What happened, in summary

Angela developed diarrhea, blood in the stool, weight loss, loss of appetite and general discomfort over several months. Access to medical care was difficult during the COVID period, and when Angela was eventually assessed, what had seemed like it might be irritable bowel syndrome was diagnosed as colorectal, or bowel, cancer.

Following the doctor’s recommendation, Angela underwent bowel resection with removal of lymph nodes. Angela then completed 4 rounds of chemotherapy using both tablets and infusions over 4 months. Pain medication was used for 4 months, along with nutritional drinks to help meet nutritional needs. Treatment brought significant side effects, including diarrhea, hand and foot syndrome and loss of appetite. Staying active was one strategy used to help manage these effects.

In March 2022, Angela was declared cancer-free. Angela remains grateful to the NHS medical team and has raised money for Macmillan. Fear of recurrence is still one of the hardest parts of survivorship, but support from family, friends and cancer nurses has helped. Angela hopes to reach the 5-year cancer-free milestone and encourages others to seek medical help when symptoms are concerning.