A MUM has revealed how she received a terrifying diagnosis after doctors initially thought her symptoms were related to pregnancy.
Kelly Spill, from New Jersey, was 28 and a new mum when she was told she had stage three bowel cancer.
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She had suffered blood in her stool and constipation during her pregnancy with son Jayce, but multiple doctors said she had haemorrhoids, she said.
One day, she used the bathroom and filled the toilet bowl with blood, and was told by her mum to go to hospital, but her concerns were brushed aside again.
After multiple attempts to be treated seriously, she was given a colonoscopy and was diagnosed with the disease at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.
It was a huge shock to Kelly and her partner, not only because Kelly was so young, but because they had planned a big family.
Read more on bowel cancer
Doctors delivered the crushing news that her treatment would mean she may be unlikely to have another child with her partner.
Speaking in a video for Stand Up To Cancer, Kelly said: “I’ve always wanted a big family.
“When my baby was six months old, I already wanted another baby.
“It’s crazy to think about, but one moment can change your whole, entire life.
“One day, I went to the doctor and was told I had stage three cancer and most likely would never be able to carry another baby.
“It was one of the hardest things to hear.”
Bowel cancer is now the third most common cancer in Britain, with 41,596 Brits diagnosed in 2021.
It is the UK’s second deadliest cancer, claiming 16,000 lives each year.
However, nine in 10 patients survives it if diagnosed at the earliest stage, according to Bowel Cancer UK.
The Sun’s No Time 2 Lose campaign, spearheaded by Dame Deborah James, has called for earlier testing and treatments to improve survival rates in Britain.
Treatment for early stage bowel cancer usually involves chemotherapy, radiation and surgery.
However, while this is often successful in eliminating the cancer, it can lead to a range of side effects, including infertility.
Having swollen, bloated ovaries near my tumour was incredibly painful
Kelly Spill
Kelly had been experiencing symptoms of bowel cancer while pregnant and after birth, but was reassured that it was normal.
The key symptoms of bowel cancer are a change in normal bowel habits, such as needing to go more often, diarrhoea and constipation.
When Jayce was five months old, Kelly lost her appetite, had fatigue and generally didn’t feel well, she told TODAY.
When she saw the pool of blood in the toilet and visited the emergency room, a doctor again told her she had internal haemorrhoids and to “lay off spicy foods”.
She began seeking the second opinion of other doctors, and that’s when things started moving faster.
Kelly was devastated when she found out she may never be able to get pregnant again because of her illness.
Thankfully she was invited to a clinical trial that could preserve her fertility while also getting rid her of her cancer.
She told Business Insider: “On the doctor’s advice, I underwent fertility treatments and an egg retrieval soon after I was diagnosed and before treatment started.
“That was truly the worst part of this experience.
“Having swollen, bloated ovaries near my tumour was incredibly painful. But my husband and I ended up with four embryos — hope for the future family we envisioned.”
But thankfully for Kelly, she ended up having another child naturally.
Last year, Kelly had her daughter Maya, two years after she recovered from her treatment.
While 90 per cent of cancer cases are in the over-50s, ten per cent are in younger adults – and the rates are increasing.
The Sun’s No Time 2 Lose campaign has been pushing hard to raise awareness of this for years, successfully urging the Government to lower the bowel cancer screening age from 60 to 50.
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What are the red flag warning signs of bowel cancer?
IT’S the fourth most common cancer in the UK, the second deadliest – yet bowel cancer can be cured, if you catch it early enough.
While screening is one way of ensuring early diagnosis, there are things everyone can do to reduce their risk of the deadly disease.
Being aware of the signs and symptoms of bowel cancer, spotting any changes and checking with your GP can prove a life-saver.
If you notice any of the signs, don’t be embarrassed and don’t ignore them. Doctors are used to seeing lots of patients with bowel problems.
The five red-flag symptoms of bowel cancer include:
- Bleeding from the back passage, or blood in your poo
- A change in your normal toilet habits – going more frequently for example
- Pain or a lump in your tummy
- Extreme tiredness
- Losing weight
Tumours in the bowel typically bleed, which can cause a shortage of red blood cells, known as anaemia. It can cause tiredness and sometimes breathlessness.
In some cases bowel cancer can block the bowel, this is known as a bowel obstruction.
Other signs include:
- Gripping pains in the abdomen
- Feeling bloated
- Constipation and being unable to pass wind
- Being sick
- Feeling like you need to strain – like doing a number two – but after you’ve been to the loo
While these are all signs to watch out for, experts warn the most serious is noticing blood in your stools.
But, they warn it can prove tricky for doctors to diagnose the disease, because in most cases these symptoms will be a sign of a less serious disease.