‘Don’t ignore symptoms’: Young dad Cameron Bond’s life changed after cancer diagnosis

A young dad-of-two thought he had coeliac disease after he began experiencing stomach pains a few months ago – but the truth was much more sinister.

At worst, young father Cameron Bond thought his colonoscopy in late January would lead to a diagnosis of Crohn’s or coeliac disease.

He’d been experiencing stomach pain since November last year and thought getting it checked out would be best.

But during the procedure, doctors found a tumour that was blocking 90 per cent of the 29-year-old’s bowel.

“They called it stage 3c (bowel cancer) … I’ll be starting chemotherapy for six months,” the Watervale father-of-two said.

Cameron Bond, 29, who has been diagnosed with stage 3c bowel cancer, with his family, partner of five years Jessica Theobald and children two-year-old Eliza and nine-month-old Clancy. Picture: Supplied

Cameron began experiencing stomach pains in November last year. Picture: Supplied

Within a week of the cancer’s discovery, Mr Bond’s went into surgery, where doctors removed 70 centimetres — over half — of his large intestine.

“They found it had spread to the outside of the bowel and out of the 45 lymph nodes they removed in the process, it only spread to one of them,” he said.

Mr Bond hopes the cancer won’t spread as he undergoes treatment in Adelaide — one hour and a half away from home.

“They’re confident there are no other tumours but they’re worried that it has spread or in the process of spreading because of that lymph node or cells floating around ready to find somewhere else to start a new tumour,” he said.

70 centimetres of Cameron’s bowel has since been removed following his diagnosis. Picture: Supplied

And he is set to have chemotherapy. Picture: Supplied

The 29-year-old said he is very nervous and anxious to start chemotherapy and isn’t trying to think about it.

“It is just the unknowns,” he said.

“I’m not a fan of surgery or needles … but then the unknown and how it will affect me … you can never be sure.”

Cameron has encouraged other to listen to their symptoms. Picture: Supplied

Mr Bond said that his surgeon told him he isn’t the youngest person he has treated for bowel cancer.

“This isn’t an old person’s disease,” he said.

“Don’t ignore it if you have any symptoms, go to your doctor and push for a colonoscopy.

“I’ve heard horror stories of young people who, either themselves or their doctor have dismissed symptoms like blood in stool and all of a sudden, by the time they find it, they’re absolutely riddled with cancer and don’t have a hope.

“I thought it was an intolerance and the doctor said no we better have a look and all of a sudden, here I am having half my bowel removed.”

Cameron is the sole provider for his family, including his children, two-year-old daughter Eliza and nine-month-old Clancy. Picture: Supplied

Cameron works as a farmer — both for someone else and as a hobby farmer on his personal family farm. Picture: Supplied

Mr Bond is the father of two-year-old Eliza and nine-month-old Clancy, who he shares with his partner of five years Jessica Theobald, and is the sole provider of the family.

“We’ve got a little hobby farm here in Watervale with a few sheep and a I’m a full-time farmer myself, working for someone else, so I’m very active,” he said.

“I don’t do a lot anymore, can’t do a lot.”

If you’d like to donate to the Bond family, you can here.

Originally published as ‘Don’t ignore symptoms’: Young dad Cameron Bond’s life changed after cancer diagnosis