'It's all still a shock': The sad truth behind mum's IBS misdiagnosis
A mother has revealed how her stage four bowel cancer was wrongfully diagnosed as irritable bowel syndrome.
Katherine McAuley, 36, even gave birth to her daughter Rosie as her cancer went undetected, Belfast Live reported.
The mother-of-three’s cancer was only discovered when her bowel burst and she was rushed to hospital where a CT scan finally detected her tumour last month.
"I had symptoms before I fell pregnant with Rosie and was diagnosed with IBS. These symptoms continued and I got worse... I was losing weight and I had lost my appetite,” she explained to the publication.
Ms McAuley said that when she fell pregnant, her symptoms appeared to subside, and she gave birth to a healthy baby in February.
But the cancer’s symptoms returned, and while she thought fatigue from being a new mother was to blame, she sought advice from her GP.
Once more, the medical advice she received gave no indication she could be suffering from cancer, with a doctor telling her the symptoms were most likely stress related.
"I had sepsis and was unaware of this. I was breastfeeding my newborn with sepsis. I got married and on my wedding day I had bowel cancer and never knew.
“It is all still a shock to me."
She revealed her initial scan prior to the wrong diagnosis missed the tumour by about 3cm.
She is now undergoing chemotherapy after surgeons removed a 5cm tumour from her bowel.
Ms McAuley is trying to remain positive and is now focused on spending quality time with her young family as she puts up “a hell of a fight”.
She has said she wants to use her case as a warning to others and press medical professionals to carry out all the necessary tests.
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