Bronwyn Tagg, Hertfordshire

I’m a hospital dental nurse working with patients with head and neck cancer, jaw surgery and cleft palate. I’m also a happy mum of two. I was diagnosed with bowel cancer on 20 May 2025, aged 26. 

I had been to my GP with bleeding after going for a poo. At the time they thought it was piles, as I’d had my son just over a year ago. I then went back the following month with a persistent tummy ache. We thought this could be related to ovarian cysts which I had previously.  

I was then referred to gynaecology, who sent me for an MRI. The MRI is what found the tumour. Reading the report and knowing a little about cancer, I knew this needed to be referred on a two week wait, so I began chasing this.  

In early May 2025 I had a colonoscopy, along with an EMR (endoscopic mucosal resection) to remove the tumour. The tumour was removed and tested. Two weeks later, I had a phone call asking me to come in the next day to discuss the results. That’s when I was diagnosed with cancer. At the time, we thought the cancer was early stage, but after surgery, my lymph nodes tested positive for cancer too, so my diagnosis went from stage 1 to stage 3. 

I had prepared myself for the news. Working in the hospital with head and neck cancer patients, I had a gut feeling I was walking into bad news. My husband had remained optimistic, and I feel like the news hit him straight away. I don’t think it really hit me until halfway through chemotherapy. All my family were shocked – being so young and having young children, we couldn’t really believe it was happening. 

Two months after being diagnosed I had a lower anterior resection and stoma fitted. The operation recovery wasn’t too bad. I was in hospital for a week. The worst part was missing my children. The stoma nurses were so lovely and friendly. They helped me navigate my new body but also helped with how I could explain Mum’s new body to my children!  

I am still having chemotherapy: 12 rounds of FOLFOX. Chemotherapy is mentally quite draining. It’s cycles of appointments, then feeling unwell, feeling sad, and then feeling almost normal again. It’s tough to deal with, especially with two young children who don’t understand why their mummy is poorly and who still need to go to school and clubs! I’m still worried about the future, but I’m hopeful. I just really want to be around to see my children grow up. 

My medical team have been amazing – the nurses in the oncology day unit always brighten my day! My family and friends have been amazing support too. They’ve helped with the children, cooking meals, and taking me to appointments. I simply cannot thank them enough. I have still been popping into work, which I think will make it easier when going back. They’ve managed to ask questions and see what I’m going through, which will limit awkward conversations when I go back.  

I used Bowel Cancer UK’s website to look into the side effects of chemotherapy and to learn about the surgery. I would really recommend it to anyone diagnosed with bowel cancer, as there’s a lot of misinformation out there! Relatives can also find the website helpful to read stories of those going through it, to try and understand what their loved one is going through. 

My message is that you never know how quickly life can change, so if there’s something you want to do, it’s important to go and do it. Life can change really quickly. And if you’re a young parent, please get life insurance!