bowelbabe : Most liked Posts

I read it too. She seems quite shocked about the post covid ambulance waiting times. Imagine all of those patients on their way to A&E who didn’t have their consultants private mobile number!!

candyland_ said:

Surely it’s thousands on top per treatment otherwise we would all pay £80 a month. You see people desperately fund raising for treatments or medications.

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Agree even though she is private there is still a limit on what you can claim. As she is now end of life she will have to self fund to get any treatment other than palliative care. This will costs thousands if not hundreds of thousands of £s. As an example I was on cetuxumab a monoclonal antibody alongside chemo a few years ago. This was only available privately initially so we had to pay £3.5k per month which we had to crowd fund to get money luckily everyone was amazingly generous and we managed 11 months @40k before I finally got it through compassionate grounds because my Onc was really proactive and fought for this. But other treatments are much more immunotherapy is £100,000 + per treatment that is every 3 weeks and surgery like BB has is tens of 1000s each time. She paints an unrealistic of cancer. A normal NHS. Person is offered if they are lucky 3 lines of conventional chemo after that once it stops working you are basically sent home to die with GP support. You wouldn’t be saved like BB with a varicelle bleed ( I’m an ex nurse I’ve seen this first hand it’s brutal) basically you would be in resus bleeding out and dying- def not calling a consultant to come and save me!!. She frustrates me because she isn’t honest about the fact her family throw money at the problem. I have a medical background so get this but many of her minion followers take everything she says at face value and think that if they have cancer this will be their experience, this is so wrong and she needs to be held to account for this!!!

AnnaBanana85 said:

I am also fed up with people tarring all GPs with the same brush. Regardless of your experience, the vast majority of GPs have worked tirelessly throughout the pandemic. People don’t seem to realise that it was government led advice directed via health board management that most GP contacts switched to telephone consultations.

Its the NHS, it’s failing and that’s a fact. But don’t bash GPs who have very little say in how consultations changed during the pandemic. People seem to expect the NHS to be this ultra super power continuing to thrive during a global crisis. It simply isn’t up to that standard unfortunately but it’s not the fault of an individual sector.

Write to your local MP with your own experience of failings, because ultimately “GPs not seeing anyone” is far from reality. In my opinion it’s a reflection of how self entitled a society we have become. Don’t like it - go private or move country and sample the spectacular health services world wide..!

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Just telling you my experience as a family member and a community nurse. My mum didn’t see a gp from diagnosis to death. The gp then wanted to verify death via zoom to which I refused. I also refused to do it professionally. The gp’s I work with did not do any home visits at all. I’m not slagging of gp’s as a whole just telling my experience

In the past, I bought a YSL lipstick based on her recommendation, but this ad didn't encourage me in any way whatsoeve. I'm put off complaining directly, as the last time someone did this the company she was working with in partnership shared the complainers details with BB and then the did a screenshot and shared it on her story, which to me was a GDPR breach.

Is BB really the winner here though I’m not sure. She’s bought herself more technical time but at what cost? And Monique seems to have a beautiful supportive family and can see the joy of things like feeding the ducks whereas BB has… bowelgran and compulsive tat hoarding

Mumof3 said:

Your post is so spot on. I just wanted to send my love to you, I can’t begin to imagine how hard things must be for you xx

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Thank you so much. And look, it is partly the rantings of a bitter dying woman but cancer really makes you extra aware of the division between the 'haves' and 'havenots' of society and instagram only pushes us the 'haves' and it makes me sad. If i tried to start an Instagram page no one would care, because it would be a plump, grey lady eating food from Aldi. Deborah, I am convinced, only has the best intentions at heart and I do not think she is a bad person and she is going through a nightmare I would not wish on anyone. But, ultimately, she won't ever understand the struggle some of us experience, and I wish she would stop reminding us of that so much.

I have to say as well, with regards to “pushing for more” my own view is that if you’re from a background of wealth and have always been middle class then not only are you much more comfortable with pushing for more from consultants and healthcare workers, but you’re also a lot more likely to have your demands respectfully listened to and considered than if you’re from a less privileged background and are not as well spoken or articulate.
And whilst I genuinely think it’s great that other, NHS patients at the Marsden are benefitting from funds from the private sector, the fact remains that in the NHS system generally, the standard of care is sub standard in comparison with private care. We only have to compare the way Monique has been treated to see the glaring differences, and most of us have our own horror stories to tell.
I stress again, though, that I don’t resent BB getting the level of care she has received and only wish her the best.
What I resent is that such a glaring gulf exists.

willowy2022 said:

I’ve seen BB’s content and have only just come across these Tattle chats. It’s always made me feel uneasy how BB has made a ‘career’ out of her cancer and I’ve concluded that’s it’s predominantly for self serving purposes. She’s clearly got a shed load of determination and will which I’m sure is helping her to continue battling this but she never seems to engage with her followers and the ads seem to be the majority of her content now. Feel for her situation, must be so tough but she grates on me and I’m no troll, just a person who recognises someone who is very self involved!

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I totally agree with you here. I saw BB on TV and looked her up and soon found myself following her back in January. At first I had genuine concern but also the utmost admiration for her. But i began to see her posts, and coming from someone who works for the NHS, as egotystic. If she has the money to get private healthcare then good on her and noone can critise her for that but its the way she portrays her cancer care as if it is the norm for everyone. She could so use her celebrity status now as highlighting the differences between the inequalities of NHS and private - be a true ambassador for cancer (instead of for SB/Fand F ect ect) by bringing this out in the open instead of keeping it quiet but at the same time bragging about how lucky she is. I am reading from here that she is galavanting out whilst she is an inpatinet. Private or not there are blanket rules for safety. I can imagine none of the staff have the courage to tell her she cannot do this as she would just throw an absolute paddy if anyone dares critisise her. If she wants to be at home getting palliative care then fine. But the truth is she is an inpatient and needs to respect that and not put the other patients or even the staff at risk of catching covid.
On another note whilst I was following her I was beginning to think I was the worst person in the world not liking her because after all she is dying and seriously thought I needed to question my thought processes. However after finding this site I realise now that I am not some nasty bitch but someone who can see through the sexual dances/glamorous clothes and heavy makeup and express my views that these blogs are just wrong. They are so self indulgent it is laughable. She is a carbon copy of her mother who too is enjoying thIs celebrity lifestyle and the attention all off the back of her dying daughter. Ive washed my hand of all of them and am not wasting my time reading their posts anymore. I truly wish her well. I am no troll thankyou very much but soemone who just happens to disagree with BB and her behaviour.

corobamoner said:

I don’t understand the disgust with her doing ADs.

These are long term partnerships she has, and she has continued to promote throughout her treatments. If I was stuck in hospital with limited visits and was able to (which she clearly is) I’d also be continuing to work with my ad partners- why not?! It gives a little purpose and normality and breaks up the days of constant treatment. People keep saying she could spend her time better, but how? How much Netflix a day can you watch? She can’t spend 24 hours on calls with family either, they have lives too. A spare 5 minutes spent on filming a story is nothing.

Peoples irritation with ‘influencers’ constantly peddling stuff is warranted, but BB shouldn’t be criticised beyond that just because she’s choosing to carry on doing so whilst an inpatient in hospital.

She’s an inpatient receiving treatment for an infection, before (she says) restarting her active cancer treatment, and she is continuing to do some ad work throughout that. Perhaps peoples disgust with this is due to thinking she’s more ill than she says, and at the end of the line of her treatment? She’s choosing to document her cancer journey as many others have done, and if people don’t like viewing her content because she’s more unwell now, then that’s understandable and they should stop.
We’re not her doctors and asserting she should be in a hospice instead is not anyones place.

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As someone who works in advertising (or worked, until I got too ill and we agreed that it would be strange to continue to watch me struggle to work as I deteriorate - Bowel Babe take note) I can say it's incredibly strange for brands to have not backed off by this point and so can understand where people are coming from when they are uncomfortable with it. It isn't the norm. I am not sure why it is happening. I agree with the others that it is morally questionable

Also, as you literally say in this post - it takes her about 5 minutes - so she is hardly going to be get much sense of normality from 5 minutes here and there, and it isn't going to be a viable alternative to Netflix as you suggest.

Personally, I feel that she could fill her 5 minute pockets in a different way - talking to her children, doing an educatory post on insta, distracting herself on the internet, doing some mindfulness etc etc. I think we can all agree she doesn't need the money, so why the desperation to sell?

Again, as a cancer patient in a very similar position to Bowel Babe I'd prefer a more realistic look at having cancer especially if, as you said, she's here to document her journey. And I don't think we should be encouraging brands to use seriously ill or dying people to sell products however much they want to- imagine the dark, Black Mirror places this could take us in future!

Half the time I am in too much pain to sit up, and I doubt she's experiencing much less given the look of her - I don't expect or want to see cancer influencers propped up to flog a product whether it's because the brand have told her to (if so, that's disgusting) or she wants to (if so she's misguided as I don't think this helps her brand or her cancer message- and she needs someone to have a word with her)

vix68 said:

You misunderstand us. NONE of us want her dead. When someone chooses to live their life or circumstance through social media they open themselves up to people opinions. I see that she is pretty and full of energy and positiveness but I also see the show off side that I find vulgar. That’s not saying I won’t be sad when she goes. I can see all sides of her and for me part of her personality I am not so keen on. That’s what tattle is all about it’s not a troll forum it’s about people expressing their opinions in a free way. Yes we pick each other up if we’ve stepped over the mark or offended someone but it’s a discussion site where we can express our opinions. We’ve also learned a lot about cancer and end of life care and peoples experiences. This site is not just about singing someone’s praises and wishing they get better soon when someone has terminal cancer, it’s an all round site that we can express positiveness, realism, ask questions and sound off when we get annoyed. Sorry for going on a bit but I too will be sad when she passes as she is so positive and so full of life - but I say it again bloody annoying when she brags

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Thank you for saying this. I found that post quite offensive. Just because we on this thread find Deborah’s conduct on IG annoying, unethical and (as has been the case in recent weeks) quite disturbing, that does not mean that any of us will be happy when she dies. Anyone who has spent any time on this thread will have seen people saying how sad it is that she’s reached the end of the line, and how terrible we feel for her family and kids. Nuance, people. No one here is a monster.

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

michellew said:

If you look on her Instagram the first set of reels (or whatever they are called!) from ‘chemo 19’ are getting p*ssed DURING her chemo infusions.

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Trust me as someone also with stage 4 bowel cancer diagnosed 2 months before BB the thought of drinking during chemo still makes me gag today. BB is the most infuriating and obnoxious spoilt immature brat I have ever met. She is so removed from reality now it’s unreal. I go to the Marsden (NHS) for treatment regularly and interestingly at one visit the nurses were chatting to me and mentioned if I had heard of BB. They then

sharpie69 said:

Trust me as someone also with stage 4 bowel cancer diagnosed 2 months before BB the thought of drinking during chemo still makes me gag today. BB is the most infuriating and obnoxious spoilt immature brat I have ever met. She is so removed from reality now it’s unreal. I go to the Marsden (NHS) for treatment regularly and interestingly at one visit the nurses were chatting to me and mentioned if I had heard of BB. They then

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Sorry pressed wrong button… went on to say that they were flabbergasted by her inappropriate behaviour during treatment - the prancing around and disturbing everyone as well as wasting nursing time being demanding… so it’s very telling the staff at the RMH really hate her as well and that was before the recent admission to hospital. She must be insufferable now! And bowelgran don’t get me started, tragic doesn’t even cut it. If my mum EVER acted like that god I would disown her. As for her procedures- as someone rightly pointed out these are basic things a nurse does- dressing a drain site or removing a drain is a quick 5 minute job ( used to be a nurse myself) it doesn’t require a ‘procedure’ she is just amping this up as part of her tragic attention seeking behaviour! Apologies for the rant the red mist descends when I see her posts- it’s like picking a scab

I have just read the column - out of pure curiosity. It must have been an awful experience - that much is obvious. But so pleased that as she was dying she managed to phone her private consultant. Really?!

Moniques post brought tears to my eyes, these pics are so raw and so very real. I admire her courage for sharing her story , the real ups and downs. Her story has really tugged on everyone’s heart strings. I’m gutted for her and her family and loved ones that she’s so poorly. Words just don’t seem to be enough sometimes.

ordinaryjelly said:

And to think some BB defender came on here and said Monique must be paying him to stick around.

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Yeah, a couple of people said some really odd stuff about this couple. Not sure what they were smoking to be honest, I think the support he has shown her is genuinely lovely. When I was first diagnosed my boyfriend at the time got freaked out and left me. And my cancer was only stage 2. It takes a brave, good person to deal with something like this. I admire them both so much.

BettyCrockerr said:

The truth is that both Deborah and Monique are at very similar states in their disease - both are nearing the end of the treatment they can have and sadly both are nearing the end of their lives. But look at the difference in the way they are behaving and handling the situation. Monique is dealing with it with grace, light and spending time with her nearest & dearest and trying to find some quality of life and a sliver of hope even though she knows it’s futile. Deborah is ranting on about “trolls” and trying to flog some shite on Instagram.

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I probably sound a bit of a dick saying this but I made a donation to Monique’s GFM after the link was posted here and I got a lovely automated email back from her dad. Yes it probably took him seconds to compose and it is just automated but I’ve donated to various GFMs and never received that.

Little things like that tell me more about a person or people than how many followers they have or how many blue ticks liked their posts.

I’m desperately sad for both these women who are at the same devastating point but so very different.

ginnyw said:

I like the way we've all suddenly become united on here. Because, let's face it, this is horrible human tragedy and suffering and a family going through hell.

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I think when someone is actively dying there is nothing left to say other than god bless her

jackolantern said:

I guess it depends how you measure success. Is success buying/hoarding lots of shit you don't need just to cope? I'm not sure. Also, she's bought her 5 years, that doesn't make her personally successful, it just makes her wealthy and lucky. It's a bit insulting to all the cancer patients who can't do the same tbh, are they not successful? I'm glad she's had the extra time but I don't think it's a direct result of her capabilities as a human (other than arguably her willpower for sure).

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Completely agree this comment is patronising to cancer patients like myself. I’ve also gone 5.5 yrs with stage 4 bowel and mets through NHS. It’s not about being successful on IG and how much crap you can flog, it’s about having right gene profile within the illness to be able to have life extending drugs that work. I know my luck will run out at some point but for now I’m well, live every day like it’s my last and am lucky enough to be able to work, I just don’t feel the need to shout this from the rooftops like BB. I think personally it’s quite distasteful now watching someone who is basically on end of life care with failing organs living out her remaining time flogging crap, as someone previously mentioned it’s like an episode or black mirror/ snuff movie as we all wait to see her die. I would hope my final days were not on IG and quiet with family and friends. But then I get everyone is different. It’s interesting though if you see her on IG now she is using more old pics I think as she looks much fuller faced in some rather than others, maybe she is starting to realise it’s becoming a bit of a freak show and I can guarantee you that there will be voyeurs out there on her account watching the progress, one thing I have learned on IG is there are a lot of weirdos out there getting off watching people die with cancer- yes I think it is a thing. I police my account really carefully and rarely allow random new followers for this reason- BB having a public account has every Tom Dick and pervy Harry watching her daily updates, makes my skin crawl.

GossipBlue said:

I have to agree on the hubby! He seems very pally with Bowelbabe and Lauren which is understandable after he took his wife’s place on the podcast. He has found love again which is nice to see. Although, I have to say I’m always interested to see how people move on after the death of a partner. When I was diagnosed and having treatment I nearly told my hubby that under no circumstances Was he to move on if I popped it. I didn’t say it though. I have said it since though

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My husband died last year of bowel cancer and, two days before he died, he made me promise that I would be open to meeting someone new. He didn’t want me and our daughter to be alone and I think that was beautifully selfless. It blows my mind that there is a taboo around widows finding love again. Are we supposed to sit and wear black for a few years? My husband died in May 2020, but essentially I lost my husband in January 2017. That is the day we found out he had terminal cancer and our relationship was stolen from us. I’ve recently met an incredible man and I would never justify myself to anyone.

People have affairs all the time. Yet us widows are judged for trying to piece our lives back together again. I definitely deserve love and my husband wanted that for me.

Pat MyCock said:

Oh gosh, she looks so ill. I am going to have to stop following her, this isn't me being rude, but she needs privacy at this time. Watching her this ill feels so wrong.

I do wish her the best.

As for the ads, surely she is doing this for her kids future? Like Jade Goody did before she died, tried to get as much cash as possible for her kids?

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Jade Goody came from absolute nothing so I can see why she made money for her boys while she could.