Rikki H’s story

I’ve read my own story in the stories of others so many times… which is both comforting and disturbing.

In 2023 I was incredibly run-down, but with virtually sole custody of my two young kids (their dad moved interstate), a house mid-renovation after marriage separation, a dog, a new job role, and a million moving parts I was handling alone. So, I naturally blamed stress for everything.

I never felt like I had time to see a doctor… When I did finally go, though, they said I had very low iron and would need an infusion. I thought this was my easy fix.

After a few months (and now adding the stress of acquiring a house, selling it, and moving), I started to get increasingly more severe gastrointestinal issues.

It began with a lot of bloating, then changes to bowel movements, and eventually visible blood. It got to the point where I couldn’t leave the house for longer than hour.

Again, I felt like I didn’t have time to see a doctor. When I did, though, I was told it was probably haemorrhoids and to take Metamucil every day ‘for the rest of your life’.

When I started to get abdominal pain and more blood, I was finally put on a waitlist for a colonoscopy. I was told then to expect a wait of 1-2 years because I wouldn’t be considered high priority because of my age.

Thankfully, the nurse who did the tirage call moved me to a 30-day waitlist and saved my life. I was told after the colonoscopy that it was bowel cancer, and later that it was locally advanced bowel cancer Stage 3. High survival rate with aggressive chemo, then chemo/radiation, then surgery. I wouldn’t have survived the initially suggested wait time.

Chemo was a little harrowing. I lost weight I didn’t have to lose and dropped to 45kg. My red blood cell count crashed after my fifth round, and I had a blood transfusion. This meant I didn’t see out my sixth and final chemo dose.

I’ve since had radiation and am now waiting on the CT and MRI results and setting the date for surgery. If no live cancer cells are found, that should be the end of the cancer path for me medically. Mentally, I’m not sure it’ll ever go away.

I have been incredibly lucky with my workplace, family and friends who have gone above and beyond (more!) to get me and the kids through this. I can’t emphasise that enough. Getting cancer was unlucky, but it has also been a reminder of the good in others and how lucky I am to have them in my life.

My one piece of advice:

Don’t put off your health!!

Whatever is making your life too busy to find out why you don’t feel right, or are displaying abnormal symptoms, won’t matter if you are diagnosed too late.

Also, advocate for yourself. If you feel like you aren’t being heard, get second, third, fourth opinions. Especially for people in age groups that ‘aren’t meant to’ get certain cancers.