A mother of two diagnosed with bowel cancer at age 38 has urged others not to ignore persistent tiredness, a symptom she dismissed as normal. Laura, who received her stage 3 diagnosis in June last year and has undergone four rounds of chemotherapy, shared her story on TikTok, where she has amassed 18,000 followers.
In a recent video, she said: 'I was so tired all the time and I just thought this is normal. I think a lot of us, especially working parents with young children, think oh this is normal to feel tired. But actually what my body was trying to tell me is hey, something's wrong.' She added that fatigue was her only symptom and that she wishes she had visited her GP sooner.
Laura advised others to seek medical advice if they feel exhausted despite adequate sleep. She recommended getting blood tests and, if told they are anaemic, requesting a Faecal Immunochemical Test (FIT) to check for blood in stool, a key bowel cancer symptom.
The NHS lists feeling very tired or short of breath as possible signs of bowel cancer, often due to anaemia. Other symptoms include changes in bowel habit, blood in stool, and unexplained weight loss. Anyone experiencing these for three weeks or more should contact their GP.
