Maia Kennedy, London

After being diagnosed with stage 1 bowel cancer at age 38, I’m encouraging everyone to “Get to know your normal” 

I consider myself healthy. I play netball twice a week, cycle everywhere, eat well and run half marathons.  

I’ve always had IBS which mostly flares up due to stress, anxiety and a few food triggers. It means that I’m pretty in tune with my bowel and toilet habits, so I instantly noticed when things changed. In December 2023, I stared feeling nauseous after eating and I was going to the toilet four times a day rather than my normal once a day. After a week, I spoke to my GP who gave me acid reflux medication. After two weeks of the symptoms persisting, I went back and she sent me for blood tests and gave me an at-home test.

I was on a train in Switzerland just before Christmas when my GP called and said they found blood in my stool. When I got home, I had an emergency colonoscopy on 29 December. I didn’t take anyone with me because I genuinely didn’t believe they would find anything. A couple of minutes into the procedure and there it was, a tumour. They took biopsies and a specialist colorectal nurse afterwards explained what they’d found and told me they were sending me for a CT scan straight away.  

I called my boyfriend to come to the hospital as I was in shock and couldn’t think straight. The nurse was so kind and escorted me to the scan where my boyfriend was waiting for me.  

It took a few weeks to get the results. At this point, the waiting was the hardest part. I'd seen the tumour in my colon but had no idea if anything else was in my body. 

Results day came and I met with the colorectal surgeon. He explained that thankfully, nothing else was found in the CT scan. They said the tumour was at the stage before it’s considered cancerous, but that there was a chance that when they examined further, it could be deemed cancer. He also explained that surgery was my best option to remove the tumour. I couldn’t believe it when he said they would remove 30cm of my colon. It seemed so drastic for a 3cm tumour, but I had full trust in my surgeon. I was also told that after surgery, I may need chemotherapy and a stoma.

I waited four weeks for the surgery. This felt like forever, but I had lots of appointments. I also went to ’prehab’, which is where you go to gym sessions with other patients to get fit for surgery. This helped me feel in control of my preparation and I met others in a similar situation.  

I was terrified about surgery and scoured the internet for information about people who’d gone through similar things. I used Bowel Cancer UK’s website to learn about treatments and stages and I also found it useful to read the stories of other people in the same boat as me. Sometimes the amount of information can be overwhelming, but for me, it was a comfort and helped ease all my ruminating thoughts.  

My surgery was on Valentine’s Day. The first thing I checked when I woke up was whether I had a stoma, but I didn’t need one. I then stayed in hospital for six days. My time was filled with seeing doctors and nurses, sleeping and having visitors, which was such a comfort. 

The post-surgery results showed the cancer was stage 1. I didn’t need chemotherapy, which was such a relief and I could immediately say I was cancer free. I’m so thankful I listened to my body and got it sorted as soon as possible! I cannot praise the NHS highly enough for the support and empathy they offered throughout my diagnosis and treatment.

Six weeks after surgery, my surgeon said I could start cardio exercise again. I went for a run and it felt so good. I’ve also started counselling through Macmillan to get mentally well and help me to accept what my future now looks like.

The new motto I tell everyone is, “Get to know your normal”. I mean this in terms of bowel habits. I knew mine, so I was able to act quickly when they changed. I’ve had multiple friends ask me about my symptoms and share their own bowel problems. My answer is always, “Is it normal for you?” and if not, “Go get it checked”. I love that my diagnosis has made people question their own symptoms. If I can help one person, then this whole experience is a win!