I blamed stomach pain on a dodgy BBQ but then I was told I have just months to live

The Sun

a day ago

WHEN Matt Eamer began experiencing stomach pain he put it down to eating "a dodgy sausage" at a family BBQ.
But when the pain persisted, doctors discovered a "big blockage" in his intestine, which turned out to be stage 4 cancer.
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Matt, 44, had been celebrating his son Alex's second birthday in September 2020 when "spiky" pain began.
The dad-of-two was rushed to hospital and was given Buscopan - an over the counter medication that helps stomach cramps - and sent home. But he continued to feel awful.
His wife Sarah, 41, a doula, took him to East Surrey Hospital, Surrey, where tests confirmed the blockage in his large intestine.
Just days later, following surgery to remove the mass, it was confirmed as stage four bowel cancer.
Matt underwent six months of intense chemotherapy, but during surgery to cut away part of his liver, in March 2021, surgeons told him it had spread to his peritoneum - the lining of the abdominal wall.
It was also discovered Matt had a BRAF mutation - a genetic alteration that can lead to uncontrolled cell growth - and his "cancer had formed and grown very quickly".
Matt was "looking at months" left to live when he began taking newly approved immunotherapy drugs called Cetuximab infusion and pills called Emcorafenib.
But he responded well, and five years on has no signs of cancer, and still takes the medicine.
Matt, from Redhill, Surrey, who runs a design agency, said: "I was speaking to work colleagues over the first week or two and thought I'd cooked a dodgy sausage on the BBQ.
"My pain escalated quickly.
I thought my sore knee was a drunken injury but it was cancer at 27
"I can still remember the person's voice when she phoned and said 'the plan for your diagnosis has changed'.
"They said 'we're talking months not years from a survival point of view'.
"Hitting five years with stage four is a rarity.
"You're not on your death bed but you're forced to think about how you spend your time".
He said doctors initially thought the mass might be benign.
"They took out two thirds of my large intestine," he said.
"A few days later they confirmed it was active cancer."
New life-extending drugs
After chemotherapy, Matt was informed on his 40th birthday by doctors that his treatment plan had changed Matt has been taking four Encorafenib pills every evening since and has fortnightly infusions of Cetuximab - designed to extend his life by three to six months.
"It was a very dramatic movie like point," he said.
"It was a pivotal change, they said, 'we've gone in, it's gone further, we're going to try these new drugs.
"My wife Sarah collapsed to the floor."
He began the new drugs approved just a few months earlier, which target rapid growth of cancer cells.
Matt had an "unusual response" to the drugs - with scans after six months not showing "any cancer"- and now has fortnightly infusions.
Despite needing a 14-hour surgery in December 2024 to remove tissue in his ribcage that had the BRAF mutation and HIPEC chemotherapy, Matt says doctors are back to the view of not seeing anything, with scans showing things are clear.
"I'm never going to know what my future really looks like," he said.
"I continue to run my own business and the family.
"I remember four or five months ago listening to Virgin Radio and Chris Evans was interviewing Chris Hoy.
"He's really trying to challenge the perception of stage four.
"The reality is younger people are able to deal with treatments better and liver longer better lives even if it is stage four.
"The book he's written highlighting things like being presented with things like a devastating life ending diagnosis, the cliche is you go for big bucket list of swimming dolphins and all that stuff.
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"The reality is the 'bucket and spade things', the little moments.
"I spend more time looking at my kids faces taking them to a show or swimming in the sea, they are heightened.
"It means your ability to be present and focus upon what matters is heightened".
He is now set to take part in a charity cycle set up by Sir Chris Hoy in Glasgow on September 7 raising funds for Bowel Cancer UK.
It will mark five years since he was diagnosed.
"It's marking a milestone in a meaningful positive way," he said.
To donate, visit his GoFundMe.
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.