I was diagnosed with Stage 3 bowel cancer at the age of 36.

I had experienced sporadic vomiting, changes in bowel habits, lower abdomen pain, weight loss and had low Iron levels. Being a busy mum of two young boys, a visit to the GP wasn’t at the top of my list. Life was busy!

I had numerous GP visits and blood tests and was getting no answers. One day I couldn’t take it anymore, so I visited another GP and described my symptoms. He urgently referred me to a Gastroenterologist for a colonoscopy.

From here, it snowballed. I woke up to be told that I had a tumour in my bowel and would need immediate surgery.

Fast forward one week and surgery was booked. The tumour was removed, although unfortunately the cancer had spread to my lymph nodes. This meant that I would need to have 12 rounds of chemotherapy over a period of six months. We had an incredible amount of love and support during this time and still continue to be surrounded by the most amazing family and friends.

12 months on since my diagnosis and I’m living a happy, healthy life with regular check-ups and monitoring. Our two beautiful boys continue to keep us busy! I’m just so grateful for everything.

We need to increase awareness of bowel cancer and challenge misconceptions around this disease.

Listen to your body! Early detection saves lives!

Your whole world can change in an instant. It’s been a crazy ride so far! Surrounding myself with special people and having a positive attitude is definitely what helped me to get through.