The embarrassing symptom women are told is just 'part of being pregnant' was a sign of a silent killer. Thank god I listened to my gut or I might not be here

Sally Lewer, 36, from Melbourne, was overjoyed to be expecting her third child - a long-awaited IVF baby she was carrying as a solo mum by choice.

Having already navigated two pregnancies, Sally felt confident and prepared for what lay ahead.

But as the weeks passed, something didn't feel quite right.

About halfway through her pregnancy, Sally began experiencing a troubling symptom that she couldn't ignore.

'When I was 18 weeks pregnant, I noticed that I'd started bleeding after a bowel movement. It wasn't much blood at first, but that increased over time,' she says.

'To start with, it wasn't every single time I had a bowel movement, but as time ticked by it became every time and there was more blood. It was really scary.'

Sally raised the bleeding issue with doctors and at midwife appointments during her pregnancy.

'Every time I did so, I was told that it was most likely hemorrhoids and that was common,' she adds.

'I was told not to worry about it. I put it to the back of my mind as I had a few complications to worry about, but the worry didn't go away because it continued to happen.'

Sally tried her best to trust the professionals and welcomed her daughter, Delaney, in March last year. She threw herself into being a mother and bonding with her new baby - but the bleeding continued.

'When my daughter was seven months old, I decided to ask my doctor for further action. I've been seeing this doctor my whole life, so I trusted her. Again, she said it was probably hemorrhoids and I'd likely just need cream from the chemist, but she said, "You'll never know if we don't investigate",' Sally tells me.

Knowing that the wait list in the public system can be extensive, Sally took the referral from her doctor and paid $300 to get a colonoscopy done privately within a fortnight.

Sally's mother took care of her children as she had the straightforward day surgery.

'When I came to in the recovery lounge there was a nurse who gave me the letter and said the doctor would go through everything with me at the follow-up appointment,' Sally says.

The letter stated they had found 10 polyps, which were pre-cancerous, and two tumours that were 'most likely' to be cancer.

'I was a little concerned when I read it because I wasn't expecting them to find anything. I googled what the medical terms meant and l guess I just thought I'd still be okay, as nothing was actually confirmed.'

But it wasn't good news.

At the follow-up appointment a few days later, a rectal resection was carried out - which involved the removal of part of Sally's rectum - with samples sent off to a lab.

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Then she met with her doctor to discuss the results.

'The doctor who did this procedure said that we could have been having a very different conversation if I'd waited another year. It did turn out to be stage one cancer, and that would have progressed if I hadn't insisted on a referral,' Sally says.

'That was a terrifying thought – and my first thoughts were for my children. I thought of my baby, and that she wouldn't even remember me. My six-year-old would hardly remember me. I'm so glad it didn't turn out to be worse. Another solo mum who was a friend of mine passed away from bowel cancer so, of course, my mind raced in panic.'

While it was a relief to have a diagnosis and treatment plan, Sally couldn't help but think about how her initial symptoms had been dismissed as 'part of pregnancy'.

'I was so glad I listened to my gut,' she adds.

Thankfully, her treatment was swift and effective.

'It was just one surgery where they removed the polyps and tumours all in one go. I was in hospital one night and had it all done privately.'

Within three weeks of having the colonoscopy, it was all taken care of.

'I felt like I was taken seriously, they really looked after me, they were amazing. I've been told by an oncologist that this particular bowel cancer is rare because of its low location.'

To follow up, Sally had a blood panel taken for genetic testing to find out if she had Lynch syndrome - a genetic condition that significantly increases the risk of certain cancers, particularly colorectal cancers.

If she did, there was a 50 per cent chance she passed the gene on to each of her three children, now aged 16, six, and 15 months.

'It came back as all clear. As far as we can tell at this point, it was completely random that I got this cancer at 35. It was a huge relief as it felt a bit like having an axe hanging over my head if you do have Lynch syndrome as it increases the chances of any lower region cancer, including uterus, ovaries or a recurrence in the bowel.'

In January 2025, Sally had a series of scans including a CT, PET and MRI.

'These scans confirmed the cancer was gone. I was told I'll need to go for these repeat scans every six months for monitoring. In addition, I have investigative surgery every four months for the first year or two to check if it's re-occurring.'

Doctors are not expecting a recurrence in her case.

'It's hard to get my head around the random part of getting cancer. My mind races with a million thoughts: is there something I could have done to change it? Is there something I could have done to make a difference?' she says.

'But, I don't have answers to those questions. I'm incredibly relieved that it's dealt with, I'm healthy today and I can enjoy my time with my kids.'