After being first diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2016, James writes a regular column for The Sun, one of which in February this year she said was the “hardest thing” she has ever written. Most recently, James had to go through a bout of sepsis, but trying to keep his signature high spirits, the podcaster updated her social media channels to thank NHS staff and Her close friends gathered to support her.
Becoming a patron of Bowel Cancer Foundation UK in February 2021, James shared her own battle with cancer with the charity, explaining how her life had changed in a Thursday evening in December 2016.
Writing for the charity website, James wrote: “Despite repeated reassurances that I must have IBS, hemorrhoids or a more severe case of colitis, my blood tests and stool samples were normal so everything was fine. Still fine!
“And yet I still lost weight, had blood transfusions, walked like I wanted to 100 times a day and felt like I was going to fall apart. I knew something was wrong with my, if you will, sixth sense, because the first time I was scared – very scared about going on with this.
“Frustrated with waiting for referrals, I was fortunate enough to be able to go in for a colonoscopy myself. Terrified, however, I made sure I went skiing, finished school, and stumbled across three appointments just because something was telling me this could change everything.
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“I went face blind at 7 p.m. on Thursday, December 15, 2016, when I refused sedation and studied how cancerous tumors would show up during a colonoscopy (geek warning) artificially overall!), I stared at my ugly 5.5cm cancerous mass. stage three tumor on face and everything went silent.
“However, on that idle Thursday, I went back to the day room (perhaps it was gas and air!) and declared that I knew ‘he’ had found something – I mean I have also seen it. You know there’s a problem when the consultant asks, ‘Is someone here with you?’. Calmly, the great consultant came and confirmed my worst fears. That he had found a large tumor that I needed to remove through an operation and that although he could not be 100% certain, there was a chance it was cancer. “
From there, James’ cancer journey became more difficult when she was told by a consultant that she had a “mucosal tumor” that is only present in 10% of bowel cancer cases. After the mutation, the tumor became “the rarest and most difficult to treat” cancer, making it clear that chemotherapy would not work for James.
Most recently, in 2022, James shared a horrifying experience when her family, including her two young children, were told she would likely not make it through the night.
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Writing in her column for The Sun, James said: “A month ago, my family was informed that I might not survive the night. An hour before that, I had subconsciously hugged him to say goodbye to my children, Hugo, 14, and Eloise, 12.
“I just had a medical emergency that most people don’t survive. I’ve spent a month trying to articulate what happened to me, and I’m writing this with tears streaming down my face.
“My diagnosis of stage 4 bowel cancer kept hovering over my head like a dark cloud that I didn’t want to catch. I’ve exceeded my sales by date and I always knew it would get me one day.
“As a result, I had to face my death and think about what my desires were.”
The writer goes on to explain that her most recent traumatic medical event started early in the year right after Christmas.
After a trip to the hospital, James received the heartbreaking news that due to stopping treatment, her cancer had grown and blocked the bile duct, meaning she was suffering from liver failure.
Despite heavy blood loss and unconsciousness, James was saved by paramedics and the swift action of her husband Seb. She wrote: “I almost died. In fact, almost not. I am dying and I am saved. ”
Sharing recent updates on his Instagram account, James is currently recovering from sepsis – a life-threatening condition that occurs when the body’s response to an infection damages its own tissues. it. Despite everything she’s been through, James remains optimistic and fights to regain her strength.
Bowel cancer, also known as colorectal cancer affects the large intestine, which is made up of the colon and rectum. Bowel cancer is one of the most common cancers diagnosed in the UK with most people diagnosed with it over the age of 60.
The NHS says that the three main symptoms of bowel cancer are:
- Persistent blood in your stool – that happens for no apparent reason or is related to a change in bowel habits
- A persistent change in your bowel habits – often you have to have more bowel movements and your stools may also flow more
- Persistent lower abdominal (abdominal) pain, bloating or discomfort – this is always caused by eating and can be associated with loss of appetite or significant unintentional weight loss.
If you or someone you know has been experiencing any of the above symptoms for three weeks or more, you should seek medical advice, where a GP can examine your stomach, Arrange blood tests and check for the cause of your symptoms.
To detect bowel cancer cases earlier, everyone aged 60 to 74 who is registered with a GP and lives in the UK will be automatically sent home a two-year bowel cancer screening test kit once.
Treatment for bowel cancer depends on the extent of the condition, but the main treatments used include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and targeted therapies. As with most cancers, the chance of a complete cure depends on how far it has spread at the time it is diagnosed. If the cancer is confined to the bowel, surgery can often remove it completely.
Source: | This article first appeared on Express.co.uk
