Renee Gosney was 25 when she started experiencing “strange” symptoms that she couldn’t quite explain.
It was February 2019 when the stomach pain started. Then came the vomiting, the daily nosebleeds and the uncomfortable bloating.
She was dismissed by doctors again and again, but after losing eleven kilos in one month, she went back to the doctor every two weeks to plead her case.
Ultrasounds showed that nothing was wrong. The experts insisted she was doing well.
It would be months before Renee found out she had ‘fast-growing’ stage three bowel cancer.
Speaking to FEMAIL, the now 31-year-old business owner said the pain was unlike anything she had experienced before.
‘It felt like I had a blockage in my intestines and the pain was getting worse. “If you were standing next to me, you could hear everything that was going on in my stomach,” she recalled.
‘Every time I went to the doctor again, I was given more pain relief, which worked for a few days, until my complaints worsened.
Renee Gosney was 25 when she started experiencing “strange” symptoms that she couldn’t quite explain
It was February 2019 when the stomach pain started. Then came the vomiting, the daily nosebleeds and the uncomfortable bloating
‘I didn’t know it at the time, but I had a tumor that was growing quickly.’
Renee described the pain as a “cramping” feeling followed by a loud “gurgling” sound.
“It was very clear to everyone around me that I was not doing well, even though I tried to push through the discomfort,” she said.
“I still went to my retail job because I didn’t want to seem weak. I would be in the middle of a task and would sit there for a few minutes bending over and dealing with the pain until the pain passed.
“Regulars came up to me and said I was looking away.”
Her colleagues urged her to go back to the doctor because “something was clearly very wrong.”
‘I tried to play it hard, but in retrospect I should have just taken time off. “I was afraid I would lose my job or get sick, which would make it seem like I couldn’t do the job properly, which would negatively impact my reliability,” she said.
On April 1, 2019, Renee couldn’t handle it anymore.
She went to the emergency room when her pain became crippling and she began to lose the color in her face. She took all her medical documents to the hospital and explained her complicated history.
Renee went to the emergency room when the pain became crippling and she began to lose the color in her face
Renee described the pain as “cramps” in her lower abdomen, followed by a “gurgling” sound
‘They took an X-ray which showed a growth that the doctors couldn’t identify. It was only after a CT scan the next morning that they found a T4 stage 3 cancerous tumor in my bowel,” she said.
Renee was in so much pain that she could barely process the news.
“My parents were absolutely devastated,” she recalls.
‘They were crying their eyes out and I tried to comfort them and look on the bright side. Finally we knew what was going on and how to treat it.
“The doctors said they were going in blind because they didn’t have time to do a lot of screening tests. My intestines were about to rupture – they had to get in there and get the tumor out as quickly as possible.
‘I said goodbye to my father in the pre-operation room and it was the first time I realized I could die on the table. A split second later I was anesthetized and taken to the operating room.’
Fortunately, Renee’s surgery was successful and doctors removed a third of her intestines, along with some of her lymph nodes.
‘My hands and feet became extremely dry (photo) and I suffered from nausea and vomiting. I felt so unwell all the time,” she said of the chemotherapy
Renee leaned on her loved ones for support during her shock diagnosis and treatment
Tests found cancer cells in the area, leading to three months of chemotherapy.
‘My hands and feet became extremely dry and I suffered from nausea and vomiting. “I felt so unwell all the time,” she said.
After a series of further tests, Renee discovered that her cancer was caused by a genetic condition she didn’t know she had.
“I have juvenile polyposis, a rare condition that increases the risk of developing gastrointestinal cancer,” she explained. ‘I had polyps in my colon, which became carcinogenic.
‘My doctor asked me if there was a history of fatal colon cancer in my family, and I still couldn’t associate myself and my disease with cancer, because I was only 25.
‘But I think the cancer was a blessing in disguise. I’ve had nosebleeds almost every day of my life, and I had no idea what was going on until I was diagnosed.”
After a series of further tests, Renee discovered that her cancer was caused by a genetic condition she didn’t know she had
She said she was angry because her doctor dismissed her symptoms so easily.
“He said it was nothing, and that I had a cancerous tumor growing inside me,” she said.
‘I am now a much better advocate for myself when it comes to issues with my body. It is important not to shy away from asking questions.
‘Cancer does not discriminate when it comes to your age, something we don’t hear enough about.’
Renee said she leaned on her loved ones for support during that time.
“I had my father, my stepmother, my friends and my partner with me – I’m grateful I wasn’t alone,” she said.
‘I knew that if I was negative about the situation it would result in a worse outcome because I would be less likely to eat and take care of myself.
“Instead, I just focused on doing my best because you don’t really have a choice, you just have to get through it.”
Renee urged Australians to always get a second opinion and stand up for themselves
Renee said she was grateful that people helped her through her cancer diagnosis and treatment
Renee had difficulty ‘getting back to normal’ after her treatment.
“Nobody knows how to treat you and it makes you feel like there’s something wrong with you,” she said.
She remembered feeling “vulnerable” and “weird.”
‘Everyone tried to protect and help me at any time – which was very nice – but I just wanted everything to go back to normal.
“Other people have this reaction where they step back after you tell them you have cancer — almost as if it’s contagious. It makes you feel even more isolated.’
Renee returns to her doctor every year for check-ups and regularly has polyps removed from her colon.
She now reminds everyone how important it is to get a second opinion and stand up for yourself if something is wrong.
“You don’t have to be in excruciating pain for things to be looked at,” she said.
“Be aware of your family history and never think that your age will limit your chances of getting cancer.”