'I only found out I had stage 2 cancer after donating my blood'
Laura now wants young people to be aware of the risks that cancer 'does not discriminate'
A mum has said that her cancer could have gone unnoticed if she hadn't gone to donate blood. She claimed to have had no major symptoms that would have caused her concern, but she is now fighting to give young people an important message with her story.
Documenting her diagnosis on TikTok, Laura (@lauramjjourney) said that she had booked an appointment to give blood. She said: "A couple of months ago, I went to give blood. I'd actually cancelled this appointment numerous times - busy life, trying to fit it all in - but thankfully the blood service kept on calling me."
She went on to explain that the donation never went ahead as screening tests just before showed that Laura was low in iron, and she was referred to her GP. During an appointment, her doctor ran further tests and Laura was diagnosed with anaemia.
Treatment included a month of iron and folic acid to regain her levels. But the doctor requested one more test that later proved to be life-saving.
Laura had a faecal immunoassay test (FIT) that discovered traces of blood in her stool. A gastroenterologist was able to confirm that Laura had a 50mm tumour around her colon, which was later discovered to be stage two bowel cancer.
Laura said: "This, luckily, hasn't spread to any nodes or spread to any other organs within my body, so I feel exceptionally lucky. I had no symptoms of bowel cancer whatsoever."
She added: "I never saw blood in my poo, I never had a change of bowel habits." Laura also said she never experienced anyof the 'classic symptoms'.
The only red flag that may have been a warning sign was tiredness. Laura assumed that it was just "down to being a busy working mum trying to do everything".
Laura said: "If I didn't go to give blood, god knows how long this cancer would be left within me. At that point, it could have spread ... further within my body."
She went on to say that her cancer was "very treatable" and would most likely have chemotherapy and surgery to remove part of the affected colon.
Ending her video, Laura said she wanted to spread awareness, especially among young people, about the increasing risk of cancer and for a petition that wants the minimum cancer screening age reduced. In the UK, cancer rates are lower in those under 35 compared to older age groups, but it is still important to help people catch cancer earlier.
What are some signs of bowel cancer?
According to the NHS website, symptoms of this cancer vary but largely affect your stomach, bowel and stool. The common red flags 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 or short of breath – these are signs of anaemia, which can be caused by bowel cancer
Some of these symptoms are very common and can be caused by other conditions. Having symptoms does not definitely mean you have bowel cancer, but it's important to get checked by a GP as finding cancer early may mean it's easier to treat.
Who can donate blood?
As long as you are fit and healthy, you should be able to give blood. Check if you meet the requirements to donate. You can also take the NHS Give Blood quiz to check if you can give.
Giving blood is a generous act that contributes to saving lives, although it doesn't provide direct support to a particular charity like a cash donation would. The blood you give is sent to hospitals and medical centres to assist patients who require it, and the NHS Blood Donation service (responsible for collecting and distributing blood in England) operates as a public service rather than a charity.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
29 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Achieve a HEALTHY summer body with the personal coaching app that helps you shed weight for good - see the before and after photo proof here
Losing weight takes some serious effort. The reality is that it's a struggle for many, whether they have issues with motivation or moderation. Wouldn't it be amazing to have someone who was constantly by your side to cheer you on? With the Simple app, you quite literally always have a personal weight loss cheerleader in your pocket. The streamlined platform is designed to simplify the way you approach your goals, tailoring a plan that takes into account your personal challenges while helping you learn healthier habits over time. Simple It's time to take control of your weight loss goals! Simple is an app that helps you achieve them without the usual struggles. It's like having a motivating personal coach in your pocket! The AI-powered platform is a joy to use, helping you make the right dietary choices, keep track of your goals, monitor your progress, and more. You can contact your virtual coach 24/7 for real-time responses whenever you need them. The before and after photographs speak for themselves — Simple really works! Get Started Beautiful results: Users like Danielle have shared their incredible before and after photos revealing impressive weight loss thanks to the Simple app That's often the key to seeing results that last. When you change the way you eat, everything changes for the better. Through Simple's AI-powered coaching, you'll discover how to make the best choices while understanding the 'whys' behind them. Because that's important, too — and it's critical to making behavioral changes that have a chance of sticking so you can be healthy both now and in the future. You'll never feel guilted out of enjoying something you love, either. 'Everything in moderation' has always been an important adage, and it applies here, too. Instead, Simple focuses on helping you achieve a more balanced lifestyle. No more restricting entire food groups you love or obsessively counting calories. Those are old, played out behaviors that are intrinsically more harmful than helpful. What sets this app apart is that it genuinely prioritizes your wellbeing. Chat with your coach at any time and you'll receive straightforward, friendly, non-judgmental guidance during your journey. You'll only ever feel uplifted and motivated! And it's backed by science, which is equally vital to your success. The entire goal is to help you lose the weight you want to lose and keep it off, which is why Simple encourages you to make small changes every day that gradually become a part of your everyday routine. That is what makes long-term success possible. It's fun, too! Your onboarding process begins with a detailed questionnaire in which you'll provide information about your weight loss journey, current diet, and goals. It even provides you with a prediction of when you might expect to see results. Habits for life: Simple is designed to simplify the often complicated world of weight loss, helping you make healthier choices that work Plus, it's jam-packed with useful features — like NutriScanner, which gives you insight into nutrition from your favorite restaurant menus, intermittent fasting monitoring, nutrition scores for your meals, and a wealth of educational content. You can also pair the app with your smartwatch for seamless on-the-go coaching. The results are absolutely astounding, with Simple users sharing dramatic photo evidence of their success. One couple lost an impressive 117 pounds together, and countless users have shed dramatic weight in as little as four weeks. Why wait? If you're ready to achieve a truly healthy summer body that turns into the lifelong body of your dreams, get started with the Simple app today.
Reuters
30 minutes ago
- Reuters
US Supreme Court bolsters school disability protections
WASHINGTON, June 12 (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court sided on Thursday with a severely epileptic girl who is pursuing a disability discrimination lawsuit against a Minnesota public school district in a ruling that bolsters protections for students with disabilities in American schools. The 9-0 ruling threw out a lower court's decision that the Osseo Area Schools district had not discriminated against student Ava Tharpe in violation of two federal disability rights laws, as a lawsuit brought by her parents argued. Chief Justice John Roberts, who authored the ruling, wrote that the St. Louis-based 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals erred by requiring students to satisfy a heightened legal standard for disability discrimination claims against schools than is typically required in other contexts. Federal appeals courts had been divided on whether disability discrimination claims arising in school settings require a heightened legal standard, meaning the stricter requirement had applied in some parts of the country but not others. The Supreme Court ruling harmonizes the standard nationally. Claims brought under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 that are "based on educational services should be subject to the same standards that apply in other disability discrimination contexts," Roberts wrote. Roberts added that nothing in the relevant text of those laws suggests that "such claims should be subject to a distinct, more demanding analysis." Roman Martinez, a lawyer for Tharpe, called the ruling "a great win for Ava, and for children with disabilities facing discrimination in schools across the country." "We are grateful to the Supreme Court for its decision holding that these children should enjoy the same rights and protections as all other Americans with disabilities," Martinez said, adding that ruling would "protect the reasonable accommodations needed to ensure equal opportunity for all." Tharpe suffers from severe epilepsy that prevents her from attending school before noon due to morning seizures but permits her to engage in school work after that until about 6 p.m. At issue in the case was whether the legal standard applied by the 8th Circuit in rejecting Tharpe's discrimination claims was overly strict, and if a less stringent standard should have applied. When Tharpe and her family lived in Kentucky, her public school district tailored an education plan to her disability that included supplemental evening instruction at home, providing her with the same amount of school time as her peers. In 2015, her family moved to Minnesota, and Tharpe began attending the public schools in the Osseo Area Schools district in the suburbs of Minneapolis. For years, the district refused to accommodate a request by her parents that she receive evening instruction, leading Tharpe to receive fewer hours of education per day compared to her peers, according to court papers. Tharpe and her parents in 2021 filed a federal lawsuit accusing the Osseo district of discrimination under two federal disability laws. The lawsuit sought an accommodation from the district giving the girl the equivalent of a full school day, as well as monetary damages. U.S. District Judge Michael Davis in Minneapolis in 2023 ordered the school district to extend Tharpe's instructional day until 6 p.m. and to provide compensatory hours of instruction. But the judge rejected Tharpe's discrimination claims, ruling that her parents had failed to show that the school district satisfied a heightened legal standard of "bad faith or gross misjudgment." The 8th Circuit upheld the judge's ruling, prompting Tharpe and her parents to appeal her disability discrimination claims to the Supreme Court.
North Wales Chronicle
31 minutes ago
- North Wales Chronicle
Weight loss jabs could be transformative, says outgoing NHS England official
Cholesterol-busting statins are one of the most commonly prescribed drugs in the UK, with around seven to eight million people taking them to cut their chance of heart attack and stroke. An estimated 1.5 million are taking weight loss jabs in the UK. Professor Sir Stephen Powis, the outgoing medical director of NHS England, said the NHS needs to go 'further and faster' to 'turn the tide' on rising levels of obesity. Later this month GPs in England will be allowed to prescribe mounjaro, also known as tirzepatide, for the first time. Patients previously needed to access the drugs through a special weight loss service. Speaking at the NHS ConfedExpo conference in Manchester, Sir Stephen hailed the rollout in GP surgeries as an 'exciting milestone' and said NHS officials are also examining ways to 'broaden access to the drugs'. Around 29% of adults in the UK are obese. Sir Stephen said: 'Right now, obesity is estimated to cost the NHS approximately £11.4 billion every year – this financial burden is unsustainable for the NHS and wider economy. 'We have to turn the tide. We have to and will go further, and faster. 'In just a few years from now, some of today's weight loss drugs will be available at much lower cost. This could completely transform access to these innovative treatments. 'But we will and must be guided by the evidence base and must do this safely and sustainably, in a way that ensures that we are equipped as a health service to deal with the demand.' He said he is not 'starry-eyed' about weight loss drugs, adding they are 'no silver bullet'. He told reporters: 'These medicines can be harmful if they are prescribed without the right checks and wraparound care – they can have side effects, including nausea, dehydration and inflammation of the pancreas, and a worrying number of people are continuing to access them without appropriate checks via the internet. 'We are ambitious and determined to explore different methods of delivery and strengthen the evidence base and will do so alongside this phased rollout, but this is a historic first step in widening access, with 220,000 people set to benefit from the rollout over the first three years. 'So I think over time it's highly likely that they will become more widespread, the evidence base will increase, we will learn better how to deploy them, we'll learn how long people need to be on them, and in terms of weight reduction, how much weight reduction is maintained once people come off – that's a big unknown. 'We see this every time we have a new class of drugs in the early days. But there's still much more to learn. 'There will be more drugs coming on the market; there will be different prices for drugs, we will get to generics, which means that prices will fall. 'We have been through this with statins, and the use of statins is now very different from when they first came out, and I've no doubt that will be the same for these drugs. 'So it's very exciting, but we're in the foothills of learning how to use them.' Asked about statins, Sir Stephen said: 'So firstly, obesity is associated with a whole set of conditions (such as) kidney disease, cardiovascular disease, respiratory conditions. 'So in reducing weight, you will, by the very nature of doing that, be reducing the risk of a whole set of difficult conditions and aiding with their management where people already have them. 'Whether the drugs have effects beyond that, I think, is a research question, and there will be an evidence base being generated. 'And it's not completely unusual for drugs over time to be found to have effects that go over and beyond what they were initially designed for. 'So I think we will wait and see. But obviously, the first task, amongst all the excitement and all the discussion and debate, is to actually get on and deploy tirzepatide in particular. 'We have been focused on getting this rolled out by the end of this month… and that is going to be a really exciting milestone. 'It's going to be a very exciting journey, and there will be things on the way that we haven't expected.' He added: 'We set out the our plan for uptake – Nice (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) have asked for a review of that after three years, which is quite right, because it's quite a long horizon. 'Cost is one element of that, but I think we will learn more about the outcomes that these drugs are driving in terms of lower cardiovascular events and reducing the conditions that we know associated with obesity. 'So absolutely, cost is one element of that, but it's not the only element. We want to look carefully at what the science tells us.' Sir Stephen added: 'When I look back when dialysis came in, we didn't use dialysis for older people. Over years the technology improved, we got more confident, more people were able to access the treatment. 'So we've much to learn with these drugs. It's a really exciting time.' He went on: 'We want to broaden the ways in which you can access these drugs – so we're very interested in thinking about pharmacies, thinking about digital. 'We will deliver the structured support through a combination of digital and face-to-face. 'But we want to innovate. This can be a model that is not just about GP prescribing, but we need to learn how to do that.'
