Rosa’s story

At 31, working as a registered nurse for 10 years, living my best life with my partner and our 1.5-year-old son, I never imagined I’d be facing something like this.

When I was diagnosed with Stage 3c bowel cancer, everything changed. I had to undergo an emergency anterior resection, and they removed 18 cm of my bowel, along with 5 lymph nodes that were affected – out of 33.

After six months of chemotherapy, I thought I was done. But then the cancer spread to my right lung, and I had to have a VATS procedure.

Just when I thought I was starting to get back on my feet, three months later, I was hit with ovarian cancer – linked to the original cancer. It’s been so much more than I ever thought I could handle.

Now, 2 years later after the first diagnosis, I’m living in 3-month blocks, with the looming uncertainty of what’s next. Every time I think I’ve gotten through one hurdle; I’m faced with a new one. The timeline I’ve been given keeps me in constant fear of what the future holds and not knowing what to expect is terrifying.

But here I am, still fighting. Still pushing through, even though the future feels so uncertain.

My one piece of advice:

Listen to your body. If it doesn’t feel right, get checked up and push for answers. Don’t be afraid to advocate for yourself.