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Austin Birks
Mar 19, 20244 min read
Trouble and strife with the strawberry tart
In my adolescent years, I had a mate of mine called Eamonn Martin. One of the things that we used to do was make up our own version of...
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Austin Birks
Mar 13, 20236 min read
The Dark Side Of Chemotherapy
Over the course of my 4 years and 6 months of living with cancer, a lot of kind people have said to me: “So, if you don't mind me asking,...
208 views0 comments
Austin Birks
Jul 30, 20226 min read
From The Top Of My Head To The Tips Of My Toes…Who Knows Where The Cancer Grows… Part 2
Following on from the first part of my journey exploring what the side effects of chemotherapy are and what they are actually like. I...
113 views0 comments
Austin Birks
Apr 25, 20215 min read
Attention: Emergency Code 2 in Freezer Aisle 23
So, picture the scene: it's a lovely hot April evening and I am doing a spot of shopping in my usual supermarket. All is good. I've just...
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Austin Birks
Feb 26, 20214 min read
Cancer: the best of times and the worst of times
There is a classic line in literature that says: it was the best of times and it was the worst of times. Yes, you get points if you know...
102 views1 comment
Austin Birks
Feb 24, 20211 min read
Living with a stoma bag
I've had a stoma since September 2018, when I was unexpectedly diagnosed with stage 4 bowel cancer and had to undergo emergency surgery....
39 views1 comment
Austin Birks
Mar 17, 20201 min read
Austin's Story - Inspiration in the Face of Adversity
This is the full video of the talk I gave on the 20th February 2020, telling my story with bowel cancer since 2018, living with a stoma,...
68 views2 comments
Austin Birks
Mar 14, 20201 min read
Austin's Story, Coming to Cinemas Near You Soon
Ahead of the full presentation that I gave at the University College Birmingham, EV Productions have compiled this cheeky little taster...
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Austin Birks
Jan 17, 20204 min read
Sainsbury’s Stoma Surprise... Water Closet!
I have to say that as a stoma bag user on a daily basis... Mind you, it’s not like you can take a day off, or just go back to the good...
73 views1 comment
Austin Birks
Dec 5, 20191 min read
Austin's Week - 05 December 2019: A New Chemo Regime
I've had an eventful week. After having a portacath fitted, I started my new chemo regime of Cetuximab and FOLFIRI. The side effects have...
150 views2 comments
Austin Birks
Nov 20, 20193 min read
A Bag Is For Life Not Just For Christmas
When I was in hospital recovering from the life-saving surgery that saved my life, when a tumor the size of the surgeon's fist was...
129 views3 comments
Austin Birks
Nov 15, 20193 min read
Riders on the Stom...a
Not only a classic tune from The Doors in the sixties, but I thought a fitting title for my next stoma bag related ramblings. Living with...
73 views0 comments
Austin Birks
Nov 13, 20192 min read
It's a Stoma in a Teacup
One of the great ironies, and at the same time, benefits of owning a stoma bag, is the sense of liberation that you acquire after you...
150 views0 comments
Austin Birks
Nov 6, 20194 min read
Any Port In A Storm...a
One of the rather strange consequences of having level 4a stage bowel cancer, is that depending on your severity, sadly sometimes it...
160 views3 comments
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