Susan Schmidt, a 47-year-old mother of two from Australia, received life-changing news in 2023 when she was diagnosed with stage 4 bowel cancer. For Susan, a physiotherapist and mother deeply involved in her children’s daily lives, the diagnosis came as a shock, though she had experienced several warning signs in the months leading up to it. She now hopes that by sharing her story, others can learn from her experience and recognize symptoms before they escalate to a serious, potentially fatal stage.

Susan described the early signs of her illness as “strange” and “subtle.” Fatigue, constipation, and occasional bouts of severe pain had become part of her life, yet she initially dismissed them as minor inconveniences or effects of early menopause. “I’d drive my daughter 15 minutes to her rowing lessons and have to stop on the way home for a 40-minute nap,” Susan recalled. “That’s not normal. That was a warning sign, but I brushed it off, thinking it was just part of getting older.” She also traveled to France for a friend’s wedding, where she experienced constipation for the first time in her life. “I just wasn’t going properly,” she explained. “I blamed it on rich food, too much cheese, too much indulgence. I didn’t think much of it at the time.”

Upon returning to Brisbane, her symptoms worsened dramatically. Susan described a harrowing episode in which she collapsed onto her bathroom floor in extreme pain. Vomiting, diarrhea, and intense cramping persisted for eight hours. “It was worse than childbirth. I was crawling into the shower, trying to relieve the pain with heat. On a scale of one to ten, it was a nine,” she said. Initially, she thought she might have contracted salmonella from her horse, but the true cause would soon be revealed in a far more serious diagnosis.

Susan stressed that bowel health is often treated as a taboo subject, which can prevent early detection of serious conditions. “I didn’t talk about my bowel habits—who does?” she said. “That’s part of the problem with bowel cancer. People don’t raise the alarm early enough, and it can cost lives.” Indeed, despite her alarming symptoms, early blood and stool tests failed to show abnormalities, and initial consultations with doctors led her to believe she was fine.

The devastating confirmation came after a colonoscopy. “When I woke from the procedure, something felt off. I wasn’t offered anything to eat or drink, and a nurse told me the gastroenterologist would see me shortly. Then he delivered the news: he had located a tumor,” Susan shared. Further imaging, including a CT scan and MRI, revealed that the rectal cancer had metastasized to her uterus, pelvic lymph nodes, and right lung. The diagnosis was terminal: stage 4 bowel cancer, incurable, with the focus now on maintaining quality of life and extending survival as much as possible.

Susan’s message to others is clear and urgent: minor or vague symptoms should never be ignored, and patients must advocate for themselves. “I want people to know the signs. Push for answers if something feels off,” she said. “Even if your blood work is normal, even if doctors say it’s stress, diet, or hormones, trust your instincts. Listen to your body.”

Since her diagnosis, Susan has taken her experience a step further by launching The Floozie Foundation, a charity aimed at supporting cancer patients and their families in adult cancer wards across Australia. Through her foundation, she hopes to raise awareness, provide emotional and practical support, and reduce the stigma surrounding discussions of bowel health and cancer symptoms.

Despite the seriousness of her condition, Susan continues to fight with remarkable courage. She regularly updates her followers on Instagram, sharing moments from her ongoing chemotherapy treatments, travels, and family life, offering both inspiration and solidarity to others facing cancer. Her story is a poignant reminder that even seemingly minor symptoms—fatigue, constipation, unexplained pain—can be early warning signs of a life-threatening illness. By speaking openly and candidly about her journey, Susan Schmidt is advocating for early detection, awareness, and patient empowerment, encouraging people everywhere not to ignore their bodies.

Her journey is ongoing, and while the road ahead is challenging, Susan’s resilience, advocacy, and dedication to her family and community exemplify the human spirit in the face of adversity. Through sharing her experience, she has given countless others the knowledge, courage, and motivation to act early, seek help, and prioritize their health. In a world where bowel health is often overlooked or stigmatized, Susan’s voice stands as a vital reminder: awareness, vigilance, and early action can save lives.