There was a lot I didn't realise about bowel cancer — here is what I learned the hard way

From a bloated tummy to a cancer diagnosis, Ali McCormack talks to Helen O'Callaghan about how she got through her surgery and chemotherapy

Ali McCormack from Rathangan, County Kildare, was diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2021 and is now in remission. Photograph: Moya Nolan

Ali McCormack had a lot to celebrate. It was her 47th birthday. The re-opening of the hospitality sector had just begun, and her husband, Tommy, was taking her away for a hotel break in Waterford.

Like most of us, Ali had been living in tracksuits and PJs during the lockdowns and now — on that first weekend in June 2021 — she got a nasty surprise.