Late 2025, I presented to the doctor with anal bleeding. It was the first time it happened, and I thought straight away to get it checked. I went to the doctor, not my usual doctor, and they dismissed it as haemorrhoids.
I then presented to the same doctor a month after the first bleeding episode, and I demanded to do one of those tests where you poo in the cup (the free screening test) because the rectal bleeding happened again. The doctor said I will need a colonoscopy.
I waited for that referral. It was about five weeks until I saw the gastroenterologist. That appointment came on the 17th of Feb 2026 and we went through my symptoms. I had my 8-month-old baby at the time, so I kind of put it down to being a busy mom with the extreme fatigue and the weight loss (as I was post-partum). The gastroenterologist said its definitely worth having a colonoscopy.
The colonoscopy was five months down the track from my initial gastroenterologist consult (21st of July 2026). I go into my colonoscopy with high hopes that nothing will be found; only to wake up in recovery hearing the words – ‘it is definitely bowel cancer’. I was hysterical, and thinking the worst, because I am a mom of five kids, and 40 years of age. I was not expecting this news at all.
Two polyps were removed and two cancerous tumours were found in the descending colon and the sigmoid colon.
From the diagnosis; everything moved pretty fast. Fast forward to the 3rd of August 2026; I had my surgery. They did a high anterior resection. About 40cm of bowel was removed and I anxiously awaited the biopsy results to see if it had spread to the lymph nodes.
I received the news that one of my tumours was a T3 tumour and it spread to a lymph node and I need chemotherapy in 6 weeks’ time when I’m recovered from surgery. That being said; I am at Stage 3.
I am heartbroken that I have to end my breastfeeding journey in the next 6 weeks. It’s going to be tough. And it makes me cry because its mine and my little girls special bonding time. But I need to do what’s best to get me better.
Life sure is a rollercoaster. I never thought I’d be dealing with this horrible disease.
My one piece of advice:
As soon as you have any abdominal discomfort or rectal bleeding, see your doctor. Don’t just accept – ‘its just probably haemorrhoids’ as an answer. Get a colonoscopy. The bowel screening age needs to be dramatically lowered also.
