Stepping up for 30 during chemotherapy treatment

Gemma Brewster from Witham, Essex shares her experience of Step up for 30, our fundraising campaign asking people to get active every day during April, and living with bowel cancer.

So my journey started in October 2021 when I was diagnosed with bowel cancer at the age of 38.

My only symptom I experienced was extreme exhaustion, however given I'm a working mum with a beautiful two and a half year old, I thought this was normal. As the months passed last year I was struggling to function and complete daily routines. After multiple appointments with my GP I was asked to complete a simple FIT test, the results from this confirmed I had traces of blood in my stools which isn't visible to the eye.

I was then fast tracked and seen within two weeks. I had a colonoscopy, and this confirmed a very nasty looking tumour, which was immediately tattooed ready for removal (giving me my first tattoo). This was then followed by weeks of tests and preparation for surgery.

By January 2022, I was operated on and had two tumours removed along with approx. 30cm of large bowel. Within two weeks I had confirmation that three lymph nodes had traces of cancer and chemotherapy treatment was required to kill off any remaining nasty cells. A gruelling 12 cycles over a six month period, with the final cycle scheduled on my birthday!

The support and love from all our family and friends has been out of this world and I can't thank Bowel Cancer UK enough for helping not just me but our family through the dark days. Special thanks to my mum, dad and sister. My mum has literally saved my life by continually booking GP appointments (mum's instinct) which I will always be thankful for. My Dad was incredible and was my personal chauffeur to every appointment and my sister for getting me into London for heart tests at St Bartholomew's Hospital during the storms. My husband has been my rock through the many tears I have shed and has been my nurse, cook, personal shopper, the list is long but I couldn't have done this without him.

I'm thankful our little Tom is completely unaware of how serious the current situation is and has been our light in the dark days, even pointing at my scar on my tummy and saying 'ouch ouch'. He truly is my little angel.

I have always been a positive person and always look to turn a negative into a positive. During April 2022, I chose to take part in Step up for 30 as I wanted to be able to focus on a daily task during my chemotherapy treatment. Step up for 30 really pushed me during the difficult days of treatment. I had so much support from family and friends who helped me complete my 30 minute walk every day and always brought a smile to my face when I completed it each day. I felt a sense of achievement on completing such a simple walk but during chemotherapy treatment a straight forward walk to most people will be easy but for me felt like a marathon.

I have been completely blown away by the generous donations on my JustGiving page, I never thought I would reach my original target let alone receive just over £1,300. I'm so proud to be able to help this amazing charity and continue their research into this very silent cancer. Thirty minutes of exercise a day really helps improve your fitness and mental health.

• To contribute to Gemma's Step up for 30 fundraising, visit her JustGiving page

• Find your next fundraising challenge here