Mel, Berkshire

I was diagnosed with stage 3b bowel cancer in 2024.

I’m a trained nutritionist, and health, food and wellbeing have always been central to both my professional and personal life. I live in the countryside, with my husband, and we have four daughters, all now in their twenties. Family life, our two dogs and being outdoors are a big part of who I am. 

A swift diagnosis 

When I visited the doctor in December 2024 with a dull ache in my lower left abdomen, I never dreamed I’d leave needing further investigations. I hadn’t expected the ache to be anything serious – it didn’t even really hurt. It was more just something I was aware of and I’d always thought of myself as healthy and active. 

I was given a faecal immunochemical test (FIT). Days later, I was at a work conference, sitting in an oncology awareness session, when I saw I had several missed calls from my GP about my positive FIT test result.  

I had a colonoscopy a week and a half later, where my tumour was found. I remember the room falling silent and seeing the tumour on the screen. The consultant explained that it was likely to be cancer, and because there had been a cancellation, I was scanned straight away.  

The biopsy and scan results were then reviewed and I had an appointment with the surgeon on 28 December.

A pragmatic approach 

While my diagnosis was a huge shock, once the tumour had been found, I felt very pragmatic and wanted to move quickly into the next stage of treatment. 

In January 2025, I had a lower anterior resection (LAR), where part of my sigmoid colon was removed. The surgery went well and, fortunately, I didn’t need a stoma bag. 

I was in hospital for three days, although it felt much longer, and then recovered at home for another two weeks. I had three weeks off work in total. 

Mentally, I took a pragmatic approach to my diagnosis – more “Why not me?” than “Why me?”. I wanted to get through the treatment and move forward. 

After surgery, I gradually started exercising again, although my surgeon warned me to be careful about hernias. Being active helped me feel more normal. There were times during treatment when I became very breathless and couldn’t push myself, but for much of the time I was still able to go to the gym and do slow runs. 

Maintaining normality during chemotherapy 

In March 2025, I started three months of CAPOX chemotherapy. This involved four cycles, each starting with IV chemotherapy, followed by two weeks of tablets and then a week off. 

Work was incredibly supportive. I could've taken more time off for chemotherapy, but it helped me mentally to keep working. My job is desk-based, and I could work from home, although I did sometimes need a lunchtime sleep.  

I had IV chemotherapy on Fridays and usually took the following Monday off, so I had several days to rest. As the tiredness became worse towards the end of treatment, I took more days off. 

I tried to keep elements of normal life going during chemotherapy. I managed a few weekends away, including a spa hotel and a trip to York with my sister to see a Gary Oldman play. 

CAPOX made me very sensitive to the cold, so I had to wrap up well. The nausea and tiredness were the hardest parts and plenty of sleep and anti-nausea medication were essential. Even so, being able to maintain some normality was hugely important to me. 

The support that got me through 

I had very good support. The consultants were excellent. My family and friends were amazing. They checked in regularly, visited and gave me support without overwhelming me. 

I realised my stoic nature may have made it harder for people to know how to treat me, something my husband reflected on to me. But my employer and colleagues struck exactly the right balance for me. They were very supportive, but they didn’t bring it up unless I did, which was what I needed. 

I found Bowel Cancer UK’s information and support services really useful. I read the online chat groups and found comfort there. For me, reading about the disease helped, although I tried not to go too far down the rabbit hole because I didn’t want cancer to define my life. I'd encourage others to use the information in a way that helps them feel informed and supported, while remembering that every person’s experience is different and we aren’t simply statistics. 

Where I am now 

I finished treatment in June 2025 and am now in follow-up monitoring. I’ve had a follow-up scan and will continue to have scans annually, alongside blood tests every six months. 

At first, I felt very anxious about the monitoring, and each appointment felt unsettling. I think there may always be some anxiety around follow-up checks, but increasingly it feels like the cancer is part of my past. 

I feel excited about the future and deeply grateful that my cancer was caught when it was. I’m sure that if I’d waited another six to twelve months, the outcome could've been very different. 

The message I'd most like to share is that people should take screening tests seriously and never ignore symptoms, even if they seem minor. I nearly dismissed my symptoms because they didn’t feel dramatic, but acting on them made all the difference. 

I'd also tell anyone going through cancer to be open with people about how they want to be treated, even if they aren’t sure at first or if that changes over time. Cancer can make people feel awkward and they often need guidance on what kind of support is helpful. 

Most importantly, I'd want people to remember that bowel cancer isn’t always a life sentence. Treatments are improving all the time and early action can change the outcome.