What began as simple exhaustion turned out to be something far more serious for Susan Schmidt, a 45-year-old mother of two from Brisbane. In September 2023, she was diagnosed with stage 4 bowel cancer — a devastating and incurable condition.

Susan admits she overlooked early symptoms, believing they were harmless. “The goal now is to stay well for as long as I can. I’ll probably resume chemotherapy after my next overseas trip,” she told The Daily Mail.

She wants others to learn from her experience, stressing the importance of paying attention to bowel health. “People don’t talk about their bowel habits — who does? That’s part of the problem with bowel cancer. People don’t raise the alarm early enough.”

Her first symptom was unrelenting fatigue just months before her diagnosis. “I’d drive my daughter to rowing and then have to stop on the way home for a nap. That’s not normal. That was a warning sign, but I brushed it off.”