Kayleigh Bray, 38, from Redruth, was diagnosed with stage two bowel cancer in June 2024 after experiencing unexplained weight loss and bleeding.
She said: “I had been experiencing regular bleeding when I went to the toilet, sometimes it was a relatively small amount, but other times there was a lot more. I was initially treated for piles, but the bleeding continued.
“My diagnosis was a complete shock, and I want other people to know that if something doesn’t look or feel right, it’s important to get it checked.”
After three major surgeries, she has been left with some manageable complications and is in remission.
“I think there’s still huge stigma, even in this age of body positivity and awareness and people shy away from talking about their toileting habits, talking about their sort of digestive systems and things like that,” she said.
“It’s human nature for us to sort of ignore things that concern us, and if there’s any point at which you think ‘I’m concerned’, don’t suppress that, take that to somebody else who is in a better position to help you and support you with it. “
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