A marathon runner diagnosed with terminal cancer says he had just one symptom that was easy to miss.
Lee Rawlinson was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer on Halloween and is preparing for the 'last Christmas' with his family.
The 51-year-old said doctors told him on October 31 that the cancer had spread to his liver and was inoperable.
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He still went trick-or-treating that night with his two children and waited until the following day to tell them about his diagnosis.
What is Pancreatic cancer and what are its symptoms?
Pancreatic cancer is a cancer that's found anywhere in the pancreas.
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It is a type of cancer that develops when cells in the pancreas grow out of control and form a tumour.
According to the NHS, symptoms of pancreatic cancer can include:
- The whites of your eyes or your skin turn yellow
- Itchy skin
- Darker urine
- Paler poo than usual
- Loss of appetite or losing weight without trying to
- Feeling tired or having no energy
- A high temperature, feeling hot or shivery
- Feeling or being sick
- Diarrhoea, constipation, or other changes in your faeces
- Pain at the top part of your stomach and your back
- Indigestion or a bloated stomach
In January, Lee started experiencing an ache in his lower abdomen, passing it off as a symptom of stress.
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He was referred to a gastroenterologist following a visit to a GP.
After a 21-week wait, his blood tests came back all clear.
But the pain in his stomach became unbearable, revealing he was taking painkillers every day.
"I was taking painkillers every day, and co-codamol, and it wasn’t touching the sides," he told PA Real Life.
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"If you can imagine a scaffolding pole and someone slowly pushing it through you, right through to your back, it was like that.
"This will be my last Christmas," he added.
"I’m facing the jaws of death. I’m sailing towards it and I can’t do anything about it, yet I just have to face it.
"I don’t fear death, I fear leaving my children and Faye behind - not being able to be there when they’re in trouble, not being able to make it better when tears flow, watching Marley developing his football, watching Darcey developing her theatrical talents, not being able to be there for Faye.
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"Survival for pancreatic cancer has barely improved since the 1970s and it’s got to change. I want to get people to sit up and listen and think, what can we do for this not to destroy another young family’s life?"
Lee has thanked the community for the way they have 'come together' to help out with his family's trip to Lapland, with the family also planning to watch Arsenal take on Crystal Palace on December 18.
Topics: Athletics
Nasir Jabbar