“Have you had a colonoscopy?” I was asked this question by my new doctor the first time that I saw him after I retired. I had been a healthy, enthusiastic athlete who did not have time for sickness because I worked at the University and students of Food Technology were relying on me in chemical or technological laboratories.

I had started seeing a new doctor because my known and trusted one had retired. It was difficult to say goodbye to him. He was one of those doctors I felt I could trust and he understood me – even when I was started travelling to distant lands! When I decided to go to Tibet for seven weeks, after my retirement, he asked me to have a health check on my return because he was interested to see how my body could have reacted to the difference in altitude, being unused to such heights. “You are completely healthy” he said after checking, you have no worries for at least another five years! Unfortunately, after three years it turned out differently.

Due to the presence of colorectal cancer (CRC) in my father’s family, even in my generation and although I had never had any problems with digestion, I followed the advice of my new doctor and I had a colonoscopy. I have to say it felt like birth contractions – it just finished much faster!

It seemed that everything was in order when the doctor showed me the screen; there was a small polyp on the intestinal wall. He wanted to remove it, but it was not possible. He told me that it was possible for a polyp to be cancerous, so it was advisable to remove a small piece of tissue as well. I wasn’t scared, even when the doctor informed me a week later that the report was positive and said: “I have spoken with the surgeons and if you arrive on Monday, they will perform surgery immediately.”

I agreed because I believe that doctors do their best. They did not disappoint me and I will be thankful to them all my life. After the operation, I quickly recovered, but unfortunately the report showed that the disease had already spread to the lymph nodes and I had to have six months of chemotherapy. It has completely changed my view on life.

However, the year 2003 is far behind me. I began to look at life differently, as something final, which I appreciate and protect. Above all, I now value my life and I am thankful for this! Prior to this disease I could not say that all others were more important than I was. I have tried to change my life, doing things that I like and trying to speak about my feelings with the people that I trust. Joy is doubled and sorrow is halved when you share it with others. Now I know that family members and friends don’t know how to talk to us – the patients – about cancer, perhaps they fear it, so we should be the ones who start to talk about our disease with them.

Sometimes, we cannot influence what is happening to us but we can decide how we are going to react in the situation. Optimism and joy of life help greatly. I am happy and now I know – life is beautiful!

Marta from Slovenia