Liz O’s story

I was 36 when I was diagnosed with bowel cancer.

At the time, my daughter had just started prep, and life was busy with all of the usual daily routines. Bowel cancer was never something I thought I needed to worry about. I had no family history, and I believed it was an older man’s disease, not something that could ever happen to someone like me.

I had very few symptoms. I had lost some weight, but I put that down to recently starting Pilates. Otherwise, I felt healthy. The one thing that did not seem right was a hard lump I could feel in my abdomen.

I mentioned it to my GP and asked them to examine the lump. At first, it was thought to be something related to my ovaries, so I was sent for further testing. Just a routine ultrasound, they said. What followed was a whirlwind. A CT scan and colonoscopy revealed the truth: I had Stage 3C bowel cancer.

Within days of my diagnosis, I underwent emergency surgery to remove my large intestine. After that came six months of chemotherapy.

The shock was overwhelming. One moment I was living my normal life as a busy mum, and the next I was facing cancer, major surgery and months of treatment. It was terrifying. I was young. I had no family history. I had almost no symptoms. I did not fit the stereotype.

In the darkest moments after my diagnosis, my family and friends carried me through, giving me strength when I had none left and hope for the future when it felt hardest to find. I know I could not have made it through without them.

What stays with me most is what my doctors told me afterwards – if I had left it any longer, my prognosis would have been entirely different.

That is why I am sharing my story.

Bowel cancer does not always look the way people expect. It does not only affect older people. It does not always come with a family history. And it does not always present with obvious symptoms.

Trust your body!

My one piece of advice:
Trust your body and do not ignore changes, even if they seem small. Advocate for yourself. If you are under 40, get a colonoscopy. Early detection can save lives. It saved mine.