Hi, I’m Deb and my bowel cancer story began in March 2023 when a routine blood test revealed I had extremely low iron levels. Given my age (59) my GP strongly suggested I have a colonoscopy. I went, kicking and screaming, because I was feeling the best I’d felt for years, I was playing my newfound love, Pickleball, five or six times a week, and I felt very happy! Being a vegetarian for 10+ years, hardly drinking any alcohol and eating plenty of “whole foods”. I thought I was pretty safe from this particular cancer.
Anyway, thankfully, my husband convinced me to go, with the words, “better a colonoscopy than cancer surgery”. Turns out he was right! The colonoscopy prep (which was my biggest hurdle to having one) was just a few hours of feeling uncomfortable. Bowel resection surgery was no picnic! I was diagnosed with Stage 3 cancer after my surgery and now found myself looking down the barrel of chemotherapy!
I was now having to make one of my biggest decisions of my life... do I have chemo?! I had said in the past that I would probably seek alternatives before having chemotherapy. I was lost.
Just a few weeks prior to my diagnosis I had agreed to help a counsellor friend who was training in EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique), also known as Tapping. I used this very easy therapy to quickly reduce my anxiety about chemo and find a calm place to make my decision. With some pressure from husband and my nurse daughter, I agreed I’d try it once and see! (I believe that decision saved my life.) I also saw a wonderful Kinesiologist once a fortnight, who supported me alongside the chemo.
I had a portacath installed and soon thereafter fronted up for my first treatment. (Tapping away like a mad woman on my way there! 😂).
I had fortnightly treatments for six months. I sat in the chair for about four hours then carried a small bottle for two days, attached to the port. I felt pretty awful for three days after the bottle was removed and then started to brighten up. In the second week of my first treatment, I decided to go try a hit of Pickleball with hubby.
Best thing I could have done! It put a smile on my face, and it was great to see some friends. I felt so uplifted afterwards and my new routine began... “chemo week” followed by “Pickleball week.”
As the weeks progressed and I felt more comfortable about my new way of life, I went back to playing competitive games in Pickleball. I found that all my symptoms disappeared while I was on the court. I’d developed peripheral neuropathy and I even forgot about that when playing. No nausea, no headaches, no anxiety, no neuropathy! It was amazing! I was slower and my legs felt heavy, but I was having fun and it felt great to use my body! And I slept better.
I found out two days ago, after a colonoscopy, blood tests and scans, that I am NED! (No Evidence of Disease) 🍾 Woo Hoo! I will see the Oncologist in three months. It is a comfort to still be under his supervision.
It’s a strange thing to say, but this whole experience has been more positive than negative for me. I have learned that my body is amazingly resilient and that I am stronger than I knew! I have learned a valuable new therapy in Tapping. I used it throughout chemotherapy, especially when my anxiety peaked - e.g. if someone close caught a cold. Tapping was extremely helpful for me after my “cancer education” session prior to starting chemotherapy. My anxiety went through the roof when I learned about all the possible side effects, what I could and couldn’t eat, to monitor my temperature day and night and go to ED if it approached 38. I was truly scared, but I Tapped on everything that scared me and found I was able to get over each hurdle my negative thinking created! To my amazement the oncology nurses, doctors, Kinesiologist, friends and family were all telling me I was handling the chemo really well. I was even asked to write my story for the hospital newsletter. Yes, I had down days, but I was able to see the light (of Pickleball) at the end of the tunnel each week! I stopped thinking of chemo as “poison” and started calling it my “medicine”. I decided not to fight or go to war with my disease, but to accept it and work with my body to heal.
Other big factors for me were a very supportive husband, a strong sense of community support through the Pickleball club and the amazing nurses and nurse navigators in the oncology ward. I always left the ward with a smile on my face. I am so grateful that I’d discovered Pickleball before my diagnosis. I’d never played competitive sport before and now understand the benefits of sport and keeping fit. I’d tell anyone to find some physical activity that they enjoy. Just give things a try, stepping out of your comfort zone like I did. It’s a game changer in more ways than you can ever imagine! I’ve recently started with a personal trainer (another step out of my comfort zone) to help strengthen my bones as I age - and improve my Pickleball game of course! She has just posted a story about me on her social media pages, and this is the pic she used.
Don’t let your age be a barrier to learning new things! And get that colonoscopy if your GP recommend one! 😊💪
My one piece of advice for others: Have that colonoscopy!