Husband, 37, Goes To Doctor 19 Times Over Two Years And Is Told He Has ‘Irritable Bowel Syndrome:’ It Turned Out To Be Cancer

The Manchester Evening News reports, “The 37-year-old is now being told by doctors that he will most likely not survive until the end of the year but he believes there was ‘no urgency’ by his GPs to properly recognise the signs of cancer.”

Clegg worked for the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) as a medical secretary at Lings Bar Hospital in Nottingham. His IBS symptoms began just two months after getting married to his partner, Claire. He is currently undergoing chemotherapy, and says, “I’m still here and I’m still kicking so until the day comes, I’m going to continue to keep fighting.”

Understanding Bowel Cancer

Clegg’s bowel cancer is stage 4, meaning it is advanced and has spread to other organs in the body, apart from its place of origin. Clegg’s cancer metastasized or, spread to his liver and lymph nodes as well. Clegg’s early symptoms were blood loss from his rectum. The paper reports, “he was losing blood 10 to 15 times a day.”

Bowel cancer is a general term for cancer that begins in the large bowel, doctors say. Depending on where cancer starts, bowel cancer is sometimes called colon or rectal cancer, or colorectal cancer.

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In the UK, where Clegg lives, bowel cancer is one of the most common types of cancer diagnosed. And it typically presents in people over the age of 60. And in the U.S., colorectal cancer is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer in both men and women, excluding skin cancers. The American Cancer Society (ACS) estimates that there will be 104,270 new cases of colon cancer and 45,230 new cases of rectal cancer diagnosed this year.

Treating a Bowel Obstruction Caused by Colon Cancer

How to Advocate For Your Health

Whether you are currently fighting cancer or fearing that you might have it, it's essential to be your own advocate. Clegg went to his local medical practice over 20 times between 2019 and 2021, looking for answers to his condition. “It was really, really bloody stools. Some of it was just blood, filling the pan,” he says. “Each time I was looking progressively worse, I was losing weight and looking like a skeleton. Because of my age they just never checked for bowel cancer.

Related: 23-Year-Old Woman Denied Pap Smear 15 Times Before Diagnosed With Cervical Cancer; Always Advocate For Yourself & Push For Answers

Clegg pushed for colonoscopy in January 2021, which led to his cancer diagnosis. When working with your medical team, tell them precisely what you feel and raise anything that may feel off to you. Every symptom should have a plan to address it, and if you feel like you are not being heard, continue to push and seek a second opinion if your concerns are not being addressed.

Related: 'It is Easy Peasy': Actress Jada Pinkett Smith, 50, Documents Her First Colonoscopy & Shares Her Gut Health Issues with the World

The only way to know this is to continue to push for answers, telling your medical team exactly what you are experiencing and demanding that you receive the best treatment for your specific situation.

"Every appointment you leave as a patient, there should be a plan for what the doc is going to do for you, and if that doesn't work, what the next plan is," one cancer expert told SurvivorNet in a previous interview. "And I think that that's totally fair. And me as a health professional that's what I do for all of my patients."

Be Pushy, Be Your Own Advocate… Don't Settle

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