I spotted early warning sign on toilet - then got unimaginable diagnosis

I spotted early warning sign on toilet - then got unimaginable diagnosis Aisling was a 'super healthy' 28 year old settling into her dream job when she noticed changes A "super healthy" young woman who was settling into her dream job was left devastated when a sudden dash to the toilet led to a life-changing diagnosis. Aisling Gallagher had recently relocated to London for work when she noticed a change in her bowel habits, needing to rush to the loo with "urgency". The then 28 year old attributed it to her new lifestyle and different surroundings – but it was actually an early warning sign of what lay ahead. When she began passing blood with her stool and experiencing bloating, she eventually visited the doctor, but proper testing was postponed for months due to lockdown. When she was finally able to undergo a colonoscopy, the news was far more sinister than she could ever have anticipated: it was stage two rectal cancer. "I couldn't believe it – it was unimaginable to me and everyone around me," Aisling, a retail manager and content creator from Belfast, said. "It was the most surreal, scary time of my life." Aisling, who was working her "dream job" as a personal shopper for Topshop at the time, dismissed her initial symptoms of needing to urgently use the toilet more frequently. She said: "I was always super healthy and had zero health conditions. I didn't even register for a GP when I moved to London, as I never had to visit." It was only when she was visiting home in March 2020 that she decided to consult her doctor. Although an initial examination took place and further tests were scheduled, lockdown was declared just two days later, bringing everything to a halt. From March to August, Aisling "quickly deteriorated". She had shed a stone in weight due to a loss of appetite, and continued to pass blood in her stool. Aisling said: "It was extremely scary – I knew deep down something was very wrong." Eventually, blood tests were carried out and she was called in for an urgent colonoscopy – where a tumour was discovered in her rectum, and she received the life-changing diagnosis. Shortly afterwards, the firm she worked for went into administration, forcing her to pack up her life in London and return home. She swiftly began treatment in October 2020, undergoing radiation therapy on her pelvis alongside oral chemotherapy to shrink the tumour. However, this proved ineffective, and Aisling went on to have anterior resection surgery, including a temporary stoma, in February 2021. She said: "It was extremely tough, but the cancer was successfully removed. However, by this point, it had spread into 11 of my lymph nodes, so I then needed more chemo to try and prevent it from returning." That April, she endured a further six months of chemotherapy. Aisling was warned the treatment would leave her infertile, and she is now going through the menopause. "The infertility was the biggest shock and heartbreak to get over. I went to see a specialist at the time, but it wasn't possible for me to freeze any eggs before the treatment started. "I was devastated and honestly still am – it's the hardest thing to navigate. Whether you want to have a child or not, having your choice taken away is cruel." Fortunately, the treatment proved successful, and that November Aisling received the all-clear, undergoing the stoma reversal surgery the following month. She said: "It was an amazing feeling. "You have such a structured timeline to follow throughout a cancer diagnosis so when everything finishes, it's very surreal and a bit scary as you don't have that comfort blanket as such. I returned to a new job, working in senior management at Primark, and thought life would go back to some sort of normal, and I could move on." 'Bowel obstruction' was the 'most horrific experience' Yet despite remaining cancer-free, a year on Aisling suffered a debilitating bowel obstruction. She said: "It was the most horrific experience. I was buckled in two in pain, and suffered severe vomiting." At A&E, doctors discovered she had developed adhesions – scar tissue – across both her small and large bowel. She was informed she would have to manage the condition long-term, as further surgery risked causing additional complications. Aisling said: "The episodes are really scary – they come on quickly, and it could happen anywhere. It hasn't stopped me trying to live my life as normally as I possibly can but I have had to miss work, trips and many things due to being ill." She has since suffered four further episodes of bowel obstruction, the most recent of which occurred in May 2026, prompting doctors to conclude that surgery was the only viable option – a laparotomy [a major procedure which involves making a large incision in the abdominal wall] to remove adhesions in the bowel. She added: "I am so gutted it has got to this stage, but I know deep down I had to give it a go to see if it could make a difference to my quality of life." Aisling is currently recuperating from the operation, and remains hopeful it will have a positive impact on her overall health. She has chronicled her entire journey over the past six years – something she feels strongly about, in a bid to raise awareness for bowel cancer. Aisling said: "I would never have thought it would be me to have that diagnosis and now I am living with life-changing consequences. "The things that come alongside cancer treatment are things I never knew happened – like being infertile and going through the menopause following radiation. I also have to take HRT and use laxatives every day to keep my body at some sort of normal function. "But I haven't let any of this stop me from living my life and I take any opportunity that I can – if this has taught me anything, it's that life is too short. Tomorrow is promised to nobody. "As I approach my final few check-ups with my oncologist and hopefully celebrate five years in remission, the message is as prevalent as ever. If you know you don't feel right – get it checked. Cancer does not discriminate and your health is your superpower."