Woman's "Kidney Infection" Is Actually Cancer
- A Welsh woman assumed her pain was a kidney infection; she was later diagnosed with bowel and liver cancer.
- Bowel cancer is a general term for cancer that begins in the large bowel, says the National Health Service. Depending on where cancer starts, bowel cancer is sometimes called colon or rectal cancer, or colorectal cancer.
- Always listen to your body when something feels off.
Flevus, who was a mother of two, planned to marry her partner David after spending 44 years together. Her cancer diagnosis propelled them to solidify their love legally. They were married in an intimate, at-home ceremony surrounded by friends and family.
Read MoreHelen’s Kidney Infection Assumptions & Later Cancer Diagnosis
Helen did not like going to the doctor or the hospital, and she assumed the stabbing pain she was experiencing was just a kidney infection. Her daughter says, “Mum never went to the doctors or hospital. We thought it was a kidney infection.” Helen was later diagnosed with bowel and liver cancer.Bowel cancer is a general term for cancer that begins in the large bowel, says the National Health Service. Depending on where cancer starts, bowel cancer is sometimes called colon or rectal cancer, or colorectal cancer.
In the UK, where Helen lived, 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 in 2021 there will be 104,270 new cases of colon cancer and 45,230 new cases of rectal cancer.
Treating a Bowel Obstruction Caused by Colon Cancer
Coping with Loss
Losing a loved one to cancer, as Helen’s family is experiencing, can feel overwhelming.
Coping with cancer-related loss and grief can be helped with therapy. Reach out to your community when you're struggling talk to your friends, your family, your support network. People will want to help and do what they can to make the burden less painful. Take time to grieve, and be patient with yourself as you do.
Grief looks different for everyone, and there's no one right way to grieve.
Helen’s family is also urging others to listen to their body and getting things checked out when something feels off. Helen’s daughter says, “If you are having pains in your stomach or if something isn’t feeling right go to the hospital or doctor.”
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