Michael’s Story

“My first symptom was abdominal pain. It started infrequently at first, often only occurring in the evenings, but it increased in frequency over a period of months, until it became almost constant. I also had frequent bleeding with bowel movements, but I didn’t recognise this at first, as I’m colour blind.

Getting a diagnosis was difficult. The first GP I saw dismissed it and said I didn’t need to worry about the abdominal pain, but just to come back if it was still there after another 3 months. I had been experiencing pain for about 3-4 months by this stage. Thanks to my wife’s insistence, I saw another GP who was more concerned. Initially, I had a course of antibiotics, in case it was an infection. At my next visit two weeks later, I was referred for a colonoscopy. At this stage, I was told it could be diverticulitis, ulcerative colitis or crohns. However, I never received an appointment for a colonoscopy, as the hospital lost the referral. After another month, the pain became so excruciating, that I was taken to the hospital ED, and checked in for a few days. At this stage I was told I was too young for bowel cancer, but I would be seen for a colonoscopy in another 6 weeks, which was when I finally received my diagnosis. I was scheduled for surgery two weeks later, but had emergency surgery after only 1 week, due to the tumour blocking my bowel. It is now 12 years since my initial diagnosis, and I have remained cancer free since my treatment. I attended several seminars about treatment, to learn more about treatment and recovery. I have regularly followed updates since then, to keep up to date with the current state of care in NZ. I had been married for just under a year when I was diagnosed. The diagnosis was devastating for my wife. We wanted to start a family, but this had to be put on hold. It also meant that our first child was conceived via IVF, due to impacts of undergoing chemotherapy.

The diagnosis was a significant shock to my parents and sister. In addition it now means that they all need regular colonoscopies, as well as my niece and nephew, as well as my own children, once they are 22. Don’t ignore your symptoms! I know this has been reiterated many times, but it is easy to do. I initially ignored my symptoms, thinking the pain was something temporary, likely linked to dietary intolerances. Also, as a 32 year old, I didn’t go for regular check ups or visit the doctor very often, so it was easy to pretend it wasn’t serious.

Also, don’t neglect your mental health. A cancer diagnosis is devastating, but also hectic. THere is always the next step of treatment to think about, so I found it easy to ignore stress and trauma that comes once the initial shock has passed. Most of my thoughts were on the way it impacted my loved ones, but take time for yourself too and seek help when needed.

a family photo, from when our twins were born in 2016. It was nearly 5 years after my cancer surgery and felt like the start of my post-cancer journey. “