My Story
I relay because I am a young bowel cancer survivor.
3 weeks into moving interstate to regional Tasmania, I got an X-ray late on a Friday afternoon that sent me straight to emergency where I was prepped for a lifesaving 6-hour major surgery. That surgery removed a quarter of my bowel, a large cancerous tumour, left me with a colostomy bag and staring down the barrel of 12 rounds of chemotherapy. I was 31 years old and otherwise fit and healthy.
When I saw my oncologist for the first time, three things stuck out – 1. Your cancer is aggressive 2. You will not lose your hair, and 3. There are two treatment options for you to choose from, and you have 24 hours to decide. I really didn’t expect chemo to come as a menu.
That is when I first contacted the Cancer Council. That first phone call helped me navigate my treatment options with the cancer nurses. I was then put in touch with a young bowel cancer survivor through the buddy program, and I got to ask my big scary questions to someone who had been through exactly what I was about to. From there, I met the incredible supportive care team and took full advantage of every program.
I found comfort in the community Cancer Council cultivates. It’s people who sit with you through the worst moments of your life. It’s being understood and seen.
Two months after my diagnosis, one of my close friends, Katie, also received a bowel cancer diagnosis. She was 33 and a new, first-time mum. Sadly, she is not here to volunteer, advocate and relay with me. To inject her humour, warmth and incredible ability to bring people together. Katie passed away 6 months after diagnosis.
This is why I relay. I relay because I want a cancer-free future, and I don’t want anyone to have to go through what I have.
Bowel cancer is the deadliest cancer for Australians aged 25-54. Bowel cancer rates are 2 to 3 times higher among Australians born in the 1990s than those born in the 1950s. Yet, if caught early, bowel cancer is 99% successfully treatable.
Walk the track with me by join my relay team (Power of Purple), contribute if you can, and see your GP and ask for a poo poke test!
So far this year I've helped provide:
