Tammy’s story

I just booked a venue for my 40th Birthday Party. The next day I was told I had Stage 3 bowel cancer with three ugly tumours spread throughout my bowel and an unprecedented amount of polyps. As tears welled up my very first thought was my 5-year-old son. Leaving him without a Mum was absolutely not an option.

I had struggled with abdominal pain for a fair few months and after several test of the ‘feminine’ kind, my GP suggested it was time to look at my bowel. I didn’t push her for answers but she never gave up, never once said sorry I can’t help you.

My journey began on the 12th Oct 2022 (a date that I will never forget). I’d woken up from my colonoscopy to this horrendous news and straight away pointed in the right direction.

My medical team I just cannot speak more highly of, combined with my GP, gastroenterologist and surgeon worked out the best course of action taking me straight to a private hospital as a public patient. I was extremely well looked after.

After 6 hours in surgery 70% of my bowel was removed along with 32 lymph nodes.

Although delayed, I still got to celebrate my 40th with family and close friends. But in the days that followed I was informed that the cancer had spread into my lymph nodes and chemotherapy was my next hurdle to jump. It was also suggested that if I wasn’t 100% I had finished adding to my family a round of IVF should be considered.

So began 2 weeks of injections into my poor belly that had just had 36 staples removed.
And in the 3rd week I had my PICC line inserted, eggs removed and chemo had begun. It was an absolute whirlwind.

8 cycles of intravenous chemo ending with 3 months of chemotherapy tablets.

I can’t even describe those 8 months, there is not a word for it. Being a mum that cannot kiss your child is the hardest, and he was far too young to be told anything let alone understand.

The Oxaliplatin that makes anything cold unbearable to touch makes life hard enough, throw in fatigue, the pain, fortnightly bloods, everything about treatment is indescribable.

But now this far down the track I’m finally back to normal life, my son does not remember a thing thank goodness. I still see all my medical team, but the visits are sparce, because after all that, I DID receive the best news ever.

I’D KICKED CANCERS BUTT!

My one piece of advice:

My advice to others in this horrible situation is to honestly be and stay positive, all my nearest and dearest constantly remind me how my positivity got me through.