Caitlin W’s story

I was diagnosed with Stage 4 bowel cancer shortly after my 32nd birthday. My only symptoms were stomach cramps which I associated with period pain. After months of blood tests and scans they found a 10cm tumour on my bowel.

In May 2024 I underwent major surgery to remove the tumour along with 28 lymph nodes. I began chemotherapy two months later.

I was on FOLFOX when, on my seventh round, I had an anaphylactic reaction and spent the night in ICU.

They then placed me on FOLFIRI and Cetuximab, which I have been on for 16 months. I’ve also completed two weeks of intense radiation to target a stubborn lymph node.

My one piece of advice:

Advocate for yourself. I believe that my symptoms were mistaken as period pain for a very long time. Had I pushed doctors to look a bit deeper they may have caught this a lot sooner.