferer myself, I was once scrolling on my instagram and Natalie Woodward (@iamnatwoodward) popped on my feed and I thought "oh who is she, she's so pretty". So I started following her and I found out about her bowel cancer and everything that happened to her, still can't comprehend the extensivity of the surgery that she has had. Later through Nat I found Monique and Deborah and that's when my love for BB started. She's just my type of person, I love her energy, I love every silly video that she has made. I was just in awe of her strenght and positivity, I loved that she's all glam on hospital corridors, that's she's dancing to Stayin Alive by Bee Gees in the middle of London streets. I just don't want her to be dead, I want her instagram to go on and be fun and positive for a years to come. I don't why I'm really typing this to you, but I made a promise to myself - I won't follow anymore women with stage IV cancer because you get attached somehow and those people even though they are strangers they will be missed once they're gone.

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Gosh, cancer and dying is a sad sad reality but this comment is strange. Sad, yes. Devastated and wanting her to go on forever? Maybe social media is not the best place for you if you feel this way about a stranger

In my opinion her motivation for the ads is fame. She is an extrovert and egotist and (like all major influencers) once given a platform to perform on it becomes addictive. Plus all the messages she gets give her validation

Make no mistake she is a seasoned professional. The silence followed by an update showing her current life and then when she has our attention wham bam an advert.

Bowelgran has just posted a second teaser about her exciting photoshoot with a promise of a reveal shortly. This belies the images portrayed yesterday of her worsening condition and Bowelgran moving into be with her. They both play the game and in my opinion ill or not are fair game for criticism. She is monetising her cancer which is a kick in the teeth for others who suffer without her privilege

Saying given her current circumstances it might seem strange showing Hugo’s teeth…..NO! It’s bloody strange that multi millionaires ( house worth we’ll over 2 mil plus husband loaded) are getting free dental care and putting their child out there to advertise it.

I think maybe closing the thread is a good idea.

I hope I don’t sound a hypocrite because I didn’t agree with all Deborah did but I do feel really sad. I feel sad for her, for her family and just sad we’re in 2022 and we haven’t progressed enough that a woman in her 40s (or anyone for that matter) can overcome cancer. Mostly I feel for her kids, this terrible disease has completely changed their life at such a young age.

I want to thank everyone who has contributed to Deborah’s threads. I’ve learned so much here. I had an extremely naive view that most people with cancer slip away comfortably. I’ve shed tears at what this awful disease has done to us all.

I really don't know why anyone thinks she's doing it for money for the kids. The kids will never want for a thing, their father is fucking loaded. I fully believe she's doing it as a distraction because she can't cope otherwise. I don't think it's anything to do with money, doubt it ever has been.

LittleMissRuby said:

Absolutely agree. GPs refusing to see patients but still expecting us nurses ti be patient facing throughout

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Not all GPs. I’m a GP and have seen people f2f the entire time through the pandemic, done home visits and now pretty much back to pre-pandemic working. I’m working my arse off and fed up with people slagging us off constantly.

We have a shortage of about 6000 GPs across the country and attitudes like this just mean more are leaving to work privately or emigrate or leave medicine completely. I’m getting to the point now that I want to leave

What are the drs telling her if she’s telling everyone that she just needs to eat loads of shite food to put on weight. Terminal cachexia is not resolved by simply eating Mac Donald’s! Have any of the private drs had an honest conversation with her or do they just keep taking her money and giving her false hope? The whole situation just beggars belief and it’s a real insight into private medicine - it’s as if they treat until the last second because they are getting paid huge amounts of money. BB just loves to paint this picture all the time that there are endless options and that she just needs a drain to work and her liver will be back to normal or she just needs to eat loads of Mac Donald’s to regain her weight. Her followers who are none the wiser and believe every word that she broadcasts will be shocked to the core when the end comes and that realistically is within a few weeks at the most. Theres just no honesty in her posts it’s all adverts and bravado. Even the bloody bragging that her brother looks like prince William and letting everyone know he’s not available. Finally what really surprises me is that there is not one picture of her husband by her side- where the fuck is he?? Surely his work would allow him some compassionate leave now to be by her side or maybe he is the camera man? It’s all just bonkers

Blonde_moment said:

Deborah’s dancing video is just incredibly sad. She’s like a dancing bear in a zoo. It comes across as desperation to carry on like she used to be, but she isn’t that person anymore. She’s emaciated, jaundiced and clearly very unwell.
It’s upsetting to see how both Deborah and Monique are declining and suffering. It’s a real eye opener into the reality of stage 4 cancer

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I agree and this post is much more compassionate than mine so I apologise If I’ve come across as uncompassionate. I wouldn’t wish cancer on anyone and it’s heartbreaking seeing people go through this. I just can’t get my head around BB and how she’s dealing with this at all though. But that’s probably my problem as we are all different I suppose.

All I can add is fuck cancer. What a stupid shit disease.

The You, Me and the Big C podcast was an amazing idea and Rachael Bland, who was a very competent and experienced journalist, did a brilliant job of getting it going and making it a really honest and valuable resource for so many people. But since Rachel died, everyone else involved in the podcast has completely exploited their little bit of fame to make money/raise their own profiles.

Most ridiculously, Rachel's husband Steve (who got together with another woman who looks exactly like Rachel so fast it was just SUPER AWKWARD...they're now getting married) is now part of the podcast...WHY? Lauren Mahon also has a merch range as well and is big into her own version of self-promotion, and of course Deborah is just an Instagram version of a QVC presenter at this point.

It's just really disappointing what it's become and I can't believe for a second that it's what Rachael ever would have wanted.

I was 18 when my mum died of cancer. She was diagnosed in July and passed away in September. I will always regret that I didn’t spend enough time with her in her final months. I still had to go to work, I still wanted to see my friends and my boyfriend and in all honesty I didn’t like being around my mum in hospital and at home seeing how frail she was, she barely had the energy to hold a conversation most days. Looking back now I can see how selfish that was and I just didn’t want to face the reality of it all. All I know now is that I’m in my 30’s, I have spent nearly as much of my life without my mum as I did with her, she never saw me buy a house, get married or met my children. Every happy moment in my life is also tinged with sadness. BB’s children may be doing what they have to do to get through it at the moment and that’s up to them but they may regret it later in life like I do. Sorry for such a long ramble!

Why does everyone keep saying that the ad’s are fair enough if it’s making her feel better etc?

She’s a sales person, she’s literally on the internet selling products to us. If someone knocked on your door selling you windows, whilst visibly and very seriously unwell you would think wtf and be concerned for them and wonder why their employer isn’t safeguarding them.
It’s absolutely obscene in my opinion.

OMG she is now complaining that she is clinically vulnerable and can’t get any covid tests sent to her. WELL STOP GALAVANTING ROUND HARRODS/JEWELLY SHOPS AND THE POLLUTION RIDDEN AMBULANCE BAY THEN!!! The hospital staff must be really fed up with her entitled attitude.

I am a recovering bowel cancer NHS patient. I really don't think Deborah Bowel babe is promoting a true reflection of living through cancer chemo etc. Firstly anyone who is not receiving private health care is given a time limit of receiving chemo, which is usually three years, radiotherapy surgery etc. But after three years you are offered very little only palliative care. Deborah's constant ops and ongoing chemo is paid for for example Avastin which can put the cancer to sleep is very expensive. Many people, reading her posts will think they can receive the, same treatment. And, as for all this prancing about after chemo she must be drugged up to the, eyeballs to even have the energy to get out of bed.! And don't, start me on her plugging all the freebies I think she has lost her way with regard to what she, started her blog about in the first place. I did follow her on Instagram. When I told her very politely that, she should state its only cause she has private health that she's getting this treatment she blocked me, say no more!!!!

Lifeislemons said:

This thread should be shut. It’s crossing a line.

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Why? She has cancer and we have all said she does amazing things with promoting and raising awareness, but it’s not always a true representation and I think people are allowed to say that. Remember for all her praise of the NHS Deborah has private health care and I truly believe that has helped her still be here, many do not get that opportunity, I’m not begrudging it her at all but there is a difference. The original poster stated they found it hard to watch the constant dancing around whilst saying how ill they were, again nothing wrong with that. I think it’s crossing a line that someone who makes a living from their illness is suddenly not allowed to be spoken about.