Man with bowel cancer said symptoms were acid reflux from heavy drinking

A “fit and healthy” gym enthusiast learned that his bowel cancer was acid reflux – only for doctors to find a grapefruit-sized tumor growing in his large intestine.

Matt Best, 39, was misdiagnosed with ulcers and acid reflux after complaining of stomach pain for seven years, which he believed was caused by “abuse” alcohol and rich foods.

But he rushed to the doctor for a blood test after a gym session left him feeling “extremely weak,” and the results showed he was anemic – a warning sign of cancer. intestine.

The Brisbane sales manager, who spends his spare time walking with his wife Amanda and their dog, Kali, told Daily Mail Australia: And he said “at your age, very unlikely.”

Matt was told he had a 10cm tumor growing in his large intestine and in April 2018, doctors told Matt he had stage 3C bowel cancer.

“I was shocked, confused, numb, I had 4,000 questions,” Matt said.

“I remember just looking at a clock and not knowing what was going on.”

Matt, who was 36 at the time, learned that the cancer had spread to the tissues and lymph nodes around the intestine, but not to nearby organs.

He was taken to hospital and doctors removed 30 of his lymph nodes, seven of which were cancerous.

Matt then underwent six-month FOLFOX chemotherapy which took him to the hospital every other Friday, a process that left him with a “chronic hangover” of nausea and exhaustion.

He also suffered from peripheral neuropathy, which causes pain, numbness and a “tingling” sensation in his limbs.

“I remember that at Christmas my brothers thought it was funny that I was constantly dropping my beer bottle because my fingers were shaking from the nerve damage,” he said.

Matt, now 39, is cancer free and says he is “really grateful to all of his friends and family” for their help over the past three years.

He will continue to have colonoscopies once a year to monitor the health of his stomach.

Bowel cancer is the fourth most common cancer in the UK and at least 16,000 Britons die from it each year. Matt thinks it’s important for Brits to see their doctors and regularly discuss their health issues with their friends.

“There is always such awkwardness,” he said.

“I try to lighten the mood and tell them a joke I made up, which is ‘When I found out I had bowel cancer, I was drained…’ The answer is always the same, only YOU can tell this joke! ”

He added, “If that doesn’t suit you, get it checked out!” Better yet, don’t wait and get a regular check-up.