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July 2021 - I’ve always struggled with my digestion. It’s always been slow and I feel like I can’t tolerate dairy very well. Around this time though I started to notice mucus when I’d go to the toilet. Then the mucus started to have blood in it. When it began to be a daily thing I rang my GP straight away.
August 2021 - After a few phone appointments I managed to get a face to face meeting with my GP. She was so caring, understanding and patient with me. She politely asked if she could examine me and gave me enough space and room to decline if I didn’t feel comfortable. She was so wonderful and kind that even though I was nervous, I knew I felt safe with her. She popped me onto the bed and examined me. She said she felt like it wasn’t anything too serious (partly due to my age - she thought I was quite young for cancer) my fitness levels, I(’m a keen runner) and she guessed it could just be a case of something simpler to treat like haemorrhoids… but she also decided to send me for a colonoscopy ‘just in case’. This was crucial. I really believe without her doing this I could have been in a much worse position now.
21st September 2021 - I had a colonoscopy at the hospital. Again I was nervous and didn’t know what to expect but the DRs and nurses were so kind and caring and took their time with me. They also explained the procedure as they knew I hadn’t done anything like this before. I was terrible at my bowel prep (more on that later! Haha) but I’d done it well enough for them to find a growth in my colon. At that point they said I’d need to wait a couple of weeks for the results and I didn’t really think anything of it. I do remember a nurse called Anne coming to see me though after the procedure. She was so gentle and had such a good energy about her. It felt like I was the only person she was dealing with that day, she was so attentive and made me feel safe. Little did I know that Anne is a colorectal cancer nurse and maybe at that point she already knew what was coming… The next day I got a call and I was booked in for a CT scan and an MRI (for later that week). Again, I didn’t know what these were for but this is also when my mind started to go into over drive and I scoured as many websites as I could to see what it potentially could be. I thought it could be cancer but I also thought I was just being silly and overthinking it. It was strange 9 days waiting to hear what it all could mean.
1st October 2021 - I was diagnosed with bowel cancer. I actually couldn’t believe it. It didn’t feel real. I had to wait a week for more test results as it wasn’t clear if the cancer had spread to my liver. The tumour was also in a very tricky place. Very near my rectum so it was also unclear if I’d lose the use of my bottom. It felt like the longest wait for those test results. Only Kate and I knew about the diagnosis at this point but I was desperate to tell my family. I didn’t want to worry them un-necessarily though until I knew where the caner was and if it had spread.
25th October 2021 - Good news! (If it can be called that). I feel so lucky that by the end of October I was booked in for a low anterior resection and surgery for an ileostomy. This cancer was whipped out and Audrey was born!
Luckily the test results came back to say that I had stage 2 bowel cancer (it hadn’t spread to my liver), the wonderful team at the NHS were able to remove it and whilst my colon heals I’ve got an ileostomy to help me go to the toilet in the meantime. Audrey was my new best friend!
27th November 2021 - Thanks to the incredible team at the NHS and my wonderful stoma nurse Elaine I was able to return to ‘work’ at Radio 1. When I say work, it’s not really work. It’s the best job in the world! It’s a joy! And for me it’s an essential part of my recovery. Being with the radio family and our wonderful listeners is the greatest medicine!
6th December 2021 - I started chemotherapy. A drug called capecitabine. I had no idea I could take chemotherapy orally. It’s amazing! I’m starting my third cycle today (17th January 2022). I have 14 days on and 7 days off and it’ll be like this for the next 6 months (until May 2022). I’ve had my ups and downs (as you’ll see on this website) but I am so grateful it’s maneagable and there’s lots you can do the help with the side effects. I’m seeing the chemo as my little snipers! Getting any rogue cancer cells that may be lingering! Goodbye cancer! We don’t need you!
