Sana, who is originally from Hertfordshire, but now lives in Great Glen, Leicestershire, was told she had bowel cancer aged 29 in April 2023, after she visited Watford General Hospital’s A&E department.
However, she was alone at the time as her mother was about to board a plane to India, her father had just left the hospital, her sister had recently given birth and her husband was at home with their two young children.
Sana said: “I was so nervous about what lay ahead and I had two young children, one who I was still breastfeeding at the time.
“The day I was diagnosed in A&E, I was also admitted overnight, and this is the first time I had spent time away from them.
“I was alone when I was told and I wish I was able to have someone with me.”
Sana had spoken to her GP before her diagnosis as she had suffered with fatigue and low energy for several months.
However, she had no other bowel cancer symptoms, external.
She said: “I was getting tired of waiting for test results and I was worried about a growing lump, so I phoned 111.
“They sent me to urgent care, where the nurse immediately advised me to go to A&E.
“I was scanned and that’s where my cancer was finally found.”
Sana then started a three-month course of chemotherapy from May 2023, while she waited to find out if she could have an operation to get the tumour removed.