Jonathan Walters certainly has a way with words.
A must-follow on Twitter, Walters regularly provides his followers with hilarious takes on the goings-on in football but he spared some time on Tuesday to use his platform in a much more important way.
The Republic of Ireland forward has shared his experience of a colonoscopy in the hope of raising awareness of the importance of getting checked up for signs of bowel cancer, the disease which claimed the life of Walters’ mother 23 years ago.
As expected, Walters managed to explain the process with some humour but his message remains very serious about the “vile disease that can be prevented with some education and awareness on early signs.”
“There’s no shame in doing what I’ve done,” Walters assured at the end of a lengthy Twitter thread which goes from a visit to the Burnley club doctor to a detailed explanation of the bowel-emptying procedure which was prompted by a double dose of a powdered solution known as MoviPrep.
…Now in the room I was having a nervous look around for the 12000ft tube and decided they must bring it in after the anaesthesiologist works his magic. I then witnessed a 20 minute journey through my bowels on a TV screen and asked Dr M the most serious question of all..
— Jonathan Walters (@JonWalters19) January 22, 2019
“Thankfully it was the easiest of procedures and my bowels are completely clear of any polyps and I have no worries whatsoever,” he revealed.
“The next step for me is to get some genetic tests to see whether my Mum’s bowel cancer could have been passed on genetically.
“I’m just glad this doesn’t involve MoviPrep!
“I’ve shared this with you for a reason; Colonoscopies aren’t a joke and neither is bowel cancer.”
Walters then urged his followers to read up on the procedure on the NHS website and to speak with their GPs if they have any concerns.
