“I was diagnosed with Stage 4 bowel cancer a month after my 34th birthday. Due to my age and the fact that I looked healthy it took several visits to my GP, gastroenterologist and emergency departments before I was eventually diagnosed. After a CT scan showed my bowel was completely blocked and I needed an emergency right hemicolectomy.
The tumour had extended outside my bowel and was found in some lymph nodes in my peritoneum, hence Stage 4 diagnosis. I had 12 rounds of FOLFURI chemo followed by a peritonectomy with HIPEC and then 12 months of Zeloda tablet chemo.
Whilst I was going through the chemo treatments and surgery recovery, I spent my time watching sailing Youtube channels.
My husband and I decided that as soon as the doctor said I could, we would buy a boat and start sailing around Australia and maybe abroad. It’s now been 5 years since my diagnosis and three and a half years since we moved onto our boat.
We were so pleased to be able to raise more than $4,000 for Bowel Cancer Australia through our Dry July team - ‘Pirates Without Rum’. ~ Peta.
If you were inspired by Peta's fundraising activities and would like to support Bowel Cancer Australia through a community fundraiser get in touch with us through our webform
