A young woman underwent more than 20 medical examinations before being diagnosed with stage three bowel cancer, reports Milli Tanner from England she first sought medical help in June 2021 when she was only 19 years old. She suffered from abdominal and back pain and repeated rectal bleedingbut according to her, doctors repeatedly attributed the symptoms to hemorrhoids, irritable bowel syndrome or menstrual problems.
According to her words, after 13 visits to the general practitioner and contact with the emergency room, she decided to act on her own and she ordered an online test for bowel cancer, which came back positive. “I knew it was going to be bowel cancer. Deep down I knew exactly what it was,” she said. Nevertheless, she faced further delays. Initially, she was given a waiting period of up to 60 weeks for a colonoscopy, because due to her age, she was not considered an urgent case.
It was only after a positive online test that she was sent for an urgent colonoscopy. In November 2023, she was diagnosed with bowel cancer, which had already spread to her lymph nodes. Treatment included chemotherapy, radiotherapy, surgery and the introduction of a permanent colostomy. Due to the risk of infertility, she also decided to collect eggs. According to her, the latest examinations showed no signs of cancer.
Today, Milli points out that cancer does not only affect the elderly and urges young people not to ignore the warning signs. “I would tell people that they know their body better than anyone else. If you feel something is wrong, go back until you find out what’s wrong.” recommends Milli.
