A Belfast retail manager is recovering from surgery to remove scar tissue in her bowel, the latest in a series of health challenges that began with a rectal cancer diagnosis six years ago.

Aisling Gallagher was 28 and working in London when she noticed blood in her stools, abdominal bloating, and a sudden urgency to use the bathroom. She initially attributed the changes to a new environment and routine.

After returning to Belfast in March 2020, she sought medical advice. Tests were delayed until August due to pandemic restrictions, by which time her condition had deteriorated. A colonoscopy revealed stage two rectal cancer.

Treatment began in October 2020 with pelvic radiation and oral chemotherapy, but the tumour did not respond sufficiently. In February 2021, she underwent anterior resection surgery, which included a temporary stoma. The cancer was removed but had spread to 11 lymph nodes.

She started a six-month chemotherapy course in April 2021. Doctors informed her the treatment would cause infertility, and she entered menopause. Ms Gallagher later described the loss of fertility as a profound shock.

By November 2021, she received the all-clear, and her stoma was reversed the following month. She returned to work in senior retail management.

A year later, she experienced a severe bowel obstruction caused by adhesions from surgery. Hospital staff found scar tissue across her small and large bowel and advised that further surgery could worsen the condition. She managed several recurrent episodes over the following years.

After her fifth bowel obstruction this month, medical professionals concluded surgery was necessary. She underwent a laparotomy to remove the adhesions and is now recuperating.

Ms Gallagher has shared her experience to raise awareness of bowel cancer symptoms. Her message is that people who sense something is not right should seek medical attention promptly.