Carla Mitchell, Kent

In January 2021, when I was 36, I was given a pre-staging of stage 1 bowel cancer, however post-operation I was told it was stage 3.

My main symptom was anaemia. I was experiencing a rapid heartbeat, extremely achy legs and became out of breath from going up a flight of stairs. I then noticed that my bowel habits were starting to change and kept having a stomach ache that would wake me during the night.

Once my anaemia was spotted, my GP acted very quickly and set off a trail of investigations. They said this was procedure, and I’d be too young to have anything sinister such as cancer, but it was best to rule it out. Personally, I thought my symptoms were probably to do with the menopause. There were so many things I thought it could be rather than cancer – and my doctor initially thought the same.

One of the investigations I had was a colonoscopy. I had to have a two week wait for this due to the severity of my anaemia. Luckily, I was one of two colonoscopies that didn’t get cancelled that day due to covid. It was after this that I was diagnosed.

I had surgery, and then was given adjuvant chemotherapy. This was four cycles of CAPOX. My treatment stopped after three rounds as the chemotherapy affected my bloods and platelets too much and I was told that it could cause long term damage if we continued. Nausea and spasms in my throat and hands were the main side effects that I could physically feel.

Once chemotherapy had finished, I was contacted by a genetics counsellor to discuss further testing for Lynch syndrome. I went ahead with this and was told that I had tested positive for Lynch syndrome (PMS2) in April 2022.

Since my diagnosis, life has changed in many ways but, for me personally, it has been more so in terms of the mental effects rather than the physical. I’ve felt emotions that I didn’t know I was capable of feeling, and every day brings different thoughts, feelings and anxieties. I definitely have to learn to rest now when my body and mind need it!

I'm extremely grateful and lucky that I work for such a loving and supportive company, who have looked after me during my absence from work and long after my return to work. They supported me as much as possible financially so that I could focus on getting myself better. I also feel very lucky that my treatment wasn’t affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, as it so easily could have been.

I have used a lot of Bowel Cancer UK’s services, such as health publications, leaflets and fundraising packs but what I found the most useful was your online community forum. I was able to connect with others who were experiencing similar situations to me, and I could reach out for advice and reassurance during my most challenging times. My husband ran the London marathon in October 2021 and raised just over £5,000 for Bowel Cancer UK.

Click on the video above to listen to Carla talking about her story.