Melissa’s story

My paternal grandmother passed away from bowel cancer at just 33 years old back in the 70’s after a lengthy battle.

I have never had a regular GP, so every time I have seen a new doctor, they would ask me about family history including cancers, but they always dismissed my grandmother’s cancer as causing me to be at risk.

In mid-2024 when I was 35 years old, I went to a new GP for a general check-up, and it was the first time a doctor had been concerned about my family history.

She ordered blood tests and stool samples, which came back with severe anaemia and blood in my stool samples.

The GP then ordered an urgent colonoscopy which I thought ‘how silly, this will be a waste of resources as I’m far too young for a colonoscopy’.

When I woke up from the procedure, alone, the doctor came to see me and said the words I was never expecting to hear ‘you have bowel cancer’.

Six weeks later I had a right hemicolectomy, five weeks after surgery I had a chest port inserted, and one week after that I began six months of chemotherapy to treat Stage 3b bowel cancer.

I am a mother to two young boys aged just 5 and 7 years old, so balancing life while going through treatment has been a big adjustment, but the boys are coping incredibly well.

I dread to think what could have happened had I not seen this particular GP when I did. I believe she has saved my life! I didn’t have any obvious symptoms (I could not see the blood in my stools) and I wouldn’t have thought anaemia was a symptom either!

My one piece of advice:

Advocate for your health! Learn your family history, ask questions, demand tests!