I’d already lost my mum to cancer and my sister had died of it just six weeks before when I got the call from my doctor that the tumor they’d found was cancer. Despite being fit and healthy and having just run a marathon it seemed the family heat-seeking missile of death had locked in on me. Or my rear end to be precise.

Pathology revealed it was stage IIIB rectal cancer and had probably been around for 10-12 years. Having had three big, bouncing babies I’d been told the rectal bleeding was hemorrhoids and to eat more fiber and drink more water. Thankfully my new doctor decided to check it out “just to be safe.”

At first, I was determined to survive until, after chemo, radiation and surgery, surviving was all I was doing. eventually, I discovered what is now my mantra “Life doesn’t have to be pain-free to be full” so now I’m all about living it, thriving, no just surviving, no matter what. Over ten years later I’m cancer free and trying to help others going through what I did.