A former Scots Commonwealth Games silver medallist has revealed how a minor symptom she initially ignored turned out to be a sign of stage three bowel cancer. Jennifer Davis, 43, from Fife, had spent most of her life as an elite athlete and believed she was in good health.
But after retiring from sport, she began experiencing a sharp, stabbing pain in her bowel. The pain lasted only a few seconds and happened once or twice a month, so she dismissed it.
Pain linked to miscarriages
Jennifer had also suffered two miscarriages, and initially believed the pain was connected to the changes her body was going through. She said: "After the first miscarriage, I noticed this sharp stabbing pain in my bowel. It only lasted three or four seconds, so I ignored it.
"I just assumed it was the miscarriage. My body was going through changes. And it was easy to forget about it after it happened."
But after her second miscarriage, her symptoms became much worse. A week later, Jennifer became severely constipated and was unable to go to the toilet, while the shooting pains continued.
Emergency surgery and diagnosis
She visited A&E several times but was told her symptoms were likely linked to hormonal changes following pregnancy. Jennifer said: "I looked pregnant, because the waste products couldn't leave my body.
"I'd been into A&E a few times, and they just kept assuming it was related to the miscarriages."
When she eventually saw her GP before Christmas, she was advised to have an X-ray. That same night, a CT scan revealed a blockage and Jennifer was rushed into emergency surgery.
Doctors told her she was likely to have colon cancer and discovered a tumour blocking her bowel. She was just 38 when she received the devastating stage three diagnosis.
She said: "They told me that night that it was likely I had colon cancer. I had a blockage - and it was a tumour they had to remove.
"I was shocked. I phoned my parents and they didn't believe me. They were like 'no one gets bowel cancer at your age'.
"Most people who knew me would say I was the fittest and healthiest person they knew, being an athlete. But I was 38. And I was diagnosed with stage three colon cancer."
Treatment and recovery
Jennifer underwent emergency surgery to remove 30cm of her large intestine and was fitted with a stoma for 18 months. She also underwent several months of chemotherapy.
But two years after her initial diagnosis, Jennifer was given more devastating news when scans showed the cancer had spread to her liver and lungs. Doctors initially prepared her for palliative care but decided to give her the chance of further surgery because of her age and fitness.
Jennifer subsequently underwent surgery on her liver and both lungs, followed by another operation last year to remove a small tumour which had been missed in her lung. She now says she has been clear of tumours for two years, although she continues to have check-ups every four months.
Her sporting career began when she was just eight, when she trained in judo five times a week before later switching to track cycling. Jennifer went on to win a silver medal at the Delhi Commonwealth Games and was ranked among the world's top ten cyclists.
She now runs health company Geno3 and has focused heavily on her diet, sleep and fitness following her cancer treatment. Looking back, Jennifer believes she may have been too focused on constantly pushing herself.
"I was always chasing the next big achievement or next big goal," she said. "I just normalised it."
Jennifer now hopes sharing her experience will encourage others not to dismiss changes in their bodies simply because they appear minor. "If I had one wish, if a genie could grant me one wish, it would be to have known the importance of being this healthy when I was 16."
