Susan Schmidt, a mother of two and physiotherapist in Australia, learned she had stage 4 bowel cancer at 45. She received the devastating diagnosis in September 2023, 4 months after experiencing small symptoms. She laments not paying attention to the warning signs and now warns others not to dismiss small changes and seek help.
Even when tests look normal or explanations sound reassuring, she urges you to listen to your instincts if you feel something is wrong. She hopes people will be more transparent about their symptoms, especially pertaining to bowel movements as most consider this topic taboo. Emphasizing this, she said, “I didn’t talk about my bowel habits, who does?”
The subtle signs she overlooked
Susan Schmidt, mother of two, was diagnosed at age 44 with stage 4 bowel cancer. She urges those with abnormal bowels or and changes to apply for testing. Credit: instagram.com/soozieschmid
Four months before her diagnosis, Schmidt said she experienced severe fatigue, 2 intense episodes of vomiting, diarrhea, and constipation, which she said she had never experienced before. She had no visible blood in her stool, a symptom associated with bowel cancer. The absence of obvious bleeding could have led to delays in targeted testing. She mentioned that when she went to the hospital, doctors did not test for cancer and confirmed her to be fine.
The fatigue that felt like ‘busy life’
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Susan Schmidt’s first sign she experienced was severe fatigue, happening 4 months shy of her official diagnosis. She described needing to pull over and nap after short drives, which was not normal for her. “I’d drive my daughter 15 minutes to row, then have to stop on the way home and nap for 40 minutes,” she lamented. She also assumed the frequent fatigue might be caused by the onset of menopause. While fatigue alone is not cause for concern, persistent, unexplained fatigue warrants evaluation especially when it disrupts daily function.
Constipation and bowel taboos
She later experienced constipation while attending a friend’s wedding in France. She attributed her constipation to the rich French food like their cheeses. “But in France, I just wasn’t going properly. I figured it was the rich French food, too much cheese. I didn’t think more of it” she said. She also noted the taboo around discussing bowel habits, which delays care. Normalizing conversations about stool changes helps clinicians work towards planning appropriate tests. As Schmidt’s case demonstrates, ignoring changes in bowel patterns can postpone detection until the cancer is at an advanced stage.
When pain escalates
After returning back home to Brisbane, Australia, her symptoms worsened. She says she “ended up on the bathroom floor in absolute agony.” She suffered severe abdominal pain, vomiting, and diarrhea over 8 hours and went to the hospital after this ordeal. Initial evaluations did not focus on cancer, and she was subsequently discharged, with doctors unable to find the root cause of the symptoms. However, they managed to provide symptomatic relief. She believed it might have been Salmonella that she contracted from interacting with a horse that was infected. “It was worse than childbirth,” she expressed, “it was a nine out of ten on the pain scale.”
Similar Cases Around the World
Dame Deborah James known affectionately to many as “Bowelbabe.” She campaigned while living with stage 4 bowel cancer. She unfortunately succumbed to stage 4 bowel cancer and passed away in 2022 at the age of 40. Her story raised global awareness and funding for bowel cancer. She contributed to a moving documentary about the realities of living with bowel cancer. Her advocacy emphasized checking for blood in stool and noting persistent bowel changes as warning signs. Her legacy urges early action and open discussion about symptoms similar to Schmidt’s mission.
Read More: Terminal Cancer Patient Who ‘Did Everything Right’ Shares the One Regret That Changed Her Life
New early warning signs to watch
Experiencing persistent and abnormally frequent feelings of fatigue needs medical intervention. Track how long it lasts and how it limits your daily life. Changes in bowel habits, like new constipation or ongoing diarrhea, should be attended to. Unexplained abdominal pain that escalates or returns is a red flag, especially if it is consistent. If you experience unintentional or rapid weight loss without dieting, rectal bleeding, even in small amounts, go to your doctor and request an assessment. However, hidden bleeding could also be a sign of Iron-deficiency anemia. Acting early supports faster diagnosis and better outcomes.
Life after diagnosis and support
Despite an incurable diagnosis, Susan focuses on staying well and supporting others. She launched The Floozie Foundation after her ordeal. Her foundation aims to strengthen patients and their support networks through resources and resilience-building. Community support, patient groups, and caregiver education can improve quality of life during treatment. Stories like hers also drive awareness and earlier action.
Conclusion
Small changes can matter when they are continuous, escalate, or feel unusual. Listening to instincts, tracking symptoms, and pressing for answers can lead to earlier detection. Early diagnosis improves treatment options and survival, while silence and stigma allow disease to advance. Echoing both James and Schmidt’s warnings: Do not wait until it is too late, act quickly and do not ignore your gut feeling. If you feel something is wrong, it is better to get medical assistance than to brush it off.