'I thought pain was a beer and pizza allergy - don't make the same mistake'

A man who started suffering from stomach pains, diarrhoea and nausea worried he might be developing an intolerance to his favourite foods. Rob McPherson, 39, was also experienced bloating and started not to enjoy his meals as much as usual.

But he didn't worry that his symptoms were anything sinister. Rob said: "I was just a normal guy playing football every week, going to work as usual and then I started feeling a little bit ill around October time. I was getting cramps for no particular reason.

"I thought I was maybe allergic to something or I was becoming intolerant to bread or beer. At the time, I thought 'I hope I'm not intolerant to those because I quite like my beer and my pizza'. The stomach cramps turned into bloating as well.

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"I was eating stuff and wouldn't be enjoying the food as much."

Rob, who works in digital media and marketing, adds: "There was one week towards the end of November where I was just in bed for a week. I was off work for a week and I'm never off work. I was struggling to sleep because my stomach was sore and kept being bloated, and it meant that I was losing sleep as well.

"I had to sleep on my back because the bloating was so bad. I was getting a bit tired from that. I was trying to get food and drink in me but it was coming back straight back up again. I ended up not eating a lot as well, because I thought 'what's the point if it keeps coming back up again.'

"By the Thursday of that week, my boyfriend Sam, who's now my husband, forced me to call the non-emergency number for the . I thought they would tell me to take some paracetamol or something. But they sent out an ambulance for me.

"Even when they came I thought, 'Oh, maybe it's a bit serious but it's not really that bad.' They asked me a few questions, took a few measurements and then said: 'We need to take you to hospital.' When they said that I thought, 'Oh, okay. Something's seriously wrong here.' It had been a couple of months from my first symptoms."

Rob was taken to hospital and a scan was done which showed a mass around his stomach area which needed to be dealt with urgently. He was operated on within 12 hours. Doctors told him he would need a biopsy and have a stoma inserted.

"I was scared and nervous, but it had to be done," Rob recalls. "After the operation, I was off work for the rest of the month trying to get used to the stoma. I was figuring out how it works, how to manage it and to get my energy back up after the operation.

"I was operated on the first day of December, and three days before Day, I got the diagnosis that it was bowel cancer."

Rob had five weeks of chemotherapy and radiotherapy to reduce the size of the 7cm tumour, which was then removed in July 2018. He then had to have more chemotherapy to sweep up any remaining cancer.

In February 2019, Rob's stoma was removed, though it left a scar. He says that others shouldn't feel they should wait out symptoms or "tough it out", with research from NHS England finding that nearly half of men agree that they feel pressure to 'tough it out' when it comes to potential health issues.

"The scar is a reminder of what I went through, but I'm quite proud of the scar in that it reminds me that I've been through quite a lot and got through it," Rob adds.

"I want to tell others not to ignore any worrying symptoms: the earlier you find this, the more treatable it is. I probably left it a bit longer than I should have: I maybe thought I could tough it out or I could just deal with it.

"I was a bit blasé about the symptoms and now that I know what the symptoms are, I keep an eye out for them a lot more and I'm a lot more aware of them. I think quite a lot of people are worried about causing a fuss and giving the GPs more work.

"But that's what the GPs are there for and the NHS is there for, they're there to help to put people's minds at rest. When you're ill, a lot of things go through your mind. You think the worst things, you think the best things and until you actually go and get tested and find out, you're wasting a lot of time and there's a lot of worry.

"I'd also tell others to talk to family members and friends, because they can maybe see symptoms more and they can talk you into going to the doctors. The NHS is really busy but they're really good at what they do and they were amazing for what they did for me.

"I so appreciated their calmness and professionalism. My nurse was a lady called Debbie and she was matter-of-fact but caring as well, which is what I needed because any time I was feeling a bit down, she was getting me out of that funk and encouraging me to focus on the positive stuff."

In June 2023, Rob was discharged from the colorectal nurse's care. He believes that speaking out is so important. And he appreciates the support of his husband Sam more than ever.

"I had been with Sam for maybe about a year or so and then I got ill," Rob recalls. "Sam drove me to hospital appointments and nursed me through the illness. We got married six months ago. It's good to have somebody there who supports you.

"If you've got somebody there that's willing to help and look after you, whether that's a family member or a partner or friends: help. When going through times like that, those people come into the fore and show how important and great they can be.

"Make use of everything and everybody that's about, whether that's GPs, friends, family, NHS. After going through my struggles, I've had a few mates who have spoken to me about their mental and physical health as well.

"Because I've been open about my illness, it's encouraged them to speak out. Asking for support is not a weakness, it's a strength.

"My story shows that cancer can affect anyone no matter how active you are, and you should never put off getting checked if you feel that something isn't right. Thanks to the brilliant care I received from the NHS, I am now cancer-free and able to do the things I love like playing football and spending time with my partner, family, and friends.

"Remember, you know your body best, so pay attention to any warning signs and get checked as soon as possible if you're concerned."

NHS England's 'Help Us Help You' campaign is recommending that if you've had stomach trouble such as discomfort or diarrhoea for three weeks or more, or seen blood in your pee - even just once, it could be a sign of cancer and you should contact your GP practice.