Zoe Gardner-Lawson, 36, discovered her stage four bowel cancer after years of misdiagnosis
Bracknell: Zoe Gardner-Lawson, a 36-year-old mum of three, was stunned to find out she had stage four bowel cancer after being told for years that she had a UTI. It all started in August when she felt a nagging pain in her lower back. Her GP prescribed antibiotics, thinking it was just a simple infection.
But when the pain didn’t let up, Zoe decided to head to A&E. Things were getting worse, and the doctors were puzzled. Finally, a CT scan in October revealed a 5cm tumor on her bowel. Now, she’s on her fifth round of chemotherapy and is advocating for lower age limits for bowel cancer screenings.
Zoe, who works in HR, shared that if her cancer had been caught earlier, treatment would have been much easier. Her professor told her she might have been living with that tumor for up to four years, which is pretty scary.
She’s hopeful about her treatment, saying, “If all goes well, I still have a chance at achieving a ‘no evidence of disease’ status.” But it all hinges on the next couple of years. Despite feeling fit before, Zoe started experiencing that persistent back pain and finally decided to see her doctor.
After a few rounds of antibiotics with no improvement, she was bedridden and in a lot of discomfort. Her GP sent her to A&E, where doctors initially thought it might be kidney stones. But a CT scan revealed the real issue: a perforation in her bowel caused by a tumor that had spread.
She was transferred to the Cleveland Clinic in London for treatment. There, she underwent emergency surgery to remove the tumor and any fluid buildup. The biopsy showed it was a particularly aggressive form of cancer, and she had to increase her chemotherapy dosage significantly.
Zoe is now balancing her treatment with natural remedies, including vitamin C infusions. She believes that if she had been offered earlier testing, her cancer might have been caught much sooner. She’s pushing for the age for standard testing to be lowered to at least 30, if not 25.
As she continues her treatment, Zoe remains optimistic but knows the road ahead is uncertain. After her sixth round of chemo, doctors hope to schedule another surgery to remove any remaining tumors. She’s also set up a GoFundMe to help with her medical expenses.
