Carrie Brown, Cwmbran
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I was diagnosed with stage 3 bowel cancer in March 2022. I was 31, married with two young children.
I had always suffered with stomach and bowel issues, and we had always put it down to irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). It was something I had always just delt with - it was my normal.
I had my son in April 2021 and from the time I gave birth to him my life changed. I went back and forth to the GP countless times as I was in agony with my back, losing weight, throwing up every time I went to the toilet and had blood in my poo. They just used to prescribe stronger pain killers each time, I also never had a period since I gave birth. Due to getting no answers from the GPs we decided to pay for a private appointment, we didn’t get any answers from this either.
On 13th March my husband decided to take me to A&E as I was in agony and all that week I had been in horrific pain. He hated seeing me in so much pain so we decided I had to be taken to A&E. Once they took my observations and saw that my heart rate was 164 they instantly admitted me, I was put on heart monitors and was sent for a CT scan. The CT scan showed there was a massive blockage in my bowel and I would need a colonoscopy.
They managed to get on top of the pain and after a few days on a drip I managed to start to eat so they discharged me as I was in a stable position. I was home not even 12 hours, and the agonising pain came back! I was admitted to A&E again and taken to the ward, I was in so much pain the only thing that would work was morphine. That admission was the worst as I started faecal vomiting, I had to have emergency surgery to remove my bowel and have an ileostomy put in.
My bowel was sent off for examination and they found that I had ulcerative colitis and stage 3 bowel cancer, there were 24 lymph nodes taken and out of those 24, 13 were positive for cancer so I was rushed for another surgery that night.
I’m due to start chemotherapy in a few days, I’ll be having it twice a month for six months, I will be having it through a PICC line in my arm but have been told I can’t lift heavy things, my youngest child is one and it’s heart-breaking that I won’t be able to pick him up. I’ve also been told that I may be infertile after I finish chemo which breaks my heart as our family isn’t complete.
Cancer has taken so much from me, whilst I was in hospital, I missed my sons last day at pre-school and my baby’s first steps. I also missed my best friend’s wedding as I was too unwell to travel and now it’s possibly taken my fertility as well!
Although I have stage 3 bowel cancer I will always be grateful to the NHS for saving my life.
