Pātiki and Waharua Kōpito patterns
Northlander George Dods shares how a free bowel screening kit led to early cancer detection — and a second chance.
When a green envelope arrived in the post not long after his 60th birthday, Mr Dods didn’t think much of it. Like many, he’d seen the bowel screening ads on TV, but the idea of actually doing the test? That was a different story.
“I put it on my desk, then it got buried under paper... found it, buried it again — that happened a few times,” he laughs. “I didn’t avoid it on purpose, but life gets busy. It took a few months before I actually sat down and did it.”
What changed? “Honestly,” he says, “I realised how easy it was. You do it at home, in private. No one needs to know. The most public part is posting it back.”
Mr Dods didn’t have any symptoms. No family history. No pressing reason to act. But the kit showed up, and thankfully, he followed through. The result: a positive test and a quick call from the medical team.
“That moment triggered everything,” he says. “Suddenly I was booked for a colonoscopy. I remember thinking, ‘What even is a colonoscopy?’ I had no idea what I was in for — but it turned out to be a lot less scary than I imagined.”
During the procedure, Mr Dods found himself watching the screen alongside the doctor. “I laughed out loud. The doctor asked what was funny, and I told him, ‘Doc, that’s a part of me I never thought I’d see!’”
The colonoscopy confirmed that there was something suspicious in his colon – and that it needed to be removed.
For Mr Dods, the choice was clear.
“I said, ‘I’m only 60. There’s more I want to do.’ So I committed fully. Changed my diet, did all the prep, and showed up for surgery on the 27th of March — ready to go.”
Fortunately, the surgery went smoothly. The cancer hadn’t spread. Radiation wasn’t needed. And his care team made sure he was supported every step of the way.
“There was always a plan. That made a huge difference,” he says. “I never felt left hanging.” Ten days later, he got the news: the operation was a complete success. “They got it all. I was over the moon. I told the doctor to thank the whole team — everyone I dealt with was outstanding.”
Now, he’s sharing his story to encourage others to do the test — especially those who’ve put the envelope to one side.
“I’m not shy about it. It’s part of life. We need to talk about it more. If it wasn’t for that screening test arriving in the mail, I wouldn’t have known anything was wrong. I had no symptoms. I’d never have gone to the doctor.”
He pauses, then smiles.
“It really was the best birthday present I’ve had in a long time. Yeah, I had to do a bit of work to get the benefit — but it was worth it.”
For Mr Dods, the message is simple: “None of us need to die of bowel cancer. Caught early, it’s treatable. And this programme gives us that chance. So do the test. Don’t put it off.”
