Rob W’s story

I was diagnosed with Stage 3 bowel cancer early in 2013. I had been unwell for about 6 months prior to diagnosis but chose to ignore the problems because I was ‘too busy’.

My GP immediately recognised that I had a problem when he did a physical examination and organised a CT scan. I was referred to a surgeon who checked the results, then organised a colonoscopy which confirmed the diagnosis.

A trip to Canberra for a MRI scan showed that the tumour had spread into the abdominal cavity. My surgeon decided the tumour was too big for surgery, so I had six weeks of daily radiation therapy combined with chemotherapy to shrink the tumour.

I had an abdominal-perineal resection surgery at the local hospital. My sigmoid colon and anal canal were removed and a permanent stoma constructed. A biopsy showed that cancer cells were present in lymph nodes removed during surgery, so six months of weekly chemotherapy began once I recovered from the operation.

Throughout this whole ordeal I managed to maintain an active life, walking my dogs daily, a bit of casual work and gardening and trying to remain positive. The follow-up blood tests and colonoscopies over the subsequent years made me a bit anxious but so far all is good!

My one piece of advice:

I was an idiot and didn’t do the bowel screen tests after the first one, and didn’t see my GP when I first noticed problems with bowel movements. If my cancer had been diagnosed earlier, I would probably have been better off! Do the screening tests and see your GP if you have concerns!