What cancer were you diagnosed with?

Colon cancer

---

What age were you diagnosed?

32

---

What has helped you to thrive?

Setting up my Instagram page @cancer_on_a_post_it also gave me great drive and focus. Sharing my story with others, whether people I know personally or strangers gave me great strength. Since setting up my page, I have received great support but more than that I have helped raise awareness. As a result, many people have visited the doctor themselves for either a regular check-up or to check out a health concern they have been experiencing and carrying around with them. This for me meant that I could find some positives in my diagnosis. It made me happy to know that I was helping others so that they didn't have to go through what I have. 

---

Sarah's Story

On the 30th May 2019, I was diagnosed with colon cancer following a colonoscopy. I had visited the doctor after suffering with stomach pains after eating for two months and because in past times I had had blood in my stool. Following a biopsy and different scans my cancer was confirmed and my doctors shared that my tumour was so large that it was almost completely blocking my colon passage. They believed it has been growing for at least two years. Due to this, they organised for surgery straight away. During surgery, they also removed 27 lymph nodes, of which 20 showed evidence of cancer. This meant that I then required 12 sessions of chemotherapy. 

Living in Dubai meant that I had a very difficult decision to make. Going through such intense treatment is difficult enough, without doing it so far away from family and friends. However, I decided to continue my treatment in Dubai for two reasons. One, because I was happy and confident with the medical care I was receiving and two, because I needed to continue with life as much as possible. Continuing to go to work during my treatment meant that I was able to hold onto to some normality in my life and gave me a focus beyond 'having and fighting cancer'. As a teacher, being around students and staff meant that I was able to go from strength to strength and strive through my cancer treatment with positivity and support.