A 39-year-old woman who endured months of debilitating stomach cramps initially attributed her discomfort to a dairy intolerance before receiving a devastating bowel cancer diagnosis. Cheyenne Midwinter, a supermarket cashier from Kingston upon Thames, began experiencing persistent abdominal issues that she first dismissed as period-related bloating or dietary sensitivities.
Initial Symptoms and Self-Management Attempts
Cheyenne suffered from what she described as tummy cramps for approximately two months before seeking medical attention. "I had a two-month period where my tummy didn't feel right," she recalled. "At the beginning, I put it down to sometimes my period making me feel bloated and bowel movements - sometimes if I had too much caffeine."
When her symptoms failed to improve, Cheyenne implemented several dietary changes in an attempt to alleviate her discomfort:
- Eliminating caffeine completely from her diet
- Cutting out spicy foods
- Increasing her water consumption significantly
- Adopting a generally healthier eating pattern
"I went through a lot of things, and then I started drinking more water, cut out the spicy foods and caffeine as well as a better diet in general to see what's going on," she explained.
Worsening Symptoms and Medical Consultation
Despite these lifestyle adjustments, Cheyenne's condition deteriorated markedly. She began experiencing loose stools, noticed blood in her bowel movements, and developed an urgent need to use the toilet immediately after eating. "Things weren't improving - I had loose poo, tummy cramps and then I found blood in my poo," she said. "I was a bit worried about that, but I thought something had ripped or I had wiped too hard."
The situation reached a critical point when digestive issues became immediate and severe after meals. "It got to the point where I would have dinner, my tummy would rumble like crazy, and it would come straight out again," Cheyenne described.
In June 2025, concerned by her symptoms, Cheyenne visited her local GP. Medical professionals immediately recognized the seriousness of her condition after she presented with a sore spot on her abdomen that was tender to touch. They conducted initial blood tests and collected a stool sample for analysis.
Diagnosis and Treatment Journey
Following her GP consultation, Cheyenne was referred to St Peters Hospital in Surrey for further investigation. A colonoscopy revealed both several removable polyps and a substantial tumour that was obstructing her bowels. "They found a few polyps that they were able to remove during the colonoscopy and a large tumour," she recounted. "They were concerned that it was quite large and worried about it blocking my bowels."
A subsequent biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of bowel cancer. Cheyenne underwent an intensive treatment regimen beginning in late July with four rounds of chemotherapy, each consisting of both infusion therapy and oral medications administered every three weeks. "I was fortunate that I didn't completely lose my hair," she noted about her chemotherapy experience.
Over the Christmas period, Cheyenne underwent major surgery to remove the tumour, part of her bowels, and a complete hysterectomy after cancerous cells were discovered on her ovaries. "They can't say I'm officially cancer-free as I'm still under surveillance, but anything cancerous has been removed," she explained regarding her current recovery status.
Family History and Age Considerations
Cheyenne revealed that bowel cancer had affected her family previously, though she initially dismissed the relevance due to age differences. "My grandfather died from bowel cancer, but he was in his mid 80s so when I shared that with the first doctor, they said that was more common at that age," she said.
Her relatively young age at diagnosis surprised medical professionals. "The one thing I got told more than anything was I was so young," Cheyenne recalled, emphasizing that serious health conditions can affect people across all age groups.
Important Health Message
Now in recovery while remaining under medical surveillance, the mother-of-two has become a vocal advocate for bodily awareness and proactive healthcare. "One thing is to definitely listen to your body and try not to palm it off as something else," she urged. "People can dismiss it and when you're worried about something, people that love and care about you want to put your mind at ease, but sometimes that can prolong you actually seeking help."
Cheyenne offers two crucial recommendations based on her experience:
- Advocate for yourself when experiencing persistent health issues
- Regularly check your stool for any concerning changes or abnormalities
"Do check your poo, give it a glance, just to make sure," she advised. "We can get illnesses that you think might be an older person thing, but it's just being aware of how you feel."
Cheyenne's journey from suspected lactose intolerance to bowel cancer diagnosis underscores the importance of recognizing persistent symptoms, seeking timely medical evaluation, and trusting one's instincts when something feels physically wrong, regardless of age or initial assumptions about potential causes.
