Liz’s Story

Seeking information, education awareness and understanding regarding health issues, especially cancer, can be daunting. In my experience though, the process of seeking information, education and awareness can save your life.

In May 2021 I heard the words that no one wants to hear from my GP “it’s cancer”. My diagnosis followed on from a visit to my GP a few weeks earlier. At the time I had thought that going to see my GP was more about calming the anxiety that was building in me regarding a few symptoms I’d had in the 6-8 weeks prior (some red bleeding, one tiny episode of black blood, irregular bowel habits and one episode of pain).

I remember telling my GP, almost apologetically, that it was probably just anxiety as I had been seeing ads on the back of busses recommending bowel screening for over 50 year olds… and on the back of public toilet doors. I had also heard Jenny-May Clarkson speak about losing her brother to bowel cancer and the Move Your Butt challenge on TV1 Breakfast News. Essentially I thought I was being a hypochondriac – noticing all these bowel cancer red flags. Then my partner heard Dr John Cameron speak about bowel cancer symptoms on The Rock FM. That was the tipping point, I decided it was time to book in to see my GP.

My GP, Dr Jodi Patterson, is one amazing human, I credit her with saving my life about 3 times in the past decade. Dr Jodi listened to me describe the symptoms I’d had and took my concerns seriously (which I was a little surprised by as I’d convinced myself I was only there to see her to deescalate my fears, which were likely to amount to nothing sinister). Dr Jodi examined me and then, although she thought that my symptoms were likely to be hemorrhoids, recommended I did some blood tests to check for anaemia and also suggested I self-fund the bowel screening kit for around $50, to be on the safe side, which I followed through with despite the blood tests coming back as normal.

I thought I had nothing to worry about, I was not in any of the risk factor groups – I’m under 50, I’ve never smoked, I’m of average weight and reasonable fitness, I drank maybe 1-2 alcoholic drinks per week, eat quite a healthy diet and there’s no family history of bowel cancer. When I got diagnosed, a friend and work colleague said “How, Liz? You’re so clean living!”

When the bowel screening test came back showing a positive result for blood, my GP called me and suggested she refer me for a colonoscopy, just to be on the safe side, even though she still predicted that all I was dealing with was  hemorrhoids. I reluctantly agreed. “I’m having a camera up bum test” I explained in jest to my twin 10 year old daughters. We had a laugh. The idea of having a colonoscopy horrified me a bit, however it probably saved my life.

I am so grateful to have a GP that I felt comfortable having a really uncomfortable conversation with, regarding an area of my body that I don’t really like talking about. She listened to me, was thorough and encouraged me to take all the steps I could to eliminate any possibility that I had bowel cancer. The pain in the proverbial is that it was the dreaded C beast, however I count myself very lucky to have had it caught and diagnosed early enough to be given a prognosis of a full recovery.

I hope that anyone reading my story about having cancer in an embarrassing body part… especially anyone under 50 who thinks it can’t and won’t happen to them… who is fighting fit and clean living (or not) and feels full of life, yet may have 1-2 symptoms, takes their symptoms seriously and listens to their body, instead of gas lighting themselves into believing its nothing, and carrying on.

If you think something is not right, don’t delay, book an appointment with your GP, talk it through with them and get it checked out. Knowing the signs and symptoms is the first step (which I didn’t have a very good knowledge and understanding of prior to my diagnosis). I encourage you to learn the signs and symptoms, so you know what is not normal if it happens to you. The second step after knowing the signs and symptoms is to take action. Don’t be too shy to talk to your GP, they’ve heard it all before.

Embarrassing conversations (and tests) save lives. 

Fast-forward to January 2023 and I’ve now been in remission for a year. I’m getting back to feeling full of life after radiation, chemo and losing 60cm of my colo-rectal plumbing. Trust me, your bum is worth getting checked. It does a very important job and you wouldn’t want to be without it (or any other embarrassing body part).

You’re never too young to get bowel cancer- unfortunately, it kills more people in NZ than prostate cancer and breast cancer combined. So… don’t sit on your symptoms. Give them the attention they deserve and find a GP who listens. It might save your life like it’s hopefully saved mine.