"If I hadn't have had gone to hospital that afternoon, I could have died in an hour"
15.06.2024 - 09:57
/ manchestereveningnews.co.uk
A mum-of-five has bravely spoken out about her journey through cancer treatment - and told how she could have potentially died within an hour if she hadn't have gone into hospital.
Lindsey Ellis initially thought she was suffering with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) after having stomach ache and becoming bloated whenever she would eat carbs, Wales Online reports. The 41-year-old also thought she could have had long Covid.
But after her symptoms got worse, and after several trips to the doctors, Lindsey's partner took her to hospital in 2022 where she was told she had a tumour in her rectum. She was told she would need to be operated on that afternoon or her bowl could rupture within the hour - which would potentially be deadly.
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Lindsey, from Y Bala in Gwynedd, was diagnosed with colorectal cancer and now wants to share her story in a bid to help others. Colorectal cancer is also known as bowel cancer and affects the large bowel, which is made up of the colon and rectum.
It's one of the most common types of cancer in the UK, according to the NHS. Lindsey hopes that by sharing her story it will encourage others who may be experiencing similar symptoms to go to their doctor.
For years, Lindsey said that she suffered with symptoms she thought was irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Rather than going to a doctor with her symptoms however, Lindsey explained that she took it upon herself to alleviate the symptoms.
She said: "I was suffering with what I thought was irritable bowel syndrome for a couple of years. Whenever I was eating carbs - potatoes, pasta, chips, I felt like I would have a stomach ache and I was bloated.
"I didn't go to the