Many people dismiss small changes in their health, believing fatigue or digestive issues are just part of daily stress. But sometimes, these minor symptoms can mask something far more serious. That’s the harsh reality Susan Schmidt, a 45-year-old mother of two from Australia, wants the world to understand.

Susan’s life took a shocking turn in September 2023 when she was diagnosed with stage 4 bowel cancer—an incurable condition that doctors say can only be managed, not reversed. Before her diagnosis, she was a busy physiotherapist, a devoted mother, and a woman who had no reason to suspect she was facing a life-threatening illness. What started as ordinary, almost trivial symptoms slowly unraveled into a devastating reality.

“The diagnosis is incurable,” Susan told The Daily Mail. “The goal now is to stay well for as long as I can. I’ll probably resume chemotherapy after my next overseas trip.” Despite the grim outlook, she remains determined to raise awareness so that others don’t repeat her mistakes.

One of Susan’s biggest concerns is how society avoids discussing bowel habits. “I didn’t talk about my bowel habits, who does?” she admitted. “That’s part of the problem with bowel cancer. People don’t raise the alarm early enough.” By staying silent, many overlook the red flags until it’s too late.

Looking back, Susan recalls several subtle but persistent symptoms that she brushed aside. The first was extreme tiredness—something she had never experienced before. “I’d drive my daughter 15 minutes to rowing, then have to stop on the way home and nap for 40 minutes,” she remembered. “That’s not normal. That was a warning sign, but I brushed it off.”

Constipation, which appeared during a trip to France for a friend’s wedding, was another early sign. Having never struggled with digestion before, she assumed it was caused by rich food, cheese, and indulgent meals. But the discomfort was her body’s way of signaling something deeper was wrong.

The warning signs escalated after she returned home to Brisbane. Susan recalls collapsing in the bathroom from waves of severe abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. “It was worse than childbirth. I was crawling into the shower, trying to relieve the pain with heat. It was a nine out of ten on the pain scale,” she said. Initially, she suspected salmonella after her horse had been infected.

When she sought medical help, doctors reassured her that nothing was seriously wrong. Blood work was normal, scans didn’t reveal anything alarming, and cancer wasn’t even considered. But only weeks later, Susan was given the diagnosis she never imagined: stage 4 bowel cancer.

Her message today is urgent: “I want people to know the signs. I want them to push for answers if something feels off. Even if your blood work is normal, even if they say it’s stress, diet, or hormones—listen to your instincts.”

Determined to turn her personal tragedy into hope for others, Susan has since launched The Floozie Foundation, an initiative dedicated to building resilience among patients and their support networks in adult cancer wards across Australia. Through advocacy, awareness campaigns, and patient-centered support, she hopes to create lasting change in how society views bowel health.

Susan’s story is a sobering reminder that what feels like “just fatigue” or “a stomach upset” could be the early whispers of a much bigger health issue. By speaking out, she hopes to empower people worldwide to recognize their body’s signals, demand proper testing, and never dismiss the small signs that could save their lives.