A musician has opened up about his experience with ‘incurable’ cancer following several trips to his healthcare provider.
Jordan Brunoli, a bass guitarist for the Brisbane band Bugs, shared how he frequently visited his doctor but was continually ‘sent away’ until he was diagnosed with colorectal cancer, which had metastasized to his liver and lymph nodes.
At the age of 29, Jordan received this diagnosis only after he was ‘eventually’ referred for a scan.
Earlier this year, the band announced the news on social media, stating: “The devastating diagnosis came completely out of the blue.
“Jordan has been sent away from emergency and a GP repeatedly after first showing symptoms months ago.
“After months of constant pain, Jordan was finally sent for a scan and diagnosed, leaving him and his family in a state of shock.”
On a GoFundMe page created to assist with medical expenses, Jordan elaborated on his condition.
He expressed: “Physically, this doesn’t hold me back, I’m able to do 90 percent of what I could before, just with a slightly higher risk of getting a hernia.
“Not to be preachy, but if you have witnessed any blood in your stool, experienced weird abdominal pains, unexplained weight loss or extended periods of fatigue – don’t be afraid to raise it with your GP and ask for an abdominal ultrasound.
“I thought I was too young, but there has been a recent increase in instances of colorectal cancer in people under 30.
“Getting a diagnosis now could be the difference in a stage 1 tumour or stage 4 metastatic.”
Upon reaching AUD$100,000 through donations, Jordan expressed gratitude to his supporters and mentioned an upcoming CT scan to assess the effectiveness of his chemotherapy treatment.
He shared: “Every last one of you has touched me deeply. I love you all and feel extremely loved back. Through the blood, sweat and tears, knowing that there is a financial safety net for future surgeries or medical costs has provided a lot of comfort,” he said.
“I have another CT scan coming up to determine whether the chemo is doing its job and will keep everyone updated.”
According to the American Cancer Society, there were an estimated ‘about 106,590 new cases of colon cancer’ in 2024.
Colon cancer is also recognized as the ‘second most common cause of cancer deaths’ in the United States.
The Mayo Clinic lists symptoms that may include:
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to talk to someone confidentially, you can reach the American Cancer Society at 1-800-227-2345 or through their live chat service, which is available 24/7 every day of the year.