My rectal cancer diagnosis at age 46 years came as a complete shock. I was feeling so well, recently back from a week holiday where I was swimming in the ocean every morning, walking 20,000 steps/day and eating a plant based pescatarian diet. I was what I thought to be fit and healthy!
My husband and I were informed of my cancer immediately after waking from my colonoscopy. I had seen my GP the month earlier after a very small bowel bleed with no prior history. Bowel cancer or any form of cancer doesn’t even run in my family. However, I just felt uneasy, and my GP agreed a colonoscopy was the best course of action. Thank goodness!
Our world started spinning from that moment of diagnosis. Our two older children (18 and 17) were just about to begin their VCE exams and our youngest was about to celebrate her 13th birthday. So, my husband and I decided to not tell our kids about my diagnosis until we had all the results, complete diagnosis and prognosis and a treatment plan and they’d completed their exams and celebrated a birthday.
It was the most difficult charade - I took leave from work immediately and spent my days attending specialist appointments and diagnostic testing with my husband Steve. He was an absolute rock and has continued to be through this whole process.
I was diagnosed with Stage 3 rectal cancer.
Our hearts were so heavy, no more than when the day came to share the news with our children… so many tears, but Max, Sienna and Neve have taken it all in their stride and have blown us away with their compassion and resilience.
I have so far had five weeks of combined chemotherapy and radiation therapy (25 fractions). During week three, I went into abrupt early menopause due to the pelvic radiation. As women there are so many additional complications. Dealing with the side effects of both the chemotherapy and radiation and the onslaught of menopause all at once was absolutely gruelling. I wasn’t able to eat in the last week of treatment and lost 8kg in five weeks. I also suffered from severe night sweats. My husband had to help me shower/bath and change my pjs 5-6 times per night… it was pretty intense!
However, I recovered steadily over the Summer, and I have since had surgery - a Lower Anterior Resection (15cm of bowel/rectum and 13 lymph nodes removed) and an ileostomy formed (which will be reversed in six months’ time). Pathology confirmed my most recent PET, CT and MRI results - I have complete resolution = no cancer cells present!
I am now five weeks post-surgery and have just begun another four months of chemotherapy. This was planned due to my lymph nodes being involved in my initial diagnosis and is intended to prevent recurrence of the cancer for as long as possible (forever is my preference!)
I would like to thank my beautiful family, friends, colleagues, patients (I’m a chiropractor) and sporting and school communities that have supported not only myself, but my husband and kids - we have been blown away by the love, compassion and generosity.
Special thanks also go to Bowel Cancer Australia. I have used their online services, information packs and most importantly phone consultations with their nutritionist who helped me learn to manage my ileostomy diet and gain strength post-surgery and their social worker who has been a wonderful part of my support team outside of my family and friends.
My one piece of advice for others: I have approached this whole process with a positive attitude, a smile and gratitude for the support available.
My advice to anyone is to please see your GP if you notice any small change in your bowel habits - my referral for a colonoscopy has certainly saved my life!
Please also reach out and use the wonderful services of Bowel Cancer Australia and other cancer/support networks as part of your health and wellbeing team.