My story is probably an example of why it's best to report symptoms early to your GP rather than put things off. Over a period of a few weeks I experienced rumbling in my stomach that I decided was probably just diet or my age catching up with me, plus a certain amount of stress that I thought was causing anxiety and affecting my stomach. These symptoms started slowly then build in intensity until the last week in August when I was away camping and I thought I really must contact my GP when I get home. By the time I got home I had more or less stopped eating or opening my bowels, reaching a crisis on the Sunday morning when I went straight to A&E, got scanned, diagnosed and operated upon the following day. The tumour had completely blocked my large intestine and had broken through the intestine wall and appears to have spread locally but not to any organs. The surgeons said they have removed all the cancer they could see and a few lymph nodes. Fortunately I did not need a stoma. Meeting set up with the colorectal team on 29/9.
