Mum who blamed indigestion on pregnancy shocked to find out it’s actually bowel cancer
A MUM who blamed her indigestion and heartburn on pregnancy was shocked to find out she actually had bowel cancer.
Tasha Burton was diagnosed with stage three cancer after suffering with months of stomach pain and severe fatigue.
The 36-year-old put it all down to her pregnancy but when the symptoms continued for months after her son Alaric Corley, now 16 months, was born she knew something else was wrong.
After her diagnosis of bowel cancer in April 2017 she underwent an operation to remove the tumour and was given the all clear.
But last month Tasha was devastated to learn the cancer had returned and spread.
She’s been told it’s unlikely she will live past the next five years, and is focusing on making memories with warehouse worker fiancé Dan Corley, 23, and their son.
Tasha from St Albans, Hertfordshire, said: “It hurts more than anything that I’m not going to be in my son’s life.
“I can’t imagine not being around for him. It breaks my heart every day but I’m going to fight as much as I can.
“I want a life with Dan and we should be planning our future together – our wedding, holidays, days out, future schools for Alaric where I should be walking him through the school gates – but now we're also having to consider funeral plans.”
Tasha began to feel unwell just over half-way through her pregnancy but put it down to what she believed were typical symptoms.
“It was about five months into the pregnancy that I really started to feel ill. I was extremely tired. I was still having morning sickness and stomach pains,” she said.
“I was working full-time so just put the tiredness down to that.
“I had a lot of stomach pains at the top of my stomach and I was putting that down to indigestion and heartburn.
FIND OUT MORE What are the signs and symptoms of bowel cancer, how do you get treatment for the condition and is there a test?
“The symptoms started to worsen after he was born. As soon as we got home I just started to deteriorate.”
Tasha spoke to doctors about eight weeks after Alaric was born and they agreed to have an ultrasound.
After finding a cyst on her pancreas they sent her for more tests.
“By six months the pain had got so bad that I couldn’t keep anything down. I couldn’t stand up I was in so much agony,” she recalled.
“I wasn’t able to go to the loo properly and I was being sick all while trying to look after a new baby.”
Tasha had a CT scan which showed she had a thickening of the bowel and she was referred to a specialist.
But before the appointment the pain became unbearable so she went to Watford General Hospital’s A&E where they did another CT scan and operated on her the next day.
“They said it was an aggressive tumour and they removed quite a lot of my colon and 23 of my lymph nodes – nine of which tested positive for cancer,” she said.
'LIVES WILL BE SAVED' Victory for The Sun and campaigners as Government lowers bowel cancer screening age from 60 to 50
"They said it was stage three but were confident they’d got it all out.”
Tasha spent five weeks in hospital including three weeks in intensive care after developing sepsis.
“I was very ill. My body had started to shut down and my family and friends were worried I wouldn’t pull through,” she added.
“I wasn’t allowed to see my son because the risk of infection was too high.
“It was so hard, it broke my heart. He was only six months old when I went into hospital and not being able to see him for five whole weeks was the worst part.”
Tasha was put through chemotherapy to make sure the cancer was gone, which she struggled to get through.
Then she suffered another setback when she developed a blood clot on her lung which affected her breathing.
“It was very tough but I slowly started to improve and we were all starting to feel more positive. We were hopeful that the cancer had gone,” she said.
“I was very sick so they told me it would take a long time to recover but I was starting to feel better.
“It seemed okay until I had a CT scan last month. It showed I had two tumours, one about 5cm in my neck and one in my back. The bowel cancer had spread via my lymph nodes.
“We had been starting to look ahead as a family and it was devastating to hear that – to think you’re getting better and then to hear that it’s spread. It’s not easy to take in.”
Tasha was told the cancer was terminal and that it was too dangerous to operate on the tumours because of their location.
She’s now on another course of chemotherapy at Mount Vernon hospital in Northwood, Middlesex, to try and prolong her life.
Tasha said: “They’ve said I’m incurable, just manageable.
“I questioned life expectancy and about five per cent reach five years. We hope the chemo will prolong my life.
“The cancer’s not going to go away which is really hard to take. They’re trying to treat it the best as they can and give me as long as possible.
“Most people get to think about future events, simple things like taking your children to nursery or to primary school.
“I do wonder if I’m going to be around for that. That hurts to think about.”
'LIVES WILL BE SAVED'
THE Sun's No Time 2 Lose campaign called on the Government to lower the screening age from 60 to 50 - as it is in Scotland.
Bowel cancer is the UK's 2nd deadliest cancer, claiming 16,000 lives a year, but it CAN be cured - if it's caught early enough.
Fewer than one in ten people survive bowel cancer if it's picked up at stage 4, but detected quickly, more than nine in ten patients will live five years or longer.
That's why The Sun called for a simple poo test offered to everyone, every two years, from their 50th birthday.
And this month the Government listen, announcing it would be rolled out to everyone in England.
Lives will be saved by the decision to lower the bowel cancer screening age from 60 to 50, after a victory for The Sun and campaigners.
Baroness Floella Benjamin, who lost her mum to the disease, raised the issue in the House of Lords backing The Sun's No Time 2 Lose campaign.
Welcoming the victory, she said: "I truly believe many lives will be saved now the Government has finally listened to campaigners and lowered the screening age for bowel cancer to 50.
"It's a move which will hopefully stop preventable suffering to patients and loss for families like mine."
Meanwhile, Lauren Backler's local MP in Eastbourne, Stephen Lloyd praised his constituent.
"This is fantastic news and a testament to the amazing campaign led by Lauren, whose petition reached more than 470,000. An astonishing success," he said.
"I'd also like to pay thanks to The Sun's No Time 2 Lose campaign. Having a major newspaper like The Sun behind us gave Lauren, and the campaign, a major lift.
"Not only was I moved by the passion and commitment Lauren showed in her determination to get the Department of Health to reduce the age of bowel cancer screening from 60 to 50, which could have saved her mother's life, but also her focus on ensuring the campaign had broad support across the country.
"This is good news that very soon lives will be saved.
"They've made a commitment to start the implementation and now I will keep the pressure on up in Parliament until we get a fixed start date."
If bowel cancer is caught early enough and it can be cured - you have a 97 per cent chance of living five years or more.
That’s why The Sun launched the No Time 2 Lose campaign, joining forces with campaigner Lauren Backler who lost her mum to bowel cancer at 55, and Bowel Cancer UK.
Earlier this month the Government announced everyone in England and Wales will be offered bowel cancer screening tests at 50 years old, marking a victory for The Sun and campaigners.
The test is not offered to anyone younger as the changes of someone below 50 developing bowel cancer is very slim - but that doesn't mean it's impossible.
It's vital you know the red flag signs of bowel cancer and get tested as soon as you develop them.
Tasha said there needs to be more awareness of bowel cancer – especially in young people who often dismiss the symptoms.
“It’s considered rare especially in someone my age but it’s happening, and it needs to be spoken about,” she said.
“I’m told by people all the time that I’m too young to get this cancer and I’m strong but you’re never too young for anything.
“I feel like younger people might ignore the symptoms or not know them especially if there’s no family history of it.
MORE ON BOWEL CANCER
“They’re already planning to lower the screening age to 50 but I think it could go lower. I think it should be 25 especially if people are suffering from stomach pains.
“It’s not easy to spot, there are not always obvious symptoms. With me there was nothing that really stuck out apart from the stomach pains and feeling sick.
“I know it’s not a nice thing to talk about but if you’re not feeling well it’s important to check your poo and to keep an eye on it.”
Family and friends are raising money for Tasha and her family, you can donate to their cause at .
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at [email protected] or call 0207 782 4368. You can WhatsApp us on 07810 791 502. We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours