Sana Shaikh, Leicester

I was diagnosed with stage 3 bowel cancer in April 2023, aged 29, in A&E.

I’d been speaking with my GP via telephone appointments several months prior to my diagnosis. I’d been having abnormal symptoms and we were looking at all various causes. Eventually, as I was getting tired of waiting for test results and I was worried about a growing lump I phoned 111. They sent me to urgent care, where the nurse immediately advised me to go to A&E. I was scanned and that’s where my cancer was finally found. I was diagnosed at stage 3.

I felt relief at knowing what was making me unwell, but I was so nervous about what lay ahead. I had two young children, one who I was still breastfeeding at the time. The day I was diagnosed in A&E, I was also admitted overnight, and this is the first time I had spent time away from them. I was alone when I was told and I wish I was able to have someone with me.

The tumour the doctors found was large, so I started chemotherapy straight away to try and shrink the tumour before operating. I had chemotherapy from May 2023 to Aug 2023, at which point I was waiting for news on whether I would get the surgery.

However, after weeks of becoming progressively ill and multiple A&E visits, it was found my cancer had returned and I was inoperable. I moved onto palliative treatment. I had an emergency stoma surgery (ileostomy) due to tumour blockage and my being unable to eat. I was placed back onto chemotherapy that October and admitted to hospital with sepsis in November. I started immunotherapy in December 2023. 

Undergoing treatment

I continued to work through my initial treatment in the summer of 2023. I managed it but it was horrible dealing with the fatigue and sickness. Over the course of the treatment, the side effects got worse but were still manageable with medications. I had a lot of support from my family, friends, workplace and colleagues which made things a lot easier.

Immunotherapy was so different to chemotherapy. Whilst I dealt with fatigue, there was nothing like sickness or nausea or hair loss. Some days, I didn’t even feel like I had cancer. It was amazing and I felt so lucky to have it.

I recently completed two years of immunotherapy in December 2025 and had tests carried out. I’m now awaiting results, which are highly likely to be NED (No Evidence of Disease). There are now discussions to be had whether there is a need for surgery or just to watch and wait. Different trusts have different opinions.

I am very pleased at the results so far, but I am unsure whether I should push my team for surgery or do the ‘watch and wait’ option. The surgery required would be complex and would likely mean removal of more than just my bowel. I have been off work for roughly two years, which has been very helpful in managing all my appointments (of which there are many) and prioritising my health.

Lots of support

My oncology team were great at signposting support and helping with documentation while I was on palliative treatment. My family really helped with childcare too. I am the primary parent as my husband cannot work from home, so while I was away for appointments and hospital stays, there was always someone around to drive me and to watch the kids.

My employer and manager have been the best. Whilst I was working on chemo, they were very flexible and let me work when it suited me. I was able to take time off for appointments or when I wasn’t well. I have regular meetings with my manager. When I am ready to return to work, they are happy to work with me to find a working pattern that will fit around my medical needs. I love the work I do and miss being able to work.

I have used all the Bowel Cancer UK support groups which have been invaluable. The website and resources have been extremely helpful, especially when trying to explain things to family members, colleagues and my employer. There is a lot of information and support out there and I wish I had been signposted to Bowel Cancer UK and other support groups a lot earlier. It might have changed how things turned out. 

Take ownership 

My message to people is to take ownership of their health and bodies. If you feel something is wrong, then push to be seen. Even during treatment, stay on top of things, question, chase and always follow up. I felt I slipped through the cracks between two different trusts and my recurrence was caught too late. Despite that, I’m utterly grateful for all the individual NHS doctors and nurses for helping me so that I'm still here today.