A “fit and healthy” husband was misdiagnosed several times with ulcers and acid reflux before doctors discovered a tumor the size of a beer coaster in the gut that has revealed the little-known symptom that every man should to meet.
Matt Best, 39, was assured that the intermittent stomach pain he had experienced for seven years was caused by “excess satisfaction” in alcohol and rich foods until he insisted on blood tests. later after being “extremely weak” in the gym.
The result showed that the Brisbane sales manager, who spent his free time exercising and walking with his wife Amanda and his dog, Kali, was anemic, an early warning sign of bowel cancer that often does not found the doctors.
‘I remember even jokingly asking my gastroenterologist,’ It’s not cancer, is it? ‘ And he said “at your age, very unlikely,” Matt told the Daily Mail Australia.
Matt Best (right, with his wife Amanda) was assured that the intermittent stomach pain he had been experiencing for seven years was caused by “excessive indulgence” in alcohol and rich foods.
A colonoscopy showed a 10cm tumor growing in the large intestine and on April 23, 2018, consultants confirmed the devastating news that she was suffering from bowel cancer in stage 3C.
This meant that the cancer had spread to the tissues and lymph nodes surrounding the gut, but not to nearby organs.
“I was shocked, confused, asleep, I had 4,000 questions,” Matt recalled.
“I remember just looking at a clock and not knowing what was going on.”
Then, at just 36 years old and in his prime, Matt’s diagnosis shows that cancer does not discriminate between age and fitness.
It is one of approximately 15,200 Australians diagnosed with bowel cancer each year, according to statistics from Bowel Cancer Australia, and among 1,542 of those under the age of 50.
Brisbane head of sales (pictured) was diagnosed with stage 3C bowel cancer after a colonoscopy showing a 10cm tumor growing in the large intestine in April 2018
Bowel cancer is now the third most common form of cancer in Australia, just behind prostate and breast cancers.
It is expected to remain the third most common in 2021.
The first symptoms experienced by most bowel cancer sufferers are easily confused with daily complaints, which makes them rule out warning signs that can lead to long delays in diagnosis.
Swelling, stomach cramps and blood once out of the stool (all of which Matt experienced) may have relatively innocent explanations, but the symptoms that persist should be reported to the doctor as soon as possible.
The chances of successful treatment and long-term survival improve dramatically when bowel cancer is diagnosed earlier, meaning that early intervention can make the difference between life and death.
Doctors performed surgery that removed 30 lymph nodes from Matt, seven of whom were infected with cancer, before starting him with a six-month course of FOLFOX chemotherapy that took him to the hospital every second Friday.
Matt (pictured with his wife Amanda and his dog, Kali) said he feels the responsibility to raise awareness about bowel cancer, which kills 5,255 Australians each year
The treatment left her with a “chronic hangover” of nausea and exhaustion, as well as peripheral neuropathy that causes pain, numbness, and a feeling of “punctures and needles” in the extremities.
“I remember at Christmas my siblings thought it was curious that I was constantly dropping my bottle of beer because my fingers were contracting from the nerve damage,” he recalled.
Despite the debilitating short-term side effects, the chemotherapy was successful and Matt was declared cancer-free.
He said he will continue to have colonoscopies once a year to rule out the growth of new tumors, but for now at least his future looks bright.
“It’s been a weird journey and a lot of unexpected emotions,” Matt said.
“I’ve never had so much support in my life and I’m so grateful to all the friends and family.”
Matt said he feels the responsibility to raise awareness about bowel cancer, which claims the lives of 5,255 Australians each year: 101 people each week.
He urged young people in particular to overcome the hassle of seeing a doctor and discussing health issues with friends.
“There’s still so much discomfort,” he said.
‘I try to lighten my mood and tell them a joke that came to my mind, which is’ When I found out I had bowel cancer, they gutted me …’ The answer is always the same, just YOU will be able to tell this joke. ! “
Matt said there is no reason to be ashamed to ask for help or seek help.
‘If it doesn’t feel right, check it out! Better yet, don’t wait and do a regular check, ”he added.
For more information on bowel cancer in Australia, visit CancerCouncil.org.