Kellie Finlayson, the spouse of AFL star Jeremy Finlayson, has shared the worrying signs that led to a life-threatening analysis of Stage 4 most cancers.
Finlayson was recognized with bowel most cancers when she was 25 years previous, solely three months after she had given delivery to the couple’s solely daughter, Sophia, in August of 2021.
She says within the lead-up to the life-changing analysis, she skilled extreme stomach ache and constipation, however dismissed them as post-partum signs.
“But the one thing that made me nervous was the blood in my stool,” Finlayson stated this week.
“I started researching and decided that it must be Crohn’s or irritable bowel syndrome, or even a food intolerance. My partner Jeremy was not convinced, and so I eventually booked into the doctors.”
It was then that Finlayson was given the devastating news that she had Stage 3 bowel most cancers.
“Twenty-four hours later I was sitting in the surgeon’s office discussing my options, and I remember my head just swimming as it was all happening so fast,” she stated.
“After more tests and scans, it became evident that the cancer was tracking up my back, and my diagnosis was changed to Stage 4.”
Finlayson stated after months of chemotherapy, radiotherapy and medical appointments, she underwent a closing surgical procedure to take away the final of the tumour.
“At one point I was so sick I was in ICU for 12 days straight and was barely able to see my daughter, my partner and my family due to the Covid restrictions,” she stated.
“Those 12 days were some of the hardest for me — I constantly felt guilty for not being able to help with Sophia.”
After her stint within the ICU, Finlayson was instructed extra terrifying news, studying that her most cancers could have been there as much as 4 years earlier than her analysis.
In July 2022, her scans confirmed the remedy was profitable and she or he had no tumours left. However, seven lymph nodes nonetheless confirmed microscopic most cancers cells.
“They could never say that I was cancer-free and in remission because of these seven lymph nodes, but the surgeon was quite optimistic about my progress, and I felt hopeful for the future,” she stated.
But in December 2022, issues took a flip as soon as once more.
Finlayson started experiencing tightness within the chest and ache, prompting a CT scan that discovered a big mass in her chest cavity. A surgeon found the most cancers in her colon has metastasised and unfold to her lungs.
After present process a 12-week chemotherapy remedy plan, Finlayson’s lesion had shrunk significantly. She continued with extra chemotherapy out of worry of lacking any microscopic traces of most cancers.
“Last week (23 May), I did another round of chemotherapy which knocked me around as my body rejected the treatment,” she stated.
“As a result, I was admitted to hospital for a night to recover.”
Finlayson says “at the moment” she is uncertain whether or not she can be present process extra chemotherapy.
“However, over the coming weeks I will be starting targeted radiotherapy for the lesion in my lung,” she stated.
“At the time of writing this, I’m happy to say my treatment is working well at this stage, and I am lucky enough to feel pretty good about 80 per cent of the time.”
Finlayson stated she believes if she permits most cancers to shopper her thoughts, it’ll be “a hell of a lot harder to overcome the disease”.
“I take every day as it comes and focus on being in the present, the here and now, and enjoying time with my daughter, my husband, and our families and friends,” she stated.
Finlayson shouldn’t be but cancer-free and her analysis continues to be thought of terminal, although scans have indicated her chemotherapy is working “unbelievably well”. She says she needs to make use of her story to boost consciousness for bowel most cancers.
The sickness is the second commonest reason behind cancer-related dying in Australia. Among Aussies aged 25 to 35, it’s the main most cancers killer.
“The more people I can reach with my message the better, because I truly thought cancer, and particularly bowel cancer, was an old person’s disease,” she stated.
“I want everyone to know that bowel cancer doesn’t discriminate. It doesn’t know or care how old you are. So you have to care.”
She urged everybody, no matter age, to go to a physician if they’re experiencing signs comparable to:
• Blood in your poo
• Changes in your bowel habits
• Unexplained tiredness or weight reduction
• Stomach pains
Originally printed as Kellie Finlayson reveals key signs earlier than her most cancers analysis at 25
Source: www.news.com.au
