How I feel about my body after cancer

Trusting my body again after getting such a shocking diagnosis of stage 3 bowel cancer aged 39 two years ago hasn’t been easy - it’s still a journey I’m on.

What I have learnt is to trust my body’s intuition more. I knew something wasn’t right for about 9 months before I got the official diagnosis. I pursued many different tests even after being dismissed by a doctor with some haemorrhoid cream (!) and another one telling me it was ‘just normal monthly pains’.

Thanks to Dame Deborah James and others sharing on social media symptoms to be aware of, I recognised that I should really pursue whatever avenue I could and that led to me getting an at-home stool test which I bought myself through Lets Get Checked - now I'm sharing my story and hoping that it empowers others to take control of their health.

Since going through major abdominal surgery and chemotherapy, my body certainly isn’t the same as it was before. I’m sure as well partly due to the fact I’m in my 40s now so it holds onto weight a lot more.

It’s not something that comes naturally, but I’m learning to love my body just as it is without criticising it for not being perfect. I do still struggle sometimes with that deeply ingrained conditioning of being a teenager in the early 2000s when it was all about size 0. But having been faced with losing it all after going through cancer, that all fades into insignificance.

Now I’m on a mission to be the healthiest I’ve ever been. I’ve done the Zoe test, adjusted my diet and been working with PTs to keep a varied workout routine. My Monday morning pilates class is non-negotiable as it gives me a grounded start to the week.

Instead of ‘when I complete this, then I’ll go to the gym’ I flip it around knowing that I’ll be way more productive and efficient after first connecting with my body.