A mom-of-two has revealed the common symptom she dismissed prior to being diagnosed with stage four cancer.
Susan Schmidt was 45 when she received her devastating bowel cancer diagnosis in September 2023, which came four months after she began experiencing subtle symptoms.
"The diagnosis is incurable," she told the Daily Mail. "The plan is to stay well for as long as I can. I'll likely go back on chemo after my next trip overseas."
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Now, the 47-year-old is hoping to break down barriers, urging others to be transparent about the symptoms they're experiencing - specifically around bowel movements, which has become somewhat a taboo subject in modern society.
The Australian continued: "I didn't talk about my bowel habits. Who does?
"That's the problem with bowel cancer - people don't raise the alarm.
"I had health literacy. I was a physiotherapist. But it never occurred to me to consider bowel cancer.
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"I didn't have blood in my stool, no dramatic symptoms - just fatigue, constipation, and two extreme episodes of pain."
The subtle symptom she had first experienced was extreme tiredness - which she chalked off as early menopause.
Schmidt explained that in May 2023, she was experiencing severe fatigue, so much so that she was 'having to pull the car over just to sleep'.
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"I'd drive 15 minutes to drop my daughter off at rowing and then have to stop halfway home to nap for 40 minutes," she explained.
"That's not normal. That was a warning sign. But I brushed it off."
Simply put, Schmidt thought she was just 'exhausted because of life'.
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The next subtle symptom she didn't think too much into was constipation - which she suffered while on a dream vacation to France for a friend's wedding.
"I'd never had constipation in my life,' she told the publication. "But in France, I just wasn't going properly. I figured it was the rich French food, too much cheese. I didn't think more of it."
Upon returning to Australia, she experienced 'absolute agony' which she described as 'worse than childbirth', and after a visit to the doctor she was given the all clear.
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"But they weren't looking for cancer," Schmidt recounted.
Now, after receiving her incurable diagnosis, she hopes people can heed her urgent warning and not let subtle symptoms fly under the radar.
"I want people to know the signs. I want them to push for answers if something feels off," Schmidt added.
"Even if your blood tests are normal, even if you're told it's stress or diet or menopause - follow your instincts."
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The mom has since set up The Floozie Foundation, a charity focused on supporting bowel cancer patients and nurses in Australia.
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, contact the American Cancer Society on 1-800-227-2345 or via their live chat feature, available 24/7 every day of the year.
Joe Yates