Hi, I’m Percy, an interior designer from the UK. Although I lost my dad to the same disease, I survived Stage 3 colorectal cancer.

I found blood in my stool and I had frequent stomach pains. I had a lot of bowel movement as well. I had put up with the pain for about 3 months before I gave in and sought medical help. The doctors referred me to the hospital. They did a colonoscopy and the biopsy results took about 2 weeks. I had originally thought it was gastric or something far more minor.

I cut down on my drinking, keeping to around one a week, but tried to eat healthier at every meal.

I had a partial colectomy (removal of part of the colon) and chemotherapy as per my doctor's recommendation. I felt a little anxious, but motivated after deciding on my treatment plans. Now, I’ve completed my treatment, and my cancer is in remission. I’m still taking vitamins like calcium and iron to maintain my health.

I was eventually declared free of cancer in December 2023.

I had neutropenia (low white blood cells) from the chemo, and faced infection after surgery. This caused more pain and took a lot longer to recover, but I did what I could with the prescribed medication.

I continued the lifestyle changes I made earlier, improving my diet, and still kept to only one drink a week. I’ve tried to text and call my parents more.

In the future, I plan to visit my parents, and to arrange for my cat to get taken care of if I pass on or if the cancer comes back.

My biggest aspiration then was that I wanted to live.

Death was my biggest fear. And I was worried about who will take care of my cat, but I will figure out an arrangement for someone to take care of my cat.

After surviving everything, I feel neutral.

To others I say, "Be brave, stay strong. Write a will."