In late 2021 i was diagnosed with Stage 3 Bowel Cancer with not just one, but 3 tumours in my large bowel. I couldn't believe it!. I was really into running and fitness and was the fittest and healthiest i had ever been. So it came as a massive shock. I'd had IBS type symptoms for a while (too long really) and i didn't know what the signs or symptom's of Bowel cancer were, until it was too late.

In early 2022 i began 5 weeks of intensive Chemoradiotherapy. This was a gruelling treatment and unfortunately it didn't shrink the tumours as much as had been hoped so i was sent over to the amazing Colorectal team at Southampton General because the cancer came back with a vengeance and became aggressive and an advanced cancer.

I was told in June that major, life saving, surgery was my only option and so i began to train for the fight of my life. Running, once again, became my happy place and helped me to get fit enough to be allowed to have the surgery. I was listed for a Pelvic Exenteration and in August 2022 i underwent 13 hours of life changing surgery. After a week on both HDI and ICU i went onto the ward and the recovery really began. Back then I never believed (or even hoped) that i could run again but once i came home (2 months later) and began to recover even more I felt it was something i had to try, if i could. It hasn't been easy and i am still recovering, and everyday has its challenges, but i can run again, so i have to give something back, raise some awareness of Bowel cancer and put a positive spin to this horrific chapter in my life.

Long story short, I'm now 6 months post surgery and training to run a 10k (with my amazing husband, Charli and my lovely friend, Tina) for an amazing charity without who many patients wouldn't get the care and treatment they need. They help patients with pancreatic, liver, colorectal, abdominal and neuroendocrine cancers by funding patient support groups, innovative treatments and research. All of these things are literally a life line to patients for another chance of life. Most recently they have funded HIPEC and IORT treatments which is now being used by the team that cared for me. IORT only became a treatment in December 2022 and so now they are able to consider patients for this treatment that wouldn't have been previously.

1 in 2 of us will get cancer in our life time and it changes your world completely, and of those around you. I will never be the person i was physically or mentally before i heard those awful words 'you have cancer' but i am so grateful to be with my wonderful family and amazing friends and making the most of everyday!. You never think its going happen to you, until it does!.

Thank you for getting this far and thank you for anything you can donate to this fantastic charity.

Sara xx

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