Andrew’s Story

“All blood tests were normal and it was looking like some sort of inflammation/dietary issue and haemorroids. Because I had a positive faecal occult blood result it meant I had to have a colonoscopy but this seemed like it was going to be routine. My GP was great and was happy to refer me privately (to rule out the worst case scenario – bowel cancer) because I had medical insurance. I’m not sure I would have been so lucky if I’d waited in the public system.

Waking up from the colonoscopy and having a private consultation with the specialist was awful, I had a large tumour in my colon and he hadn’t been able to get the scope past it. I was booked for a CT scan and then surgery within 2 weeks. It was all a blur and a shock.
The scan result came back and I had a 5cm tumour and some lymph node involvement. I was 37 years old and had 3 children aged 6, 4 and 1. I needed surgery and 6 months of chemotherapy. The hardest part was telling my parents and deciding what to tell the children. My wife and I decided the children were too young to understand so we told them I had a sore tummy and needed an operation and some special medicine.

In March 2012 I had a left hemicolectomy and the surgeon joined the two ends together and away everything went. He had a thorough look around my abdomen while I was on the table and found a small secondary tumour in my liver. More surgery was booked and this was removed laparoscopically. Then I had 12 cycles of intravenous chemotherapy via a portacath – I wasn’t able to tolerate the oral chemo. I found chemotherapy pretty tough going – I know it is different for everyone.

I battled nausea, fatigue and a mind fog for about 4 days following each round, then would bounce back and spend the next week racing around and eating pies, pizzas and anything savoury I could find. I put on a bit of weight but decided I could worry about my cholesterol and weight gain later – I just needed to get through that 6 months anyway that I could. I must have driven my wife and kids mad – we went here, there and everywhere. I manically took up hobbies like drumming, kite flying, pool and snooker and then dropped them again a few weeks later.

Imagine my disappointment when after 6 months of chemotherapy my CT scan revealed 7 more tumours in my liver. I was devastated and honestly felt that that was it for me. However my amazing oncologist referred me to a liver surgeon in Auckland. He managed to remove all the tumours over 2 surgeries 6 weeks apart – the liver is an amazing organ due to its regenerative properties. There was a long recuperation period following this. I don’t want to play it down – this was a very tough time for everyone and there are some long term chronic health issues that I live with, but I have made adjustments and do live with them

In March 2012 I was diagnosed with stage 4 adenosquamous carcinoma – a rare type of colorectal cancer. My initial reading showed it was rare and aggressive. I stopped reading as couldn’t find anything hopeful about this type of bowel cancer on the internet.
My oncologist had me under observation for 10 years due to this type of cancer. 2 years ago I was discharged and told I was cured – a surreal feeling. It is now 2024 and I am 50 years old. I am thankful for every extra day I’ve had with my family and friends. Day to day life and work sometimes creeps in with stress or drudgery and I might lose sight of how lucky I am – when this happens I give myself a metaphorical slap. I wasn’t aware of Bowel Cancer NZ at the time.

I feel incredibly lucky to still be here.  After all of the terrible things that happened during that time, as a survivor I honestly feel it is one of the best things that has happened to me.  I don’t say that lightly as I know many people don’t survive.  My wife told me that before bowel cancer I was turning into an arsehole (no joke).  I was working more and more hours, away from home a lot, and generally putting my career ahead of everything else.  I have a completely different focus now – family, friends and people are the most important thing in life.  And for God’s sake if you’re not feeling well get yourself to the doctor, you’ll end up there or hospital in the end anyway if you ignore it.

Without my wife, children, family and friends I wouldn’t have made it. We owe a lot to the oncologists, surgeons, nurses and hospital staff for always doing everything they could to care for me. I knew I couldn’t treat myself so happily put myself in their capable hands.
I’ve included a couple of photos – one from a family holiday when post treatment but still under surveillance. The other with one of my hobbies – eating dessert.”