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Colleen Roberts was an “active” mother and grandmother - she worked fulltime as a specialist teacher and enjoyed gardening and travelling to see her children in different parts of the country.

When she went to her GP about gallstones at the end of 2021, a cancer diagnosis was far from her mind.

Testing showed Roberts had “quite advanced” cancer in the lower part of her stomach - she had no symptoms.

“It was a shock diagnosis,” the 63-year-old said.

Roberts started treatment in January 2022, having chemotherapy and a partial gastrectomy.

By July 2022, Roberts returned to work and her “busy life”.

But in July 2023, she had a 12-month check-up and found out the cancer had returned. She now had multiple abdominal tumours, and any further treatment would be palliative.

She again had no symptoms and was told she had one year to live.

The news meant “immediate retirement” and prompted her and her husband to move back to Rotoruafrom Auckland.

That’s when Roberts was connected with the local Cancer Society, which she said was a “game changer”.

The Cancer Society said cancer “does not stop for Christmas” and many people would be receiving a cancer diagnosis or treatment this December.

Cancer affects one in three New Zealanders and modelling predicts this rate will rise to one in two by 2040, a Cancer Society media release said.

New Zealand ranked lower in survivorship than other comparable high-income countries, but the situation was “slowly improving” thanks to advances in screening and the Government’s recent boost of advanced cancer treatments, it said.

‘Dying of cancer’

Roberts grew up in Auckland but moved to Rotorua in 1989. She moved to Auckland in 2017 for her job but kept the family home in Rotorua.

She and her husband returned to Rotorua in August 2023.

Roberts said the terminal diagnosis meant she needed to have long-term chemotherapy that would hopefully halt the cancer’s progression.

“After a year of fortnightly treatment, I sort of hit the wall a little bit because the cumulative effects of chemotherapy started to hit. I got quite down. I was depressed and that’s not good for your health.”

Rotorua woman Colleen Roberts is sharing her story about stomach cancer and how the local Cancer Society has supported her.

Roberts discussed taking a break from treatment with her oncologist.

“Then I found out how it worked. It hits the cells and the treatment does its thing but then after two weeks, the cells start recovering so it was important to keep to the treatment schedule.”

Her treatment started working in December 2023 to hold the cancer “at bay”.

After outliving her one-year life expectancy, she had a “shift in thinking”.

“I am living ... the date or a prognosis wasn’t important.

“I felt ... that I was dying of cancer but then I realised that I was actually living with chemo.”

She had an “epiphany” and wanted to know what she could do to “support” the treatment.

“I realised I didn’t know where to go for that information and that’s when I engaged with the Cancer Society.”

‘It has turned everything around’

Roberts was connected with Claire Gower-James - a Cancer Society navigator in Rotorua.

Roberts said the “immediate” support was a “game changer”.

“Everything she gave me was fantastic – the weekly walking group, the monthly support group, access to massages, the links to meditation, the reading materials ...

“The cumulative effects of long-term treatment means I need to rest but I want to still be active and doing things.”

Roberts’ desire to be active and connect with others led her to the local support group which she said helped give her purpose.

“There is an understanding there of how you’re feeling. Everybody is in a different place and going through different aspects, and it’s positive if you want to talk about those things. The effect on my wellbeing has been huge. It has turned everything around in my mind and reframed it all.”

‘Life-changing’ support

Gower-James said Roberts was an example of how the Cancer Society could help patients feel “empowered” on their cancer journey.

“We help them open doors that might otherwise be shut and walk alongside them as they navigate the barriers of a cancer diagnosis.

“Unfortunately, the need is great in the Bay of Plenty.”

Claire Gower-James is a cancer care navigator offering her experience and support to cancer patients across the Rotorua area.

Roberts was “immensely grateful” her cancer had been responding to treatment.

She said the Cancer Society’s support was “life-changing”.

“Without it, it would be really hard for me to continue. It’s not just support – it is treatment.”

The Cancer Society Waikato/Bay of Plenty is not directly government funded. Donations can be made on their website.