At 49 years old, fit and pretty healthy, a bit of constipation and small amount of blood in the stool got me off to the local doctor, followed by the specialist and a colonoscopy. No one was concerned, just having a look.
The outcome was stage IV bowel cancer, which had spread to the liver, lung and abdomen. Then came the radiation, followed by surgery on the bowel, followed by chemo. I spent my 50th birthday having chemo, and had an anaphylactic reaction to one of the drugs. I can safely say that was the worst day of my life.
But after nine months of mostly not good news the latest chemo seems to be working and shrinking the tumours.
We are working towards getting the tumours down to a manageable size to then continue with a management plan of chemotherapy. After some challenging times I have never felt mentally stronger, and are now working towards a good outcome.
With the awesome support of family and friends we are pressing on in life and enjoying each day. Spreading the word about the importance of early detection so others don’t end up in the advanced stages I am. Loving the time I am spending with my family and friends, writing some more good memories.
Sadly Trev lost his battle with bowel cancer and passed away in 2016. Our thoughts are always with his family and friends.