Navigating Life at 22: My Journey with Stage 3 Bowel Cancer

Recovering in the hospital bed, the day after surgery, with a hopeful smile for a quick recovery.

I was 21 and living my best life on student exchange in Exeter, UK. It was everything I'd dreamed of - new friends, exploring Europe on weekends, completely immersed in university life abroad. I felt invincible, like most young people do.

Toward the very end of my exchange, I started noticing things that weren't quite right. Blood when I went to the bathroom. Changes in my bowel habits. Stomach discomfort that I initially brushed off as stress from exams or too much British pub food. At 21, you don't immediately think "cancer" - you think it's haemorrhoids, or something you ate, or just the stress of being away from home.

I was torn between not wanting to ruin the end of my amazing exchange experience and knowing something wasn't right.

When I returned to Australia, I couldn't ignore the symptoms anymore. My GP referred me for a colonoscopy - not something you expect to need in your early twenties. I remember feeling almost embarrassed, like I was too young to be there among all the older patients.

The word ‘tumor’ changes everything instantly. Stage 3 bowel cancer. At 21.

Now in remission, I'm processing what this experience has meant.

Having cancer young is isolating in unique ways. Most support groups are for older patients. Friends don't know what to say. People make assumptions about what caused it or whether you're ‘too young’ for this to be serious. You're forced to become an adult in ways your peers aren't, making medical decisions and facing mortality while they're worried about college grades and weekend plans.

But being young also has advantages. My body handled treatment relatively well. I had fewer comorbidities to complicate things. My recovery capacity was strong. I had decades of life ahead to fight for.

The experience taught me that cancer doesn't care about your age, your plans, or how unfair it seems. But it also taught me that young bodies and minds are remarkably resilient. You can handle more than you think you can. ~ William.

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