A mother who thought she simply needed to reduce her carb intake was shocked to be diagnosed with advanced bowel cancer.
Nikita Williamson was suffering from bloating and blood in her poop, but initially attributed her symptoms to irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
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The 37-year-old reduced the amount of certain foods she ate and noticed that she also felt better when she consumed fewer carbohydrates, such as porridge.
But her condition worsened and she was later diagnosed with advanced bowel cancer.
Nikita, from Ipswich, said: “I’m still overcoming the hardest hurdle: learning who I am now – accepting the new normal.
“I will never be the person I was before my diagnosis.”
The mother of two first noticed unusual swelling and blood in her stool in late 2022.
Assuming her symptoms were the result of IBS (a common digestive condition) and hemorrhoids (lumps in and around the bottom), she stopped eating certain foods and started taking over-the-counter pain relievers.
“I cut out things like porridge and tried to reduce the amount of carbs I ate as it seemed to make me bloated more,” she said.
“The doctors never mentioned intolerance – hemorrhoids was always their answer, even when I tried every over-the-counter and prescription medicine.
“My GP still didn’t think it was anything else when I came back with a vitamin D deficiency in my blood, which is an indicator of bowel cancer.”
However, when Nikita started feeling unwell at Christmas, her partner Millie convinced her to speak to another doctor.
She had a fecal immunochemical test (FIT) that came back wrong and was later referred for a colonoscopy.
Nikita said: “I was taken to recovery and shortly afterwards the doctor and nurse came back.
“It was at that moment that the doctor told me: ‘It’s probably bowel cancer’.
“I will never forget how I felt when he said that. I was completely numb, but also relieved.
“Finally, I knew what was wrong and I could deal with it.
“My partner was also in shock but was incredibly supportive from the moment I found out.”
Nikita waited until her tests confirmed her treatment plan before telling her children.
“I’ve been very honest with them every step of the way and they know they can ask me anything they want and I will always try my best to answer,” she added.
I was incredibly shocked when my surgeon told me this and that I would also have my cervix, ovaries and uterus removed
Nikita Williamson
Nikita underwent six rounds of FOLFOXIRI, a combination cancer drug used to treat advanced or metastatic bowel cancer, between May and July 2023.
She also had surgery to remove the tumor, cervix, ovaries and uterus, as well as 102 lymph nodes in October.
Nikita, who is learning to live with a stoma, said: “During my first cycles of chemotherapy, I didn’t feel that bad.
“It was around the third cycle that things got much more difficult.
“I was struggling with my mouth and developed oral thrush.
“Plus, I was struggling with my stomach and fluctuating between diarrhea and constipation.
“I had to go to a different hospital for my surgery because it was more complicated than they expected.
“I was incredibly shocked when my surgeon told me this and that I would also have my cervix, ovaries and uterus removed.
“That meant another two months of waiting. I felt like I was back to square one.”
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The surgery was successful and Nikita, whose cancer has spread, is currently in what experts call “no evidence of disease” (NED).
But she is still struggling with the mental and physical repercussions of cancer and treatment.
“I live in gaps between appointments,” she said.
“I can relax and enjoy life, but I have changed forever.
“Not only do I have a stoma, but I am also awaiting urodynamic tests as I have not been able to urinate without catheterization since the surgery.
“Before my diagnosis and treatment, I was an incredibly fit and healthy 36-year-old woman.
“While I am slowly regaining my fitness, I am in constant pain.
“I continually struggle with fatigue and rely heavily on various medications just to get through the day.”
TRYING TO FOCUS ON THE FUTURE
Despite everything, Nikita is focused on the future.
“I will continue to enjoy as many precious moments with my wonderful family and friends as I can, for as long as I can,” she added.
“You don’t truly realize how much you are loved and who you are loved by until you go through something like this.
“Cancer taught me to never take a single day for granted and to pursue something if I want it, because who knows what tomorrow holds.”
She added: “I’m often called ‘inspirational’ because of the way I handled my diagnosis, but I wish people understood how much of a fraud it makes me feel.
“To me, being inspirational is doing something you don’t have to do for any other reason than giving back and making the world a better place.
“I went through difficult treatments and surgeries, but that was only because I had no choice.
“I will do anything to have more time with those I love.”
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Signs of bowel cancer that could save your life
Bowel cancer is the fourth most common form of the disease in the UK – but the second deadliest, claiming around 16,000 lives a year.
However, it can be cured if diagnosed early.
Fewer than one in ten people survive bowel cancer if it is detected at stage 4, but detected in stage 1 – before it spreads – and more than nine out of ten patients will live five years or more.
There are two ways to ensure early diagnosis, screening and awareness of symptoms.
Brits have been put through a postcode lottery when it comes to bowel cancer screening, with tests sent out in Scotland from the age of 50, while people in England, Wales and Northern Ireland have to wait until they are 60. years.
That’s why The Sun launched the Campaign No Time 2 Losecalling on the Government to lower the screening age, to save thousands of lives a year.
In the summer of 2018, The Sun and its readers scored a major victory with the then Health Minister, Matt Hancock, agreeing to start screening at age 50, however this has not yet been widely implemented.
While screening is an important part of early diagnosis, so is knowing the symptoms and taking action if you detect the signs.
O five red flag symptoms they are:
- Bleeding from the anus or blood in poop
- A change in your normal bathroom habits – going more or less frequently, for example
- Pain or lump in the belly
- Extreme tiredness for no real reason
- Unexplained weight loss
If you are worried, Don’t be ashamed and talk to your doctor – Doctors see and deal with intestinal problems all the time.
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
