Brendan D’s story

In January 2026 I started noticing once every couple of weeks I was wiping and having blood on my toilet paper. I wasn’t concerned but I made a passing comment to my GP who wanted me to investigate further with a gastroenterologist.

The gastroenterologist referred me for a colonoscopy and over the following months of waiting the blood while wiping became more frequent and I started getting persistent constipation.

In June I finally had my colonoscopy and was in a state of shock when they told my mum and I they found cancer my lower rectum.

Being 26 and diagnosed with Stage 3B bowel cancer has been difficult to deal with. I lost my father to pancreatic cancer just over a year ago so the emotional toll on our family has been extremely heavy.

I’m currently on cycle 3/8 of FOLFOX chemotherapy before I will start radiation and potentially an APR surgery that will leave me with a permanent colostomy. I’m hoping to get through this soon so I can gain a bit of normalcy in my life again, whatever that is!

My one piece of advice:

My message to everyone is that if something doesn’t feel right, advocate for yourself and don’t be afraid to follow up and seek answers because it can save your life.