Mother is shocked to discover she went through pregnancy without knowing she had stage 4 bowel cancer - after her GP misdiagnosed her symptoms as IBS

  • Katharine McAuley, 36, from Oxford, experienced symptoms for around 2 years 
  • 'Fobbed off' by GP who put them down to wedding stress and father's death
  • Discovered 5cm tumour in bowel after it burst last month and she had a CT scan
  • Diagnosed with stage four bowel cancer and had surgery to remove the tumour
  • Is now juggling chemotherapy with looking after her baby daughter Rosie 
  • Nail salon owner, who now lives in Northern Ireland, wants to raise awareness 

A mother-of-three was stunned to discover she'd got married and had a baby - all while having stage four bowel cancer. 

Katharine McAuley, 36, of Downpatrick, Northern Ireland, told how she was 'fobbed off' by her GP who claimed her symptoms were down to IBS and the stress of planning her wedding to husband Patrick and losing her dad. 

But in actuality, the nail salon owner had a 5cm tumour in her bowel, which was only discovered after her bowel burst last month.

Katharine, who is originally from Oxford, is now juggling looking after her baby daughter Rosie with going through gruelling chemotherapy.

Katharine McAuley was stunned to discover she'd got married and had a baby - all while having stage four bowel cancer. Pictured with newborn Rosie

Katharine McAuley was stunned to discover she'd got married and had a baby - all while having stage four bowel cancer. Pictured with newborn Rosie

On average, around 10 out of 100 women with stage 4 bowel cancer will survive for five years or more after they're diagnosed.

'I had sepsis and was unaware of this. I was breastfeeding my newborn with sepsis,' Katharine told Belfast Live.

'I got married and on my wedding day I had bowel cancer and never knew. It is all still a shock to me.'

Katharine had been suffering with symptoms for around two years but was told by her GP they were most likely caused by irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). 

'She told me my symptoms were down to stress as I had recently lost my dad and then was planning my wedding,' she said.

Survival 

Bowel cancer 

Generally for people with bowel cancer in England and Wales: around 75 out of 100 people survive their cancer for 1 year or more

Around 60 out of 100 people survive their cancer for 5 years or more

Almost 60 out of 100 people survive their cancer for 10 years or more

Stage 4 

 - More than 5 out of 100 men (more than 5%) with stage 4 bowel cancer will survive their cancer for 5 years or more after they're diagnosed.

- Almost 10 out of 100 women (almost 10%) with stage 4 bowel cancer will survive their cancer for 5 years or more after they're diagnosed.

If the cancer has spread into the liver and it can be removed with surgery, around 25 to 40 people will survive their cancer for 5 years or more after they're diagnosed.

Source: Cancer Research UK 

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Katharine, pictured with husband Patrick, had been suffering with symptoms for around two years but was told by her GP they were most likely caused by irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)

Katharine, pictured with husband Patrick, had been suffering with symptoms for around two years but was told by her GP they were most likely caused by irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)

Katharine said her GP put her symptoms down to wedding stress. Pictured on her big day with husband Patrick

Katharine said her GP put her symptoms down to wedding stress. Pictured on her big day with husband Patrick

'I still haven't seen her since my diagnosis but when I do I have a lot of questions to ask.

'I am trying to make the most out of my little girl while enduring chemotherapy. It is going to be one of the most challenging things I will have done, but I am grateful that I am still here.'  

Katharine did undergo a camera scan, however it missed her tumour by an inch. 

Six weeks ago, after her bowel burst and she was given a CT scan, she was given the devastating news she had stage four bowel cancer.

She then underwent surgery to have the tumour removed and will need a further operation to have another tumour cut out of her liver.

Katharine underwent surgery to have the tumour removed and will need a further operation to have another tumour cut out of her liver. She's now going through chemo

Katharine underwent surgery to have the tumour removed and will need a further operation to have another tumour cut out of her liver. She's now going through chemo

Katharine is keen to speak out about her cancer journey to raise awareness - and said she'll fight the disease with everything she has. 

'Six weeks in from findings out that I have got that dreaded C word, I finally feel like maybe it should be addressed, if only to bring awareness to people I know and to my friend's friends,' she said.

Katharine added she is determined to make it known that bowel cancer is not just something that affects 'old people'.

Screening in the UK currently only starts at 60 years old, but Katharine wants to highlight that it can also affect young people like her. 

Brave Katharine said she is determined to make it known that bowel cancer is not just something that affects 'old people'

Brave Katharine said she is determined to make it known that bowel cancer is not just something that affects 'old people'

Before she fell pregnant with Rosie, Katharine experienced symptoms which continued to get worse. She also lost weight and had virtually no appetite.

Katharine admitted that she doesn't feel she visited the doctor or pushed for tests enough, but she is certainly not 'blaming herself'.

When she fell pregnant, Katharine noticed her symptoms went away, which she admitted is not uncommon.  

But as soon as Rosie arrived they 'came back with a vengeance'.

Pictured with her family, Katharine admitted that she doesn't feel she visited the doctor or pushed for tests enough, but she is certainly not 'blaming herself'

Pictured with her family, Katharine admitted that she doesn't feel she visited the doctor or pushed for tests enough, but she is certainly not 'blaming herself'

Katharine said she blamed them on lack of sleep from having a new baby and being run down from breastfeeding.  

'I thought, how could I have cancer or anything sinister when I just carried beautiful, healthy baby full term?' she added.

Katharine said she is now putting her story out there to encourage other mothers to look after themselves and trust their instincts.

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