A Mum has been given a devastating bowel cancer diagnosis after being previously told she had Crohn's disease by doctors. Alex Jamieson, 39, claims she was misdiagnosed after suffering discomfort in her abdomen for years, reports Manchester Evening News.
After several years of pain, the mother-of-two was rushed to hospital once she started experiencing severe pain. Once there, she was scheduled for an emergency operation, where surgeons discovered the real reason for her suffering.
Alex said: "It was a huge shock. They took us into a room and I assumed they were going to tell me I could go home as I’d been there a few weeks recovering.
“They told me it was bowel cancer. There’s no family history of bowel cancer so it was a massive shock.
"And at 37, I never thought it would be that. Despite the tumour being advanced the surgeon's managed to remove the cancer in the mother's body.
The head teacher was then told that she would need to undergo chemotherapy for six months to ensure no cancer remained. However, as she was nearing the end of her treatment a scan showed the cancer had returned.
Earlier this year, the 39-year-old underwent another operation which was successful. But, once again the cancer has reared it's head, with a scan taken in September showing it was now in four places in Alex's pelvis.
Medical professionals have now given the heart-breaking diagnosis that the cancer is incurable and that the mother only has a predicted 14 months to live.
Alex said: “I can’t explain how devastating it is. Everyone has a death, haven’t they?
"You just don’t know when it is. But when you’re told, you automatically go, ‘I have this many birthdays left, this many Christmases,’ you can’t help but think in those time scales.
“I can’t imagine not being here for the girls. I want to be here for as long as I can to see them reach milestones, to be there with them and celebrating with them.
“My daughter is in year three and I want to see her leave infant school. I want to see her not turn eight, but nine and 10 too.
"I can’t get my head around the fact I’m not going to be here for them.
“My husband is so upset. We were the best team together, particularly with the children.
"The idea it’s just going to be him as a single parent is really tough. He’s incredibly strong and he’s supported me through so much.
"I know, ultimately, that it’s him who is left behind and will have to do everything. I don’t want to leave him on his own.”
Alex is set to return back on a three-month chemotherapy treatment bit is also looking at alternative treatments to increase her chance of survival. The family have set up a GoFundMe, which has raised over £34,000, in order to get these treatments.
The family also hope to use the cash to create some memorable moments, with any remaining money going to support other families in a similar situation. Alex said: “We’re going to Lapland in December.”
“We’re just going to try and make every day the best we can and make as many memories as we can.”
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