“IN early November 2010, the typical man, that is me, finally opened up to my partner Rachel about my toilet experiences.

“Nothing odd or kinky, I promise, but I had noticed, from time to time, some blood on the paper when I opened my bowels.

“Not often, not much, but for long enough to make me to start to wonder.”

After being pressed to see a doctor, a colonoscopy hospital examination found a rectal tumour.

“As I recovered from the sedative with a much needed cup of tea and a biscuit, the surgeon came in and said that the colon specialist happened to be on site, and would like to see me. This specialist was called Chris Cunningham, and he told me he wanted to remove the tumour, the size of a £2 coin, right away – but he couldn’t give me a second sedative.

“At this point I’d like to thank the nurse whose hand I nearly broke squeezing it while the procedure took place!”

Most of his rectum and about a foot of colon were removed in January.

“I spent only five nights in hospital, waiting for some normal function to resume, and overcoming various setbacks such as settling on the right pain relief. When I went home, however, I wasn’t prepared for my weakness, and having to rely on other people.

“I’m accustomed to being very self-reliant and capable. In fact I’m more of a carer by nature, so it was really hard to ask for help.”

Mr Dunkley, 45, who works at Rewley Road, Oxford, said Rachel and friends Bob Speakman, Mike Adcock and Kevin Dell provided vital support.

“They chopped wood, washed, vacuumed, shopped and did whatever other mundane, everyday tasks I couldn’t manage, as well as providing company and cheerful support.

“Rachel and these three selfless individuals made a huge difference to my life after surgery. All the same, I felt incredibly tired and feeble, and worst of all, I began to become obsessed with the way my bowels worked.

“Because bowel movement was so important in my recovery, but could also take a long time, it became difficult to ‘go’ anywhere but at home, where people wouldn’t be knocking on the door to go themselves or ask if I was OK.”

The Fire Fighters Charity offered two weeks at its Jubilee House home in Penrith, Cumbria, which he said provided “vital” emotional and physical support along with the “exemplary” NHS.

“My journey has been a series of fortunate events, as detailed above. If I had waited any longer, I would have had to have conventional treatment, meaning a longer recovery and almost certainly a stoma. I would also be looking at a second operation to reverse the stoma, and more time in hospital. Or it would have been too late…… “Because of the speed and nature of my treatment, I required no follow-up chemotherapy or radiotherapy, and so my recovery was much, much quicker.

“Bowel cancer is the second biggest killer in this country, because people ignore its symptoms until it’s too late.

“I cannot stress enough that if you are experiencing any symptoms at all, don’t hesitate for a single second to make an appointment with your GP.”