A “FIT AND HEALTHY” man who was told his bowel cancer was acid reflux has revealed what signs people should look out for.
Matt Best, 39, was misdiagnosed with ulcers and acid reflux – something he put down to a rich diet and “overindulgence” in alcohol.
But when a gym session left the “fit and healthy” Aussie feeling “extremely weak”, he rushed to the doctors for a blood test.
The results showed the Brisbane sales manager – who spent his free time walking with wife Amanda and their dog, Kali – was anaemic, which is an early warning sign of bowel cancer often missed by doctors.
“I remember even asking my gastroenterologist at the time jokingly, ‘it’s not cancer, is it?’ And he said ‘at your age, highly unlikely’,” Matt told Daily Mail Australia.
A colonoscopy check found a 10cm tumour growing across his large intestine and in April 2018, doctors told Matt he had stage 3C bowel cancer.
This meant the cancer had spread to the tissue and lymph nodes surrounding the intestine, but not to any nearby organs.
“I was shocked, confused, numb, I had 4,000 questions,” Matt said.
“I remember just staring at a clock and not knowing what was happening.”
‘I FELT A CHRONIC HANGOVER’
Matt was 36 at the time and in the prime of his life when doctors rushed him to hospital and removed 30 of his lymph nodes – seven of which were cancerous.
He was put on a six-month course of FOLFOX chemo which brought him into hospital every second Friday and left him feeling a “chronic hangover” of nausea and exhaustion.
He also suffered peripheral neuropathy, which causes pain, numbness and ‘pins-and-needles’ sensations in the limbs.
“I remember at Christmas my brothers thinking it was funny that I would constantly drop my beer bottle because my fingers would twitch from the nerve damage,” he said.
The 39-year-old is now cancer-free but said he’ll continue having colonoscopies once a year to keep tabs on his stomach health.
“It’s been a weird journey and an array of unexpected emotions,” Matt said.
“I’ve never felt so much support in my life and I am truly grateful to every friend and family member.”
Matt says it’s important young men overcome their discomfort about seeing a doctor and discussing health concerns with friends.
“There’s still such awkwardness,” he said.
“I try to lighten the mood and tell them a joke I came up with, which is ‘When I found out I had bowel cancer, I was gutted….’ The response is always the same, only YOU can tell that joke!”
Matt said there’s no reason to feel ashamed about asking for help.
“If it doesn’t feel right, get it checked! Better yet, don’t wait and have a regular check-up,” he said.
Bowel cancer is the fourth most common cancer in the UK and the second biggest killer, according to Bowel Cancer UK.
Over 42,000 Brits are diagnosed every year and at least 16,000 die from it.
Meanwhile, 1 in 15 men and 1 in 18 women will be diagnosed with bowel cancer during their lifetime.
