I thought bowel 癌 was an 'old person's 病気' - then my sister and I got it in our 30s. These are the symptoms we wish we knew about

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A young Australian woman 苦しむd gut 問題／発行するs for months before finding out she had 行う／開催する／段階 three bowel 癌.??

Elise Stapleton thought of bowel?癌?as an 'old person's 病気' before both she and her sister were 診断するd within two years of each other in their 中央の-thirties.

The 37-year-old 最初 thought her symptoms, 含むing 復部の 苦痛 and diarrhoea, were 関係のある to her endometriosis which she had struggled with for years.?

However, a pelvic ざっと目を通す 設立する a large 集まり in her bowel and the months に引き続いて were filled with 多重の 外科s and 厳しい chemotherapy 治療s.

But while it was a painful and challenging time for Elise, her 旅行 through 癌 wasn't all dark. She had met a man on Hinge who supported her during 治療.?

Elise Stapleton (left) thought of bowel 癌 as an 'old person's 病気' before both she and her sister (権利) were 診断するd within two years of each other in their 中央の-thirties?

The 37-year-old 最初 thought her symptoms, 含むing 復部の 苦痛 and diarrhoea, were 関係のある to her endometriosis which she had struggled with for years?

In March 2021, Elise's 39-year-old sister Lana had been 診断するd with 行う／開催する／段階 three bowel 癌 so her family 速く got themselves checked for the 病気.

Elise's 実験（する）s （機の）カム 支援する normal and there were no genetic links 設立する.??

So いっそう少なく than a year later when Elise started experiencing symptoms, she never would have 嫌疑者，容疑者／疑うd 癌.?

'I had very 時折起こる 復部の 苦痛 more so on my left 味方する, loose bowels and diarrhoea. I was going to the bathroom all the time and had some 疲労，（軍の）雑役 but everyone feels tired these days,' she said.?

She 嫌疑者，容疑者／疑うd it was her endometriosis 'ゆらめくing up' as the symptoms were very 類似の so she waited three months before 結局 visiting her gynaecologist in October of 2022.?

The doctor recommended a pelvic ざっと目を通す to see what was going on with her endometriosis but it 選ぶd up a lesion in her bowel.??

'At that point, my heart stopped. I was like, "Oh my god, it's 癌" because no one wants to hear the word "lesion",' she said.?

In March 2021, Elise's 39-year-old sister Lana had been 診断するd with 行う／開催する／段階 four bowel 癌 so her family 速く got themselves checked for the 病気?

With her sister's history, Elise said her gynaecologist 'didn't muck around' and was quick to get more specialists on board and 行為／行う その上の 実験（する）s and ざっと目を通すs.??

'Thankfully the MRI and CT (ざっと目を通すs) （機の）カム 支援する 説 there was no 疑惑 for malignancy,' Elise 解任するd.

Elise's gynaecologist and colorectal 外科医 決定するd the lesion was likely her endometriosis 原因（となる）ing the uterine lining to grow on her bowel so she was scheduled for a?laparoscopy to 除去する it.??

'I was planning to start a family and they said I need to be fit to be a mum so let's do the endo 外科. I was going in for my?fourth?laparoscopy,' she said.?

But 外科医s were not sure 確かな what they were going in for. Elise would either need a small 穴を開ける punch 手続き or a 十分な 復部の 外科 if they 設立する the 集まり was more serious.

'My sister dropped me off and I had packed a 捕らえる、獲得する for the night and said "I'll see you all tomorrow",' Elise 解任するd.?

'It probably was better going into the 外科 with that 態度 but it led to the biggest shock of my life once they woke me up.'?

A pelvic ざっと目を通す 設立する a tumorous 集まり in her bowel and he had to を受ける 多重の 外科s and chemotherapy

Elise knew something wasn't 権利 when she （機の）カム to from the anaesthesia to see her 外科医 and two nurses at the foot of her bed.?

'I've had a few 外科s knowing you just have that one nurse beside you. I looked at my 外科医 and said, "There's something wrong",' she said.?

The 外科医 broke the news they had 設立する a 集まり and was '99 per cent sure' it was bowel 癌 even though they had to wait for pathology results to 確認する.??

'I did believe that misconception that bowel 癌 is an older person's 病気 and it's really not. My sister opened my 注目する，もくろむs up a little bit but then I thought it wouldn't happen to me,' Elise said.?

'It （機の）カム as a 完全にする shock. My world turned upside 負かす／撃墜する that day.'?

Just a few weeks after 回復するing from her 外科 Elise returned to hospital to have another 手続き where 30cm of her bowel was 除去するd 同様に as some lymph nodes where the 癌 had spread.

'Your bowels take a while to get 支援する into the swing of it. It stops your bowel 機能（する）／行事, I had an enema, I couldn't open my bowels and then it's the opposite, I?was constipated for a week, I needed laxatives in hospital, ' she said.?

Weeks after 回復するing from her first 外科 Elise had to have another 手続き where 30cm of her bowel was 除去するd 同様に as some lymph nodes where the 癌 had spread

'They've interrupted that flow of everything then you're on a soft diet, you can't really eat. There were a lot of changes going on in my 団体／死体. The 団体／死体 is an amazing thing though, it's very resilient.'

Elise then 耐えるd six 一連の会議、交渉／完成するs of chemotherapy over a gruelling three months.?

'It was pretty horrible to go through what I went through, I would wish it on no one,' she said.?

Before her first 外科 and diagnosis and にもかかわらず her health 脅す, she was still swiping on the dating app Hinge and matched with a man 指名するd Kieran.?

The pair started chatting and went on a couple of dates where they 攻撃する，衝突する it off.?

'I had 肉親，親類d of given up on men and I was like, "This is not going to happen", but then he 完全に blew me out of the water,' she said.?

'We had a really good 関係 then we kept in 接触する 経由で phone calls and messages. He went to Hawaii and was there at the time of my 外科.

Before her first 外科 and diagnosis and にもかかわらず her health 脅す, she was still swiping on the dating app Hinge and matched with a man 指名するd Kieran (left)

Elise thought Kieran would 'run for the hills' when he 設立する out the 十分な extent of her health 問題／発行するs but he was unperturbed. The pair got engaged on Christmas Day 2023?

'I didn't tell him 十分な 詳細（に述べる）s at the start. I sort of said I've got some women's 商売／仕事 I'm getting sorted out.'

Elise thought Kieran would 'run for the hills' when he 設立する out the 十分な extent of her health 問題／発行するs but he was unperturbed.?

'He said, "I'm so sorry, I'll let you be with your family but when you're ready I'd still like to catch up". He wasn't in my 直面する but he was giving me space,' she said.?

'I told no one then one of my sisters said to me "You seem to be 対処するing really 井戸／弁護士席", and I said, "I've got a bit of a distraction going on, there's this guy". It's almost like he helped me through it.'

Elise and Kieran kept in 接触する and he was even with her at her first 治療 of chemotherapy which finished in June 2023.?

'Three months later had my first 十分な 団体／死体 ざっと目を通す and 血 実験（する） and it （機の）カム 支援する - they don't say 癌-解放する／自由な but - with no 証拠 of 病気,' Elise said.?

The g ood news gave Elise and Kieran the 適切な時期 to date 普通は and they quickly realised they were in love.?

He 完全に surprised her when he 提案するd on Christmas Day in 前線 of her family after asking her parents' 許可.?

EXCLUSIVEREAD MORE:?I was 診断するd with 癌 twice before I turned 30 - here's how one phone call with my dad saved my life and what all young Aussies need to know

宣伝

Elise is using her experience to spread 認識／意識性 that bowel 癌 can 影響する／感情 young Australians. It is?is the deadliest 癌 for Australians 老年の between 25 and 44

The couple are blissfully engaged making 計画（する）s to be married in November 2025 and Elise is feeling healthy again.

She is using her experience to spread 認識／意識性 that bowel 癌 can 影響する／感情 young Australians.?

'早期に onset bowel 癌 率s are really rising and it's becoming more and more ありふれた in younger people,' she said.?

'Don't 解任する your symptoms, go and get checked. If you're in 疑問 go and see your GP. 早期に （犯罪，病気などの）発見 of bowel 癌 can save lives.'

によれば Bowel 癌 Australia, the 病気 is the deadliest 癌 for Australians 老年の between 25 and 44.?

The organisation has teamed up with Melbourne?food designer Ryan L Foote?to 開始する，打ち上げる a 限られた／立憲的な-版 範囲 of ‘不規律な Chocolates’.?

Each chocolate 反映するs a 明確な／細部 symptom to help raise 認識／意識性 of 早期に onset bowel 癌.?

Each box 含む／封じ込めるs four chocolate varieties: jammy, 代表するing 血 in your poo, gooey, for an obvious change in your bowel habit, airy for 負わせる loss you can’t explain and chunk, for a lump or swelling in your abdomen.

Melbourne chocolate lovers can 選ぶ up a 解放する／自由な box?at Ryan L Foote Studio in Clifton Hill?between 9am to 5pm until Sunday 18 February, or while 在庫／株s last.?