Sarah’s story: “I was told I would need a hysterectomy, but I wanted another child.” 

Sarah was first diagnosed with melanoma in 2016 after her very first skin check at 31 years old.  

Over the next six years, Sarah was not only diagnosed with cervical cancer, but bowel cancer as well.  

Despite the challenges of her cancer experience and treatment, she has managed to raise two small children and keep positive and wants to share her story to help others. 

Sarah’s experiences being diagnosed with cancer  

Sarah got her skin checked because one of her dad’s mates had a melanoma cut off his arm.  

“I probably should get on this bandwagon,” Sarah thought at the time. Luckily, she did – her first melanoma was caught early at stage 1A. Sarah now has skin checks every six months.  

Three years after her first skin check, Sarah’s welcomed her first baby. In a post-partum check-up, a routine pap smear picked up an abnormality.  

At the time, Sarah’s gynaecologist advised everything was normal after having a baby and to check again in 12 months.  

A year later, Sarah had another pap smear which found high-grade changes again. What followed was devastating news. Sarah had cervical cancer. 

“I was told I would need a hysterectomy, but I wanted another child,” Sarah says. “I had about three different surgeries in a year to get all of the cancer out, while saving my fertility.” 

Sarah was told she could have one more child but would then need a hysterectomy.  

After her second baby in 2022, Sarah discovered blood when she went to the toilet, so she got checked.  

At first it was thought to be a haemorrhoid, but given Sarah’s history, the doctor suggested a colonoscopy. 

After the colonoscopy, Sarah woke up and thought, “I know this room. They always put you in a separate room when there’s something wrong.” 

A week later, Sarah was given a stage 2 bowel cancer diagnosis.  

“This was a big shock!” says Sarah.  

Sarah had to have a total hemicolectomy (where most or all of the colon is removed) and now has yearly CT scans and colonoscopies. 

“I’m coming up to 10 years of on and off chaos now: appointments, surgeries and tests,” Sarah reflects.   

How cancer has changed Sarah and her relationships 

“People tell me that I’m lucky that I caught these cancers before they got any more serious. And, sure, there’s luck involved, and I feel a sense of relief. But I was proactive,” Sarah says. “I went and got checked, I did a lot of research, I advocated for myself.” 

Sarah admits that cancer changes your perspective on life, saying “when you’re faced with possibly not seeing your children grow up, it really puts things in perspective. The house being clean doesn’t matter as much.” 

“I spend a lot of my life sitting in doctors’ waiting rooms – but the alternative is worse,” Sarah says.  

Sarah had a hysterectomy earlier this year and says her friends and family have been a big support, stepping in to look after her children, delivering food and taking her kids places when she couldn’t drive.  

Sarah on accessing Cancer Council support services 

After having her first baby and struggling financially, Sarah contacted Cancer Council NSW who were able to pay her power bill and had her house cleaned.  

“It seems like such a small thing but honestly it just removed so much stress! It makes you feel supported and helps you see the light at the end of the tunnel,” Sarah says. 

After Sarah’s bowel cancer diagnosis, she found herself doom-scrolling. But reading the balanced, well written information provided by Cancer Council made her feel much better.  

“I had hope and trust in the resources and I kept going back to the Cancer Council website for information,” Sarah says.  

Despite all the challenges, Sarah has continued to be positive about her cancer experience and wants others to know there is support out there.  

“I want to tell my story, even though sometimes I feel lonely in my journey, I believe there must be other people out there who have been through this a few times too!” says Sarah. 

Sarah’s routine pap smear led to her cervical cancer diagnosis which may have otherwise gone unnoticed.  

During Cervical Cancer Awareness Week (November 10 – 16, 2024), take a leaf out of Sarah’s book and get checked. It could save your life.  

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For more information, visit our melanoma page, bowel cancer or cervical cancer pages.  

If you, or someone you know has any questions about cancer, call us on 13 11 20 or visit cancercouncil.com.au/get-support.