I was fit and healthy and about to turn 33 when I was diagnosed with “elderly cancer” despite having no family history. This is my message to all young Australians

A young mother of two was forced to stop working and put her studies on hold when she received a life-changing cancer diagnosis, a week before her 33rd birthday.

Melissa Dunmore, from Melbourne, learned the news on February 8 after surgeons discovered a 20cm tumor in her colon along with 11 tiny precancerous polyps.

Melissa had stage three bowel cancer. She had no family history of the disease and her only symptoms were a mild lack of iron and a small amount of blood in her stool.

Still learning the news, the mother faced an intense treatment program and, within three weeks, underwent surgery to remove her entire large colon and surrounding lymph nodes.

To add to her stress, her family was also forced to move after her husband Jak, an electrician, lost his job when his employer closed.

After Melissa gave birth to her second child, Lakyn, 18 months ago, she noticed blood in her stool and thought it was related to the birth and the resulting hemorrhoids.

At the time, she worked casually in retail, was not entitled to any annual leave and did not find it worrying enough to see a doctor.

But in November 2023, she woke up feeling “really sick” and had intense stomach pain with rectal bleeding. So she went to the emergency room where she collapsed.

Doctors were unable to perform a colonoscopy due to the bowel preparation required. Melissa was therefore placed on an urgent waiting list.

“I was told I had to be seen within 30 days and that I couldn’t wait more than two weeks… I ended up waiting three months because my urgent request for a colonoscopy got lost in the system,” she said.

“By January, I still hadn’t heard anything and was constantly checking my phone and answering every phone call.”

Although the bleeding continued, it had slowed and “wasn’t that bad.” During this time, her GP had carried out blood tests which showed she had low iron levels, a known symptom of bowel cancer.

Melissa was finally able to book the colonoscopy that changed her life.

“I woke up in recovery and my husband was there with me,” she recalled.

“The surgeon came, closed the field and my heart sank. He said, “It’s not good,” and I remember looking at my husband’s face: it was white as a ghost.

“We went home and cried holding each other. We didn’t know at the time how bad it was or if it had spread.

Melissa then had to break the news to her two young children.

“I sat down with both of them and explained in simple terms what was wrong. They knew I was going to have a colonoscopy and the next day after finding out I said ‘the doctors found a very large germ in my body that needs to be removed,’ she said.

“My daughter scrunched up her face and said ‘Ew mom!’ It was quite a light conversation because they are still so young and don’t quite understand.

“It’s not something you think you should tell your kids. But we are a very open family and we always talk about feelings.

The first time Melissa came home from chemotherapy with a vial connected to the port in her chest, her children had many questions.

She explained to them that it was “the medicine that will cure her even though it seems a little scary” and they handled the situation well.

Melissa started chemotherapy on April 18 and her 12 cycles will end at the end of September.

In the first few weeks, the dose of medication was so high that she suffered from neuropathy (cold, sensitive hands) and her throat closed up, so she could no longer drink fluids.

Her dose was lowered, but she still experienced common side effects, including vomiting, diarrhea, fatigue, hot flashes, and missed periods.

With Melissa in and out of treatment every few weeks, her husband is now a stay-at-home dad taking care of school drop-offs and errands.

The couple live off their savings while staying with Jak’s parents and are grateful to have family nearby to help them with the children.

Since starting treatment, Melissa has lost 15 kg, experienced muscle loss and is losing her hair.

“I knew as soon as I heard the word ‘cancer’ that hair loss came with it,” she said, adding that she still wasn’t prepared for how much her life would change.

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“Emotionally and mentally, I have good days and bad days. There are times when I ask myself, “Can I do this?” » but I am lucky to have a very good support network around me.

Melissa was also referred to Peter Mac for genetic testing to determine if her children will need early testing and colonoscopies starting at age 16.

By sharing her story, she hopes young people will realize that bowel cancer is not the ‘old people’s disease’ they are led to believe.

“Be in tune with your body, your health, your bathroom habits, check your breasts for lumps, do everything,” she said.

“Please talk to professionals and friends about health issues, never just ignore things.”

If you would like to contribute to Melissa’s GoFundMe, click here.