An interview with bowel cancer survivor Pippa Slater

Transcript

00:00So when I was 24, I started having some symptoms. I started having blood in my stools and I was

00:10always quite constipated. But it wasn't until I had abdominal pain for a week that I went to the

00:16GP and they sent me to A&E for tests and I was diagnosed with bowel cancer. Once I was referred

00:23to A&E I was admitted for some tests and then finally I had a colonoscopy which showed that I

00:28had bowel cancer. After that I had surgery to remove all the tumour and then some preventative

00:33like chemotherapy and now I'm just under active surveillance to make sure it doesn't come back.

00:39Just to go get checked out. You're never too young. I didn't even think that it could be cancer.

00:45It didn't even cross my mind and it was only until I had the pain that I physically had to go get

00:51checked out that I did. So if you have any other symptoms or if you're worried about anything just

00:56asking someone for help, going to a healthcare professional to get checked out is really

01:01important. The sooner and earlier they find it the better really. So I got diagnosed in April last

01:09year and all my treatment finished in August, September time. I just think everyone should

01:16be aware of the symptoms. I think it happened to myself with no risk factors, no family history.

01:24It can happen to anyone. So as much as possible if you are worried about any of your symptoms just go

01:29and get checked out.