Latest news with #MattBlack
Wales Online
06-05-2025
- Health
- Wales Online
'I ignored symptoms, then doctors found tumour the size of a grapefruit'
'I ignored symptoms, then doctors found tumour the size of a grapefruit' Matt thought he had an upset stomach, then he was rushed in for 10 hours of emergency surgery Matt had no idea he was seriously ill Matt Black says he wasn't concerned when he had an upset stomach and felt tired because it was during the Covid pandemic and there seemed to be more urgent things to worry about. Then his symptoms got worse; soon he was struggling to keep food in, had terrible night sweats, an upset stomach and was very lethargic. He was also losing weight, but didn't realise at the time. Eventually he was forced to go to A&E and admitted to hospital. In the middle of the night, a doctor came to tell Matt he was pretty sure that he had colon cancer. 'It was 2.30am and there was not a lot I could do,' Matt said. 'It was a life-changing moment. I sort of lay there, pretty stunned with a mix of emotions.' An emergency surgeon decided to operate straight away and said that the procedure would take about an hour. Matt was eventually in theatre for nearly 10 hours. 'They opened me up and found a tumour the size of a grapefruit, nine by six centimetres blocking my colon,' he said. 'If it had been there much longer I would not be here to tell my story.' Surgeons removed two thirds of Matt's colon and he spent two weeks in intensive care. By the time he was discharged he was in a wheelchair and had to relearn how to walk. Down from a pre-cancer weight of 12st 12lb to 9st 12lb, he was a shadow of his former self. But luckily, the operation removed all of the cancer and, apart from taking an aspirin a day, he needed no further treatment. Matt, now 60, had believed he was familiar with cancer symptoms as his sister Harriette had died just a year before of pancreatic cancer. Article continues below Matt had two thirds of his colon removed But he says he was unaware of what was going on in own body and also concerned about taking up NHS resources, especially during the pandemic. The real estate agent, from London, initially went to the GP in March 2020 and it was only when he went to A&E two months later that the tumour was identified. 'The first symptoms I began to suffer were right at the beginning of Covid,' he says. 'I didn't realise I was losing weight because at the time we were not seeing anybody outside my immediate family and I wasn't weighing myself, so I didn't really notice. I felt really lethargic and really tired as I was going to bed early every night, even when we were celebrating my son Leo's 17th birthday. 'There were a couple of spots of blood in my poo, but that was right towards the end.' Matt is passionate about raising awareness of cancer and encouraging men to come forward if they notice any changes in their body. Statistics from NHS England show that 31% of men put off a visit to the GP because they are afraid of a potential diagnosis. 'It's so important to be aware of any sign of change in your body and your habits,' Matt says. 'Look at your poo, check it. If you've had persistent tummy troubles, such as diarrhoea or discomfort there is a chance it could be cancer. Article continues below 'Unexplained weight loss, night sweats, stomach problems - these can all be signs. Don't ignore them. Don't wait. Finding cancer early makes it more treatable and could save your life. Everyone naturally is in fear of getting bad news. I was probably the same. But if I'd waited and waited, I wouldn't be here talking about it. 'I was incredibly lucky that they identified it just in time because it could have grown or ruptured and that could have been fatal." The NHS recommends contacting your GP if you have tummy trouble such as discomfort or diarrhoea for three weeks or more. You should also speak to a doctor if you have blood in your urine, even just once.
Yahoo
05-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Brittany O'Grady To Star In Temple Hill Horror ‘Monitor' As Cameras Ready For March Shoot; Pre-Sales Revealed — EFM
EXCLUSIVE: The White Lotus star Brittany O'Grady is set to join Temple Hill Entertainment's high-concept horror Monitor, which is gearing up to film from March 10 on location in Barcelona and the Canary Islands. In Monitor, when a group of social media moderators refuse to publish a horrifying video, a demonic creature starts following them across every screen in their lives. Feeding off fear, the creature hunts them down one by one and attacks until it gets what it wants… to be let out beyond the screen. Additional casting is being finalized now. More from Deadline Marisa Tomei & Virginia Gardner To Lead Rom-Com 'F*ck Valentine's Day' - EFM James Kermack Action-Thriller 'Breathe Deep' Heads To EFM With Cornerstone EFM Head Tanja Meissner Talks Importance Of Berlinale Selection; the AFM, Keeping Up With AI, Package Biz & Market's Expanding Remit Written and directed by Matt Black and Ryan Polly, the project was launched at AFM by Protagonist, which pre-sold it to Elevation for Canada, Capelight for Germany and Austria, Le Pacte for France, Sun for both Spain and LatAm, and Spentzos for Greece. Plaion came on board for Italy, Nos Audiovisuais for Portugal, MisLabel for Scandinavia, Monolith for Eastern Europe, Red Cape for Israel, Front Row for the Middle East and Fabula for Turkey. Cinematographer is Philip Lozano (The Nun II), production designer is Núria Guardia (Bird Box: Barcelona) and editor is Guillermo de la Cal (The Orphanage). Monitor marks the third collaboration between Protagonist Pictures and Temple Hill, which began with Clown in a Cornfield, which is scheduled for a wide U.S. theatrical release on May 9, 2025. Pic is produced by Temple Hill's Marty Bowen, Wyck Godfrey and John Fischer, the team behind box office hits Smile and Smile 2, The Twilight Saga and The Maze Runner Trilogy, alongside Adrián Guerra (Buried) for Nostromo Pictures. Protagonist's Dave Bishop and George Hamilton serve as executive producers. Protagonist Pictures is continuing international sales on the film at the upcoming EFM. O'Grady is best known for HBO's hit dark comedy series, The White Lotus. Most recently she starred in Netflix's comedy-thriller It's What's Inside. Other credits include The Consultant on Amazon Prime alongside Christoph Waltz, and Apple TV+'s Little Voice. 'We're delighted to see cameras roll on this smart and twisted horror film that is sure to scare the hell out of cinemagoers worldwide,' said Protagonist Pictures' Chief Commercial Officer George Hamilton. 'Temple Hill delivers once again with a wickedly clever film that offers a timely commentary of what we experience online.' Temple Hill team added: 'We're thrilled to be diving into production on Monitor. Matt and Ryan have crafted a story that is haunting and deeply relevant. With Brittany leading our cast, we're confident that Monitor will be as gripping as it is terrifying.' O'Grady is repped by CAA, Suskin/Karshan Management and Jackoway Austen. Matt Black and Ryan Polly are represented by Circle of Confusion and Johnson Shapiro. Best of Deadline The 2025 Oscars: Everything We Know So Far About The Nominations, Ceremony, Date & Host 'Ginny & Georgia' Season 3: Everything We Know So Far 2025 TV Cancellations: Photo Gallery
