‘Fit’ man told he had ‘stomach bug’ diagnosed with stage four bowel cancer
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A “fit and healthy” man told by his GP he had a “stomach bug” was devastated when it turned out to be stage four bowel cancer.
Gary Welsh from Stowmarket, Suffolk was 34 when he was provided his diagnosis in 2021. Just before getting the life-altering news, the account manager described himself as “super match and healthy” with a routine of going to the health club routinely, operating and weight-lifting.
The only point that bothered him was the “occasional” bout of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) which he had suffered with “on and off” considering that 2015 and had checked by his GP various occasions more than the years.
Mr Welsh had been experiencing stomach discomfort prior to he was diagnosed with stage four bowel cancer
(Gary Welsh)
About a month prior to he was admitted to hospital and provided his devastating diagnosis, he had been experiencing stomach discomfort and vomiting. Having said that, on a telephone consultation with his GP, he was told it was just a bug.
Mr Welsh later found that the discomfort was most most likely a bowel blockage brought on by a tumour.
“It’s your living nightmare,” he mentioned. “It’s the worst point you can be told. But even then, the hospital mentioned they have been 99.9 per cent certain it was benign.”
The 34-year-old’s road to diagnosis started right after he received his second Covid vaccine jab in October 2021. Following the jab, he felt unwell but knew it was prevalent to practical experience flu-like symptoms.
The 34-year-old mentioned getting his cancer diagnosis was the ‘worst thing’ he could be told
(Gary Welsh)
Having said that, when his temperature hit 40C a week later, he was rushed to the hospital and told he had sepsis.
Right after days of scans and investigations into what could possibly be causing the infection, Mr Welsh was told he required surgery to get rid of a mass that had been discovered in his bowel.
He went in for a colonoscopy and post-operation was told he had stage four cancer which had spread to his omentum – the tissue that surrounds organs in the decrease abdomen –and surrounding lymph nodes.
In December 2021, he was provided his initially chemotherapy remedy and was told he had a 60 per cent likelihood of getting cured.
Mr Welsh was diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2021
(Gary Welsh)
But right after six months of chemo, scan final results showed that the remedy had not worked.
He was told his cancer was now incurable and he has the aggressive BRAF mutation, the very same as the late Dame Deborah James.
“When you are told you have cancer, you believe you are going to die and you really feel like it is going to occur tomorrow.
“The most tough point is getting told you are incurable. There are no words to describe it.”
Bowel cancer is the fourth most prevalent cancer in the UK and the second most significant cancer killer. Extra than two,600 new instances are diagnosed each and every year in men and women beneath the age of 50, according to bowelcancer.org.uk.
Right after getting the diagnosis at such a young age, Mr Welsh is now determined to shine a spotlight on the rise of bowel cancer amongst men and women beneath the age of 40.
Ms Welsh has set up a GoFundMe web page to raise income for private medication
(Gary Welsh)
“I was healthful, never ever smoked, never ever overweight. I had no genetic hyperlinks to cancer,” he mentioned. “I got cancer by means of living my life usually, which is so worrying.
“We need to have to spread awareness. People today who have usually had IBS should really push their GP to appear into it far more.”
He added that “maybe anything could have been picked up earlier” in the course of his visits to the GP with stomach problems.
His loving wife Lizzy and sister Zoe Welsh have set up a GoFundMe web page to raise income for medication that is not on the NHS, but is privately readily available in the UK.
One particular cancer remedy drug they are searching at is named Avastin, which they hope could extend the time he has left. Having said that, it fees up to £2000 per cycle.
When Mr Welsh is nonetheless exploring solutions supplied by the NHS, he and his loved ones want to make sure they have the monetary freedom to take unique paths if the NHS therapies do not function.
“I’m conscious that the stats are not great,” Mr Welsh mentioned. “But by book or crook, we have to get to a curative position. You have to aim towards it otherwise you will really feel entirely helpless.”
You can donate to Mr Welsh’s appeal right here.
