Shawn Michael, 48, from Springfield Missouri, in the United States, has been given the devastating news that he had stage four bowel cancer which has spread to other organs
A dad who thought he had simple constipation was given the devastating news that he has stage four bowel cancer.
Shawn Michael, 48, from Springfield Missouri in the US, has shared a video where he tells of how he found out he had stage four colorectal cancer after suffering abdominal pain and was unable to go to the toilet. The cancer has spread to several organs but he is still hopeful of a “fighting chance” with chemotherapy.
His problem began last October when he had difficulty passing stools which he thought was just constipation and he sought an over the counter remedy. When this didn’t work he then went to a medical centre where he was given something a lot stronger.
Shawn described it as being like “napalm for your intestines” and it did ease his symptoms but he still felt as though there was something wrong.
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“Two days later I could still physically feel something inside of me,” he said. “It hurt so bad.” At this point he did begin to believe that there was a blockage but he believed it to be possibly a faecal impaction.
It was after he took a large sip of a fizzy drink that he knew there was a serious problem as he was left in considerable pain. “I took one sip and it felt like someone shot me in the gut it was so painful,” he said.
He went to see a medic and had a scan which showed that he had a mass on his colon. “(The nurse) informed me the indications there were for stage four colon cancer,” he said in the video shared online. “I’ve been to hospitals before, when I was a kid I spent a great deal of time in them with my mum, and nothing happens fast in medical unless there’s a problem.”
He added: “The only thing I could think about was how do I tell my wife because she’s sitting at home, waiting for me to come home.” Shawn went on to have an operation where a large part of his colon was removed.
He said that a surgeon told him that growth was so large it could easily have ruptured. “He explained that the obstruction that was in my colon at the time was so large he was absolutely shocked that it hadn’t ruptured yet,” Shawn said.
Tumours were also found on seven lymph nodes which had to be removed but they then found the cancer had spread to his liver, spleen and lungs. “That’s where it is sitting currently and what we’re hoping to kill off with chemo,” he said. “Our plan currently is to do three months of chemo.”
Main symptoms of bowel cancer
Symptoms of bowel cancer may include:
- changes in your poo, such as having softer poo, diarrhoea or constipation that is not usual for you
- needing to poo more or less often than usual for you
- blood in your poo, which may look red or black
- bleeding from your bottom
- often feeling like you need to poo, even if you’ve just been to the toilet
- tummy pain
- a lump in your tummy
- bloating
- losing weight without trying
- feeling very tired for no reason
