Dame Deborah James reveals she’s ‘gutted’ she won’t live to see proud moment
DAME Deborah James has revealed she is 'gutted' she won't live to see one of her "proudest achievements".
The Sun writer has been busy in the last couple of weeks, launching a fashion collection and raising money for her BowelBabe Fund.
Her 'Rebellious Hope' t-shirts, part of her In The Style collection, have raised hundreds of thousands of pounds.
Meanwhile her fund, which will see money go to the Royal Marsden, Cancer Research UK and Bowel Cancer UK has raised over £6.5million.
Sales of a rose named after the 40-year-old have also topped £50,000.
But the mum-of-two also has a book coming out later this year, which has already reached the top of the Amazon charts.
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Posting on Dame Debs said: "Thank you to everyone that has already pre-ordered it.
"Gutted I won't see it published."
Earlier this month Deborah was moved to at home hospice care - after living with stage four bowel cancer since her diagnosis in 2016.
Not one to slow down, the Dame has kept herself occupied over the last couple of weeks.
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On May 18, Debs said the publishing date of the book had been moved forward as she’s got “a few things to share” before she dies.
The book, How To Live When You Could Be Dead, was originally due to be released next year - but will now be published on August 18.
Debs previously said: "It’s been a labour of love! "And I think people will might find it surprising - it’s certainly not a follow on to book one.
"It’s all about mindset and how the learnings of a positive mindset might help you even in the darkest moments."
Revealing the book to her loyal Instagram followers, she said the title was 'ironic'.
“I wanted to share all my (hard-won!!) learning on how to have a positive mindset when we are faced with life’s biggest challenges," she said.
- To pre-order Deborah's book visit
- Her t-shirt is still available through in sizes 6-28
- The Dame Deborah James rose, Bare Root, is available at
The signs of bowel cancer you need to know - remember BOWEL
- B:Bleeding
There are several possible causes of bleeding from your bottom, of blood in your poo.
Bright red blood could come from swollen blood vessels, haemorrhoids or piles, in your back passage.
Dark red or black blood could come from your bowel or stomach.
Blood in your stools is one of the key signs of bowel cancer, so it’s important to mention it to your doctor so they can investigate.
2. O: Obvious change in loo habits
It’s important to tell your GP if you have noticed any changes in your bowel habits, that lasts three weeks or longer.
It’s especially important if you have also noticed signs of blood in your poo.
You might notice you need to go to the loo more often, you might have looser stools or feel like you’re not going enough or fully emptying your bowels.
Don’t be embarrassed, your GP will have heard a lot worse! Speak up and get it checked.
3. W: Weight loss
This is less common than the other symptoms, but an important one to be aware of. If you’ve lost weight and don’t really know why, it’s worth mentioning to your GP.
You may not feel like eating, feel sick, bloated and not hungry.
4. E: Extreme tiredness
Bowel cancer that causes bleeding can cause a lack of iron in the body – anaemia. If you develop anaemia you’re likely to feel tired and your skin might look pale.
5. L: Lump or pain
As with lots of other forms of cancer, a lump or pain can be a sign of bowel cancer.
It’s most likely you’ll notice a pain or lump in your stomach or back passage.
See your GP if it doesn’t go away, or if it affects how you eat or sleep
A donation of £3 from the sale of each book will go to the .
While the book is a proud achievement for Deborah, she has also helped raised awareness of the signs and symptoms of bowel cancer.
Last week it was revealed that M&S will start to print the symptoms of the illness on the back of its toilet rolls.
The retailer is also set to display signage throughout their stores.
Debs has always been clear, check your poo and don't make it a taboo.
The idea for the loo roll came about after M&S staff member Cara Hoofe was diagnosed with stage 4 bowel cancer in 2016 at 32-years-old.
She was inspired to put forward the idea by Debs after seeing all the work she has done to raise awareness.
Over the weekend, Debs praised Cara for all the work she had done to make the loo roll a reality.
People who get an early diagnosis of bowel cancer have a better chance of recovering.
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But 60 per cent of people are diagnosed at later stages when it is much more difficult to treat.
Part of the problem is low awareness of the red flag symptoms of bowel cancer that should prompt people to contact their GP.
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