When Lesley-Anne Ewing went to her doctor complaining of cramps and stomach pains, she thought she might be suffering from a food allergy.

Lesley-Anne, a pharmacy technician at Wishaw General Hospital, also toyed with the idea she could have irritable bowel syndrome. The last thing the 36-year-old from Rutherglen expected was to be diagnosed with bowel cancer.

Bowel cancer is the third most common cancer in Scotland after lung and breast cancer with almost 4,000 people diagnosed with the disease every year.

Lesley-Anne’s doctor decided to refer her for a colonoscopy and it was during this procedure that a tumour was picked up.

Lesley said: “When I got the news, I said: ‘Oh right, OK.’ I was in shock. Working where I do, you hear bad news quite a lot and you can shut down to it.

“My parents were with me and they got upset but I was thinking ‘I have to listen to everything the nurse is going to say about what’s going to happen next. She’s going to have information and I need to know what’s going to happen now.’

“I shut down and went into professional mode.”

In December 2013, two months after her diagnosis, Lesley-Anne had to remove the tumour and was fitted with an ileostomy bag to allow her bowel to heal.

“It is one of those things you hope won’t happen but it’s just another hurdle to go over to get through everything,” she says. “You have to let it be part of you but not let it take over your life.”

At the same time as adapting to having the bag, she also had to start on a seven-month chemotherapy regime at the Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre.

In her work, she was used to seeing people going through chemotherapy.

“You see different people’s coping mechanism; how they do well or struggle,” she says. “I, for the most part, got through things really well. I didn’t struggle too much with side effects or sickness. I don’t know if it was because I was younger or because of my attitude but I just kept going.

“Through my work dealing with patients and by doing research about bowel cancer on the Macmillan Cancer Support website, I went in with a bit more knowledge which really helped me as well. I was aware of the financial and practical support that is available.”

“Your friends and family keep you grounded and pull you through as well.”

Lesley-Anne’s experience has given her a new perspective in her job which she returned to a year after her treatment.

She said: “I have seen it from a different side now. It gives you more of an idea of where people are coming from.”

Lesley-Anne’s friends and colleagues are now organising a Bottoms Up Charity Ball to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support and promote awareness of bowel cancer. The ball will be held at Celtic Park on October 3rd at 7.30pm. For more information visit: https://www.facebook.com/bottomsupball