Kara Miller has gone public with how multiple doctors dismissed her worsening symptoms before a stage 3 colorectal cancer diagnosis.
The Brit, 41 at the time, first reached out to her GP in September 2021 with gastrointestinal complaints. She was told over the phone that the issue was simply haemorrhoids, a condition she had experienced before. “It was surreal,” she said. “I spoke on the phone with someone at my GP surgery and they told me it was haemorrhoids and it was fine.”
Miller’s symptoms persisted, but a family bereavement and the demands of her corporate job kept her from pressing harder. She attributed her ongoing struggles to grief and tried to carry on.
By February 2022, while recovering from Covid-19, she began feeling “really unwell.” Healthcare professionals attributed her condition to food poisoning. Miller, however, pushed for blood tests and a FIT test, which came back positive. She underwent a colonoscopy in March 2022, where doctors discovered a mass in her rectum.
Further scans confirmed stage three colorectal cancer in April 2022. Recalling the moment of diagnosis, Miller described the biopsy procedure: “The doctor said I’m going to take a biopsy of this. I said ‘is it cancer?'” She continued: “I remember him holding my hand and slightly nodding. From that moment I went into total shock – I couldn’t believe it, it was an out-of-body experience.”
Miller’s treatment was extensive and grueling. She completed 12 rounds of chemotherapy, followed by a six-hour surgery to remove the tumor. Surgeons fitted her with a temporary ileostomy bag, after which she underwent an additional 12 weeks of chemotherapy. Reversal surgery came in August 2023.
Now cancer-free, Miller has transformed her experience into a new career. She works as a cancer rehabilitation specialist, helping others navigate the aftermath of serious illness. “In 2024 I started this new normal,” she said. “Whilst I was physically fit, I played netball internationally and I was quite strong. I would say the mental aspect after treatment and everything finished was by far harder for me than physical treatment.”
She now collaborates with a charity supporting individuals who have faced long-term health conditions and cancer.
Miller has taken her message to TikTok under the handle @rehabbykara, where she shares her journey with a growing audience. “Sharing your story is vulnerable, especially on social media,” she said. She consistently advises followers to consult their own medical teams while emphasizing the importance of self-advocacy.
“One thing I’ve noticed and realised is you have to self-advocate,” Miller said. “Being aware of cancer symptoms and how they present is really important to be aware of because it could effectively save your life.” She noted that even after the positive FIT test, a private gastrointestinal doctor had also suggested food poisoning as the likely cause. “One of the resounding comments throughout that period was I was too young,” she added. “I was aware it could be cancer but it just seemed so farfetched to me.”
Miller’s experience reflects a broader pattern of delayed diagnoses in younger patients with colorectal cancer, a disease increasingly affecting people under 50.
Miller continues her awareness work on TikTok and through her rehabilitation practice.