A man was given a devastating cancer diagnosis after thinking the colour change in his poo was due to a hangover.
Aged 32 at the time, Matthew Rosenblum went to a doctor after noticing that the colour of his faeces was extremely light and the colour of his wee was 'dark'.
"I had dark urine and bone-white stool. I didn’t even notice the stool colour for a while," Matthew told cancer support community The Patient Story.
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"At first, I thought I was hungover. I had a few beers the night before so I drank some Gatorade and lay in bed, but the urine did not get lighter."
However, Matthew - who was diagnosed with Crohn's disease seven years earlier - opted to visit the doctors due to uncontrollably itchy palms and feet.
He explained: "The bathroom symptoms were pretty jarring, seeing urine that dark and poop that pale, but the itching was probably the worst.
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"It was worse at night. I never felt anything like it before and those are hard places to scratch.
"After a whole night of itching, I put my hands and feet in the tub under hot water to numb the sensation."
After an initial misdiagnosed due to overlapping symptoms with his existing condition, a few months later, Matthew was diagnosed with stage 4, metastatic pancreatic cancer.
"People think that pancreatic cancer is an old person’s disease," he said.
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"I think that’s why no one ever looked, because no one ever even thought that I could have pancreatic cancer.
"I’ve heard over and over again that I’m too young."
The Patient Story said: "After his diagnosis, Matthew underwent different combination chemotherapy treatments, including FOLFIRINOX [a combination of cancer drugs] and GAP [another combination of cancer drugs]."
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Thankfully, the cancer treatment given to Matthew proved to work.
The Patient Story added: "Despite setbacks and the grim prognosis associated with pancreatic cancer, Matthew’s tumour responded positively to the new chemotherapy regimen, leading to tumour shrinkage and the disappearance of metastases in the liver.
"Following a successful Whipple procedure, Matthew emphasises the importance of not being defined by statistics and advises others facing similar challenges to live life to the fullest while also taking their health seriously."
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Matthew added: "We assume that if treatment will work, it will work immediately. You don’t take one step back and one step forward. In my experience, that’s not true. Sometimes things get worse before they get better and it’s not a reason to lose heart.
"Have a drink, eat the cheeseburger, and live your life to the extent that you can. That’s how I lived. Take your health seriously but also meet yourself where you are."
What are the symptoms of pancreatic cancer?
As per Mayo Clinic, pancreatic cancer usually doesn't cause symptoms until the disease has advanced. However, they may include:
- Belly pain
- Loss of appetite
- Weight loss
- Yellow skin
- Light-coloured or floating stools
- Dark-coloured urine
- Itching
What the colour of your poo means
- Brown - your poo is normal.
- Black - certain tablets, including iron, can make your poo turn black. It can also be a sign of a bad tummy.
- Grey - this could either mean you have diarrhoea, or it can be an indication of something more serious. The colour grey might indicate that your pancreas or liver is not working properly. Contact your doctor as soon as you can.
- Green - sometimes green coloured vegetables can be the cause. It also might be a sign of food poising if it becomes more frequent.
- Red - again, it could be from the colour of your food, like beetroot and red food dye, for example. Or if you actually have blood in your stool, it's worth contacting your doctor.
- Silver - this rare colour of poo can be a sign of cancer, so get in touch with your GP.
- Muscy (clear) - this may be a sign of IBS or constipation. Contact your doctor if you are unsure.
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, contact Macmillan’s Cancer Support Line on 0808 808 00 00, 8am–8pm seven days a week.
Anish Vij