John Farnham’s youngest son has shared the health battle he was navigating in privacy while his dad recovered from a highly documented surgery for throat cancer.
James Farnham, 36, revealed that he had “major surgery” in 2023 to deal with diverticular disease, an operation which “saved my life”.
Taking to Instagram on Tuesday night, Farnham shared a post-surgery photo and some symptoms of diverticulitis.
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“Last year, just as Dad was recovering from his cancer surgeries, I also had major surgery to deal with diverticular disease that had caused perforations in my bowel,” he began.
“The surgery saved my life but it has left me with a stoma — a surgically created opening in the abdomen that allows me to poo … into a temporary colostomy bag.
“With any luck, I will be receiving my reversal surgery in the next couple (of) months.”
He said with hindsight he was ready to share his story, being able to see that the “whole thing may have been preventable”.
“I was totally shocked to learn how many people (including young people, I can’t stress that enough) receive this diagnosis,” he said.
“Coming off the back of what felt like a torturous period that left us emotionally exhausted.
“It was one thing after another, and when I noticed something felt wrong I kept ignoring it.
“While I felt unwell for a while the whole thing happened very quickly in the end and I didn’t have much time to comprehend what was happening.”
“After the surgery, I dealt with fear, isolation, disgust, paranoia and something I’ve never had before — body image issues.
“I’ve had to go through a huge psychosocial adjustment.”
Farnham said that his main symptom was abdominal pain that he experienced for months and “kept ignoring”.
“I’d been to the hospital to have it checked already and nothing was found,” he said.
“After visiting the hospital with no clear results my fear of wasting people’s time or overreacting stopped me from going again.
“After a few days of complaining … arguing with my partner Tessa, she finally said, enough is enough!”
“She quite literally dragged me (back to the hospital),” he said, explaining that at that point he “couldn’t even stand up straight”.
Upon more checks, Farnham was diagnosed with diverticulitis that had perforated in his bowel.
Diverticula are small, bulging pouches that can form in the lining of your digestive system and diverticulitis occurs when one or more become inflamed and infected, according to Mayo Clinic.
Symptoms include fever, lack of appetite, nausea, constipation, bloating, abdominal pain and chills.
Hoping to avoid surgery, Farnham spent three days on antibiotics via an IV drip until he felt a “sharp pain” on day three.
“My bowels had ruptured and it was now an emergency situation,” he said.
“This all felt surreal, I’m 35 (well, I’m 36 today … but I was 35 last year) … I thought there’s no way I should be going through this.
“I was absolutely terrified.
“I had a rough surgery recovery period and it took three weeks before I was able to go home.”
Farnham said that the “reality was now setting in … this was my life now.
“I go to the toilet attached to my belly. And I have to clean and prepare this bag every day.
“I’m constantly paranoid someone can either smell it or see it, (because) it farts with literally no warning.
“Something I never thought I’d be embarrassed about was now something that brought me to tears.”
“It was almost too much for me to comprehend. Thankfully I had support.”
He credited his partner Tessa, who assisted with changing the bag in the early weeks and was a source of comfort.
“Flash forward to now, I’ve figured out my ways and how to deal with everything and I now feel more comfortable.
“I’m telling people and making jokes about it. Maybe this is because I know it’s temporary, but it’s really changed the way I deal with things, especially the way I view my health.
“Listening to my body and respecting it.”
He thanked the medical staff at Cabrini Malvern Hospital in Melbourne, his family and his partner Tessa for their support through the difficult time.
Farnham requested donations for his birthday to Bowel Cancer Australia, Crohn’s & Colitis Australia and Let’s Beat Bowel Cancer.
The 36-year-old’s health battle took place as his father, singer John Farnham was recovering from throat cancer, undergoing a 12-hour surgery where doctors removed a tumour from his mouth before reconstructing his jaw in a second major operation.
In an emotional statement on August 23 this year, marking the first anniversary since his surgery, Farnham said he was “the luckiest man”.
In August 2023, Farnham announced that his cancer was all clear.
For Christmas 2023, James shared a rare photo of his dad and the family sitting around the table for a festive lunch with the singer seated at the head of the table.
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