Latest news with #AndySpary
Daily Mail
29-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Common 'exercise injury' was the only sign of super-fit 39 year-old's bowel cancer...now it's spread and he has to have a buttock removed
A keen runner has told how doctors missed the only sign of his bowel cancer, mistaking it for an exercise injury as it wasn't included in the list of 'typical' symptoms. Andy Spary, 39, from Tunbridge Wells, began to struggle with pain in his left buttock in March last year, describing the sensation as a 'severe burning'. But doctors who examined the carpenter at his local A&E said it was likely his pain was the result of a recent rollerskating injury. However, a subsequent MRI scan and biopsy revealed a tumour in his bowel, which had spread to nearby lymph nodes. Doctors delivered the devastating diagnosis of stage three bowel cancer. Medics suspect the development of the deadly disease was linked to his existing Crohn's disease, which features chronic inflammation and swelling in the digestive tract and can lead to cancer-causing abnormal cell growth. 'The tumour has branched off of my bowel to my buttocks area and is spreading,' said Mr Spary, who is married to Amy, 35. 'We're focusing on the positives, which helps, taking it that it's treatable and I can beat it.' In July last year, he underwent a procedure to prepare his body for chemotherapy, which involved fitting a stoma—where a part of the large bowel is brought through an opening in the stomach and attached to a bag to collect waste. Two months later he began chemotherapy and radiotherapy to shrink the disease, but doctors didn't see the results they'd hoped for Mr Spary had a second operation on May 21 which will hopefully leave him cancer-free with his stoma still in place. 'In an ideal world, if the treatment completely destroyed the tumour then the stoma could be reversed,' he said. 'But realistically I think this is rare. The plan was always to have surgery and end up with a stoma bag for life.' The surgery involved doctors removing the remaining section of his bowel, including what was left of his tumour, as well as a section of his buttocks. A plastic surgeon then carried out laparoscopic surgery to repair his pelvic floor and reconstruct his bottom using tissue from the area. 'One surgeon removes the tumour and then the plastic surgeon patches everything up. New bum, new me, all good,' he said. Another advantage of the operation is that it is likely to relieve him of his Crohn's symptoms because the affected area will mostly be removed. He said doctors are confident the surgery was a success but he will have to wait at least one month for a scan to confirm whether he is cancer-free. 'Keeping fit and healthy has been my best weapon,' said Mr Spary. He is now planning to run the 2026 London Marathon on behalf of cancer charity Trekstok for which he has so far raised more than £3,350 on GoFundMe. 'If I could make £10,000, that would be unbelievable,' he said. Mr Spary is currently recovering from surgery in hospital and hopes to be discharged by the end of May. He will have to relearn to walk with the help of physiotherapy before restarting his marathon training by the end of the year. So far, he has managed to sit up and take his first steps. 'Having the goal of running my first marathon next year – stoma bag and all – is my motivation to stay positive and keep going,' he said. 'After this process, I'll be back on my feet, stronger and fitter with no more Crohn's and no more cancer, sorted.' Mr Spary's story comes amid a startling rise in bowel cancer among young people in Britain. Between the early 1990s and 2018, the number of adults aged 25 to 49 being diagnosed with bowel cancer has risen 22 per cent in the UK— a rise that's among the fastest of all high income countries. Experts are not yet entirely sure what's causing this increase, but some have suggested it may be due to a combination of changing diets and exposure to environmental factors like pollution.
Daily Mirror
29-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mirror
'I had pain in my buttock - diagnosis took a few weeks to sink in'
Andy Spary, 39, initially thought it was an injury A runner has quipped he's after a Kim Kardashian-esque rear end after his cancer diagnosis led to groundbreaking reconstructive surgery on his buttock. Carpenter Andy Spary, 39, from Tunbridge Wells, Kent, initially mistook severe pain in his posterior for a common injury before being hit with the earth-shattering news of stage three bowel cancer, requiring surgeons to excise "a big chunk of his bum". Despite facing a major operation, Andy and his spouse Amy, 35, are managing to see the bright side, harbouring hopes of an enhanced profile post-surgery thanks to the medics' handy work using tissue from nearby areas to recreate his buttock. Former rollerblader Andy isn't just sitting on his new glutes; he's setting ambitious goals to tackle the London Marathon next year as part of his recovery journey and to drum up funds for Trekstok, a charity aiding young cancer sufferers. "The diagnosis was a shock and it took a few weeks to really sink in," he confessed. "I had a feeling something was not right but you're never really prepared for news like that." Andy said: "My wife has been joking that we should get a catalogue to choose from. I joked that it should be a voluptuous number which might be good for bouncing off when I fall on my skates – Kim Kardashian's name got thrown around a lot." The onset of Andy's troubles traced back to March 2024 when he rushed to A&E at Tunbridge Wells Hospital with an acute burning pain in his left buttock - initially dismissed as a skating injury. An MRI scan and subsequent biopsy uncovered a tumour branching from his colon, leading to a stage three bowel cancer diagnosis for Andy on June 14, 2024. This condition was found to be associated with his pre-existing Crohn's disease, which is known for causing persistent inflammation within the digestive system and can trigger abnormal cellular growth. "They class it as colon cancer but the tumour has branched off of my colon in my buttocks area and is spreading," Andy explained. "We're focusing on the positives, which helps, taking it that it's treatable and I can beat it." On July 8, Andy underwent surgery to have a stoma fitted, effectively sidelining the cancerous region in preparation for chemotherapy and radiotherapy, which commenced two months later. Despite hopes, the tumour did not diminish as much as anticipated, prompting a second surgery on May 21, aimed at eradicating the cancer while maintaining the stoma. "In an ideal world, if the treatment completely destroyed the tumour then the stoma could be reversed," he said. "But realistically I think this is rare and if they could've shrunk the tumour down as much as possible it meant they wouldn't have to take out as big of a chunk of my bum. The plan was always to have surgery and end up with a stoma bag for life." The medical team proceeded on May 21 to excise the remaining portion of Andy's colon, including the residual tumour. A plastic surgeon followed up with laparoscopic elape surgery to mend his pelvic floor and reconstruct his posterior using tissue from the surrounding area. Andy said: "One surgeon removes the tumour and then the plastic surgeon patches everything up. New bum, new me, all good." The surgery also presents the hopeful benefit of alleviating his Crohn's disease symptoms, as it involves removing most of the affected area. A keen rollerblader, Andy is well-acquainted with hospitals due to numerous admissions, and he admits he's "no stranger to surgery". He credits running for keeping him robust in body and mind, revealing that he would squeeze in jogs between biweekly chemotherapy sessions whenever he felt up to it. This determination has fuelled his ambition to run the 2026 London Marathon for Trekstok, a charity supporting young adults with cancer. His fundraising efforts on GoFundMe have already surpassed £3,350. "During my process battling this, I feel I've been incredibly fortunate to have had my wife and my parents to support me," Andy said. He recognises that not everyone has such a network, highlighting Trekstok's role in aiding young people blindsided by illness without a support system. The outpouring of generosity on GoFundMe has left him astounded, with donations reaching £2,500 in less than a week and still climbing. Andy said: "I've been blown away by the GoFundMe support, making £2,500 in under a week and it's still going. If I could make £10,000, that would be unbelievable." Currently in hospital post-surgery, Andy is eager to get discharged by the end of May. He faces the challenge of relearning to walk through physiotherapy, with hopes to resume marathon training by year's end. He's been able to sit up and even take his initial steps post-surgery. He mentioned that while doctors have optimism about the surgery's success, he must await a month-long period before a scan can verify if he's indeed free from cancer. "Keeping fit and healthy has been my best weapon," said Andy. "Having the goal of running my first marathon next year – stoma bag and all – is my motivation to stay positive and keep going. After this process, I'll be back on my feet, stronger and fitter with no more Crohn's and no more cancer, sorted."
