I looked like Freddy Krueger after bowel cancer spread through my body – here was the first warning sign | The Sun
A DAD "left looking like Freddy Krueger" after a horror reaction to chemotherapy first noticed something was wrong when he found blood in his stool.
Soon after his symptoms started, previously fit Geoffrey Seymour was diagnosed with stage four bowel cancer.
The 41-year-old underwent chemotherapy but reacted badly and his face turned into the "Nightmare on Elm Street", he says.
This left him too embarrassed to go to his son's cricket matches and desperate to find an alternative treatment.
Geoffrey's ordeal began in April 2021, just two weeks before his birthday, when he got the first warning signals.
On experiencing blood in his stool, he remembered this was a sign of cancer from adverts on TV so quickly visited his GP.
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Weeks later, Geoffrey, who lives in Richmond, south west London, with his wife Santa, 44, and their son Marco, 10, was diagnosed with stage four colorectal cancer, which had spread from his colon to his liver.
He said: "I’ve always looked after myself, so to get the diagnosis was huge."
Geoffrey began chemotherapy but had a bad reaction due to it killing his fast-growing cells which blistered the skin on his face.
The procurement specialist described the situation as being so severe and seemingly hopeless it was like "being wrapped in a paper bag that is on fire".
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According to the dad, this made him look like Krueger from the 1984 film.
Geoffrey then had to pull out of participating in the family activities he used to enjoy, like tennis, basketball and cricket. He also stopped going to Marco's sports matches.
He said: "Unless I went there with a bag on my head, I'd have other people coming up to me and looking at me thinking, ‘What's wrong with this guy?’ when I'm quite happy blending into the crowd.
"[But] not having the energy to do what I want to do is the biggest real smash of it.
"I'm just not used to not doing anything – I'm not used to being the kind of guy that has to go and relax, or have a nap even.
"I want my son to feel as though he can be a little boy and be cheeky and naughty, and do the things that he likes to do without having to worry about me."
Geoffrey's treatment subsequently stopped working so, in an attempt to save his life, he travelled to Germany for dendritic cell therapy – where a personalised vaccine is created in a lab with the aim of stimulating the immune system.
'VERY EMOTIONAL'
Research in this area is at an early stage, according to Cancer Research UK, so it wasn't cheap.
Just one injection on October 17 cost £17,000 and Geoffrey is now waiting to see if it was enough to help him, while continuing to fundraise to pay for it.
He said: "I couldn't even wait until the end of the fundraising to have it done just because I was so worried that the disease was going to spread."
Thankfully, his wife of 10 years, Santa, a senior laboratory technician, has been incredibly supportive throughout the process.
Their GoFundMe appeal has so far raised almost £27,000.
Geoffrey said: "It's really very emotional.
"I don't feel alone, and I feel as though an army is really behind me and ready to kind of support me if I fall down."
Since having dendritic cell therapy, Geoffrey said he still feels tired and lives with "a lot of pain" but understands it's not a "miracle cure" that will fix things overnight.
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Depending on the results, he may need to pay for a further vaccine and more treatment abroad.
"I obviously want to get myself sorted and I want to resolve my issues and not wait on the NHS because I do feel as though it is like a ticking time bomb, and there is no time to really wait," he added.
What are the red flag warning signs of bowel cancer?
IT’S the fourth most common cancer in the UK, the second deadliest – yet bowel cancer can be cured, if you catch it early enough.
While screening is one way of ensuring early diagnosis, there are things everyone can do to reduce their risk of the deadly disease.
Being aware of the signs and symptoms of bowel cancer, spotting any changes and checking with your GP can prove a life-saver.
If you notice any of the signs, don't be embarrassed and don't ignore them. Doctors are used to seeing lots of patients with bowel problems.
The five red-flag symptoms of bowel cancer include:
- Bleeding from the back passage, or blood in your poo
- A change in your normal toilet habits – going more frequently for example
- Pain or a lump in your tummy
- Extreme tiredness
- Losing weight
Tumours in the bowel typically bleed, which can cause a shortage of red blood cells, known as anaemia. It can cause tiredness and sometimes breathlessness.
In some cases bowel cancer can block the bowel, this is known as a bowel obstruction.
Other signs include:
- Gripping pains in the abdomen
- Feeling bloated
- Constipation and being unable to pass wind
- Being sick
- Feeling like you need to strain – like doing a number two – but after you've been to the loo
While these are all signs to watch out for, experts warn the most serious is noticing blood in your stools.
But, they warn it can prove tricky for doctors to diagnose the disease, because in most cases these symptoms will be a sign of a less serious disease.
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