It was December 2015, no symptoms other than five days constipation and tiredness. I am a very active person so just thought I was being lazy.
My GP was away so the locum gave me a list of laxatives. Nothing worked, so the following week went to my GP who sent me for a scan. Before I was out the door she called me and said come straight back to my surgery.
As soon as I got there, I said it’s cancer isn’t it. Went straight to emergency and at 10:30pm was in surgery, sigmoid part of my bowel and 64 lymph nodes removed.
Prior to surgery I was told I would have a stone. When my wonderful surgeon came to see me the next day he said there’s a lot to be said about a woman your age being fit and eating a healthy diet, you had a beautiful bowel and I was able to reconnect it and no stoma.
The following February I commenced six months of chemo. Chemo put me back in hospital for 15 days, chronic diarrhoea and huge weight loss. Finally able to go home, I continued my chemo treatment and regular scans, blood tests and regular visits to my Oncologists.
I was lucky enough to be at a hospital that manages a patient holistically and has a Survivorship Centre that was amazing.
I had an Exercise Physiologist who helped me recover and get back my fitness. They were also running a 3-year research program that I was part of looking at exercise as a preventative of a reoccurrence. They were amazing and I actually loved going there.
Since then, I have run several half marathons and last year completed the Sydney Marathon just before my 70th birthday. Thankyou Sydney Cancer Survivorship Centre and Boobs on the Run.
My one piece of advice for others: Get regular checkups, take notice of your body, exercise and eat healthy.