An NHS worker has told how he lost blood ‘up to 15 times a day’ after medics wrongly diagnosed his late stage cancer as worsening of an irritable bowel.
John Clegg said he was left “looking like a skeleton” before doctors eventually discovered the actual cause of his health issues despite attending his GP’s office more than 20 times in a two-year stretch.
The 37-year-old was initially dismissed as suffering from a worsening of the irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) he has lived with since 2005, however pushed physicians for a colonoscopy in January last year.
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However, the medical secretary said he felt “sideswiped by a mack truck” when the procedure revealed bowel cancer had spread to his liver.
Despite responding well to an initial bout of chemotherapy, John has now been told he will be ‘lucky to see 2023’ with wife Claire, but believes there was “no urgency” from professionals to ensure he got the correct treatment.
He told Nottinghamshire Live: "It was really, really bloody stools. Some of it was just blood, filling the pan.
"Each time I was looking progressively worse, I was losing weight and looking like a skeleton.
"Because of my age they just never checked for bowel cancer. At some point you've got to turn round and say 'something's not right here'.
"There was no urgency with the doctors. The earlier you catch these things the greater your chances of survival and the easier the fight is."
Mr Clegg was given the devastating news that he had cancer in his bowels, liver and lymph nodes on February 5, 2021.
Doctors said that if he did not start treatment he would be dead within 10 weeks.
He initially responded well to chemotherapy, however was told by Christmas that it had stopped working.
"I don't know how I managed to stay as strong as I did. But my wife and my dad broke down into pieces - inside I was right there with them but in those situations you've got to stay strong and positive," he said.
He is now undergoing chemotherapy that has a 25 per cent chance of working, but hopes to raise funds to help pay for private treatment, likely abroad.
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Mr Clegg has so far raised £4,000 of his £42,500 goal on GoFundMe, which would pay for one round of proton beam therapy, a form of radiation treatment.
"Every new day I wake up is a gift, I owe it to myself and my family to keep fighting as long as it takes. I'm still here and I'm still kicking so until the day comes, I'm going to continue to keep fighting."
Wife Claire said her husband had been "really strong" throughout his battle with the disease. The 31-year-old, who gave up her job to become his full time carer, said the pair rarely go out due to his vulnerability.
"We've missed so many family events and parties," she said.
"Just normal life - going to the pub, meeting up with friends, going out for Valentine's Day and to the cinema. We don't do any of that anymore. We still want our honeymoon."
