Lesley’s StorY

One of the hardest things to deal with is knowing how your partner and family are feeling

Things moved really quickly for me – from a few symptoms of changed bowel habits, to sending off a bowel screening test in September 2019, quickly followed by an appointment for a colonoscopy then MRI and CT scans. I honestly didn’t have long to think about things. I don’t know why, but I just knew that it was cancer, so I suppose I was prepared in some strange way when just a month later I was diagnosed with stage 2 bowel cancer.

I don’t remember crying or being angry or scared. I just remember my husband Rob saying “we’ll get through this together” and me feeling really sorry for the nurse as she was breaking the news to us – so much so that I gave her a big hug as I left and felt I was the one comforting her!

I had been investigated for fatigue earlier in the year, prior to the change in bowel habit, and had lost a little bit of weight, but apart from that I felt ok. In a weird way, it was a relief to finally know what was causing the continued tiredness. We both felt extremely confident with my surgeon and surgery was scheduled for November.

One of the hardest things to deal with is knowing how your partner and family are feeling, and that you can’t do anything to ease their pain. But the love and support I received from family and friends was unbelievable and I hadn’t quite realised how loved I was.

We had previously been eating a fairly healthy diet and we always had a very active lifestyle – running, cycling, walking and looking after our very active three-year-old grandson. I was more determined than ever to get myself fit for the operation, which definitely helped for a speedy recovery.

I was lucky enough not to need a stoma during surgery and was advised to have four cycles of chemotherapy afterwards as a precaution. Unfortunately, my chemo was cut short due to COVID-19, so after only completing two of the four cycles I was discharged by my oncologist in March.

A few weeks after my op I had seen advertised on social media a support group for people whose lives have been affected by cancer called We Get It. I decided to go along to one of their coffee mornings and I haven’t looked back! The support and friendship that both Rob and I have received has been an absolute lifesaver and we loved it so much we have now joined the team to help raise awareness of the group and get support out there to all those that we can.

While I would rather not have had my cancer diagnosis, I have discovered a new community of wonderful people I would not have otherwise met, and so many positive things have come out of this whole experience.

I continue to get wonderful support from Penny Brohn, I have sought the advice of a nutritionist and am taking some supplements, I’m exercising and meditating regularly, and I am constantly looking at ways to remain as healthy and well as I can.

My greatest piece of advice is to know your body and if you have any concerning symptoms, lumps or changes in your health please contact your GP. If you are eligible for a bowel screening test, mammogram, smear test, etc, I urge you to do it – it could save your life.