Andrea G’s story

My name is Andrea, and I’m 48 years old. I had been low on iron for at least 10 years, from when I was pregnant with my first daughter. My GP dismissed it, saying that low iron was very common in young women.

As I entered the perimenopause phase of my life, I changed GPs and went to a female doctor who specialises in women’s health. She was the first doctor who took me seriously and ordered comprehensive tests. The results confirmed iron deficiency among other conditions, which we began treating. Initially, finding the cause for the iron deficiency didn’t seem to take priority over my other health issues, mostly because I had a negative bowel screening test result (no traces of blood in my poo). But after two unsuccessful iron infusions, we decided to do a colonoscopy.

When I woke up from the procedure, I found out the doctor wanted to speak with both my husband and me. That’s when I received the news: I had a large tumour at the end of my bowel, and we needed to do a CT scan immediately to determine if it had spread. The doctor explained that metastatic bowel cancer carries a poor prognosis, but if the cancer was contained, it’s a very treatable cancer. I got incredibly lucky—they found no metastasis.

I had surgery to remove the tumour, a third of my colon, and several lymph nodes. Final diagnosis: Stage 1. My heart goes out to all the people who weren’t as lucky as I was. It’s because of the importance of early detection that I’m sharing this story.

If you are a woman under the age of 50 who experience iron deficiency: don’t wait. Talk to your doctor and demand answers that go beyond blaming your period or the demands of being a mother to young children! If you, like me, live in a larger body, find a GP who understands health beyond BMI—you deserve proper healthcare. I’m forever grateful to my GP for taking me seriously.

My one piece of advice:

Trust yourself—if something feels off, keep pushing for answers. Your symptoms are valid, your concerns matter and finding the right doctor who truly listens can make all the difference, just like it did for me.