Dad-of-one Jack Nicholson, 27, needed to have his entire stomach removed in order to save his life and feels fortunate that the deadly cancer did not spread further
A man has revealed he needs to sleep upright after having his stomach removed due to developing a rare cancer. Jack Nicholson, 27, was diagnosed with diffuse gastric cancer in April 2024 – a type of stomach cancer – following a routine biopsy.
He was monitored after finding out he had a mutation of the CDH1 gene which causes hereditary gastric diffuse cancer (HGDC) syndrome, after his mum, Jaime Rossiter, 41, and aunt, Carla, 48, both died of stomach cancer. The dad-of-one had a gastrectomy – to remove all of his stomach – to save his life in August 2024.
His oesophagus was connected to his small intestine to enable him to eat but Jack now has to sleep upright to stop his food coming back up and has to eat every two hours to ensure he gets nutrients to stop him fainting. Jack, a lorry driver, from Derby, said: “Having my stomach removed was terrifying, but the operation saved my life. I’ve been given a new chance at life and I’m very happy with that, but there are days when I think ‘I’m 27, I should be out there playing football’.
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“It’s a nasty illness where you don’t get any symptoms until it’s too late. It’s very scary and I know people who have died aged 19 or 20 from it. When I got the result of my genetic tests I was devastated, I thought my life was over there and then, it was unbearable.” Jack lost his mum Jamie in September 2018 to multiple cancers – after doctors initially thought she had heart burn and prescribed Gaviscon.
A year later his aunt, Carla, became ill and died of multiple cancers in July 2021 – aged 48. Both Carla and Jamie had adenocarcinomas – a stomach cancer caused by the mutation of the CDH1 gene.
Jack, who lives with his wife Maria, 25, a sign-language interpreter, and their daughter, six, was tested and found to carry the gene in summer 2021. He was monitored and had 50 biopsies taken each year from April 2022 – because the cancer can appear anywhere in the stomach.
In April 2024, during an annual biopsy, doctors found eight tumours in Jack’s stomach. He opted to have surgery to remove his stomach – and feels fortunate it hadn’t spread. He said: “It’s unbelievable, if it had been undetected into the next year this would be a very different story. I find that both a relief and utterly terrifying.”
During the operation, medics connected his oesophagus to his small intestine – called a roux-en-y procedure. Jack wasn’t able to eat for five days after the operation and cried when he was given his first food – a no-sugar jelly.
He went home after a week but said it took a few months to be fully up and about again. Now Jack has to eat every two hours because he can only fit in small amounts of food at a time, as some has to go through his intestine before he can put more in.
It’s so hard to keep his energy levels up that he shakes and goes faint if he doesn’t eat on time. He can’t eat and drink at the same time so sips water constantly in between meals.
Jack doesn’t feel hunger any more so uses a smart watch to remind him to get a meal. He has to chew everything to a pulp because his mouth has to do as much digesting as possible.
“Life does feel like a constant juggling act of eating and drinking” he said. Adding: “I have to run my eating and drinking to a schedule and it doesn’t leave time to relax. I’m always thinking about what needs to be done next.
“It’s incredibly frustrating to feel so tired all the time.” He was a vegetarian of five years but has to eat meat every day now because it’s so rich in nutrients.
Jack can’t vomit – he has to stay upright, even through the night, to stop his food coming back up, so sleeps propped against the head board. He said: “It’s hard not being able to lie down but I’ve got used to it and sleep pretty well. It just goes to show how adaptable we are.
“It’s sad that Maria and I aren’t able to have a lie down and cuddle up together.” Before Jack exercised four times a week doing football, kick boxing and running, but now gets so tired he uses a wheelchair most of the time.
Now weighing in at 71kg, and at six-foot-one tall Jack has lost 20 kilos since the operation. Jack who married Maria just two weeks before his operation, says they plan to have more children together via IVF and genetic screening to avoid their future kids inheriting the gene mutation.
He said: “Maria has been my rock through all this: she took the ‘in sickness and in health’ part of our marriage vows very seriously. One of the funniest things since my op is how loud my bowel sounds are – my body really doesn’t shut up which can be a bit embarrassing.
“Adjusting takes time and I like to stay positive so I just keep remembering that I got a new lease of life. I have difficult days but I hold on to the fact that I’m still here.
“Having the operation has been a huge change but it’s a massive relief not to have this cancer looming over me. If you suspect you may have a genetic disorder get tested. It’s best to have answers, don’t shy away from it It might change your life and someone else’s. I wouldn’t have been saved if my aunt hadn’t been tested.”
