A TORY MSP has revealed he has been treated for bowel cancer.
Edward Mountain encouraged his followers to take routine tests for the illness in a video address which has been hailed as “brave”.
Mountain, 61, said: “If you catch [bowel cancer] early, as I found out, it can be treatable.
“During the last year, I’ve had to take radiotherapy, and chemotherapy and I’ve had surgery to remove the area where the bowel cancer was.
Please have a quick look at this, it may help @bowelcanceruk #bowelcancerawarenessmonth pic.twitter.com/6g7F40tkwp
— Edward Mountain (@1edmountain) April 27, 2022
“I’ve still got a little bit more to do, should be clear of this by the end of May, which is really exciting.
“But you can avoid all of this if you follow the simple instructions and find the symptoms early and that way you can avoid the unpleasantness of radiotherapy and chemotherapy because bowel cancer will be dealt with before it becomes a problem.”
Mountain encouraged his followers to get tested for the illness. He said: “At some time in your life, you’ll get sent the ‘poo sticks’, as I call them.
“Make sure you use them. They’re really simple and they’re a really good way of detecting bowel cancer early.
“But there are other symptoms you can have, like blood in your poo which is what I had, a change in your bowel habits, tiredness, unexplained weight loss and also a lump in your tummy.”
The MSP’s was praised by the First Minister, who shared it with the caption: “This is really important – please have a listen.
“Thanks to [Edward Mountain] for raising awareness - and best wishes to him for continued recovery.”
Former Scottish Tory leader Jackson Carlaw said: “A brave and important message from my colleague Edward”.
Mountain has represented the Highlands and Islands region since 2016.
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