My Story
True healing can happen when we address the root cause,
fill the body with what it needs,
remove what harms through detoxification,
and trust God every step of our journey.
Some Statistics
About 1.9 million new cases of colorectal cancer were diagnosed worldwide in 2022.
Colorectal cancer is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer worldwide, accounting for about 9.6% of all new cancer cases globally.
It is not caused by one single factor. It is a multifactorial disease, but research strongly links it to lifestyle and metabolic health — including diet, physical inactivity, obesity, alcohol use, smoking, insulin resistance, inflammation, and gut health.
Stage 4 cancer, also called metastatic cancer, means the disease has spread from its original site to distant parts of the body such as bones, liver, lungs, or brain.
A Road Less Travelled...
On Monday, 5 July 2021, during the third wave of Covid-19, my life changed without warning. What began as feeling unwell only the weekend before the 5th, became a journey through a Stage 4 colon cancer diagnosis, chemotherapy, multiple surgeries, fear, faith, healing and ultimately a completely different understanding of how our bodies are wired to heal, given the correct internal environment.
NUA Wellness was created to share what I learned, the research I discovered, and practical resources that may help others navigate their own wellness journey.
After seeing my GP early Monday morning, X-rays were taken, and a specialist appointment made. A CT scan revealed a large obstruction in my colon. Emergency surgery followed early on 6 July, during which the large obstruction with 12 lymph nodes was surgically removed.
Up to that point, cancer never even crossed my mind. I had no real understanding of the seriousness of the situation.
Because the hospital was flooded with Covid patients, I was moved back to a general ward after surgery, unfortunately with very limited care.
By Saturday, 10 July, after a week of intense pain and fever, another CT scan revealed a rupture on the right-hand side of my colon. A further 20 cm of my colon was surgically removed. I woke up, only to realize that there was a stoma bag attached to my body. The incision from only a few days earlier had been reopened, and once again I was faced with a body that felt bruised, broken, stapled together, and overwhelmed by pain.
This time, I woke up in the high-care unit.
Grace.
A surgeon stood beside my bed and told me that I had a stage 3 tumour and would need to start chemotherapy once I was released from hospital. All patients had to wear masks permanently, and I remember clearly asking him if I could please remove mine, because after hearing the news, I felt as if I could not breathe.
“Charmaine, you have cancer.”
The words felt completely unreal....
I will also never forget the morning of my release from hospital, five days before my 47th birthday. An old, wise lady lying next to me in the room left me with these words:
“Just keep moving forward.”
So much wisdom in such a simple sentence.
At that stage, I did not yet understand how important those words would become. The journey of recovery had only just begun, and moving forward was the only option I had.
As time passed, I learned that it is in the moving forward that a journey unfolds — a journey filled with miracles, challenges, fear, celebration, surrender, and second chances.
One step at a time, not in my own strength.
I remember my first visit to the oncology unit. I had driven past that building so many times before, always feeling deep empathy for the patients who had to walk through those doors.
And suddenly, I was one of them.
I began my own chemotherapy journey, taking 97 pills every two weeks, with one week break in between.
On 25 February 2022, I took the last three pills. Seven months had passed since my diagnosis. It had been a journey of so many ups and downs, but to me, that moment felt like a new beginning — a second chance, and a responsibility to make the most of the second chance I was given.
During that time, I was also diagnosed with Covid-19. The severe coughing left me with a hernia where the stoma bag was attached.
Surgery to reverse the stoma bag followed. I was told to return in April 2022 for a follow-up CT scan. In my mind, I was clear. I believed my normal life, as I knew it before July 2021, could now continue.
But the scan results revealed a very different story.
The cancer had spread to my liver and my left lung.
My world was turned upside down. My thoughts racing. I had more questions than answers, and anxiety began to consume me.
I was officially a stage 4 cancer patient.
I was at a crossroad.
After some blood results with increased tumor markers, fear got the better of me and we decided that intravenous chemotherapy would be my best option. Surgery was done to insert a chemo port. I was told that I will need 12 sessions of chemotherapy.
My body really struggled to cope with the chemo, but it was during this time that I started doing research on colon cancer. I wanted to take ownership and equip myself with the knowledge to understand my options to give my body the best possible chance of getting well.
I started to learn about the power of faith, the correct nutrition, fasting, and emotional introspection.
A PET scan after the first half of the chemotherapy sessions showed that the size of the cancerous growths increased despite the chemotherapy. The chemotherapy was halted and I was referred to a Specialist to discuss my surgical options.
On 18 January 2023 I had a liver resection on the left side of my liver to remove 3 growths.
On 27 March 2023 an additional tumor was removed from my left lung.
On 18 June 2024, the remainder of the tumors were removed from the right hand side of my liver.
I will restore your health, and I will heal your wounds declares the Lord
Jeremiah 30:17
We focus on mindful movement, breath, and presence.
Each class is designed to help you:
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release tension
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improve strength and flexibility
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calm your nervous system
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reconnect with your inner rhythm