A British man who thought he had a UTI was tragically given 24 months to live after receiving a devastating cancer diagnosis.
Chris Cotton, a public service worker, had visited the GP on a number of occasions after experiencing pain when using the bathroom, as well as an increased need to pee.
Thinking he was experiencing symptoms of a UTI, he went to the doctors and was prescribed antibiotics and cranberry juice.
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But while that alleviated the pain for a short period, he continued to struggle and in January 2024, he was told that he had stage four cancer in his bladder, just a few days after his 50th birthday.
Chris, from Crewe, UK, said: "The cancer had already spread to my pelvic lymph nodes and to a vessel near the bladder. As a result, the prognosis was very poor with the oncologist estimating that I have approximately 12-24 months left to live."
The father-of-two said that the 'devastating news' came as a huge shock to him and his family.
He said: "Not just to me, but also to my incredibly strong and supportive wife Hannah, and our two wonderful young daughters aged 12 and 14.
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"Our world changed overnight to a world of learning new things about cancer, hospital appointments and difficult conversations with family and friends."
A biopsy appointment removed a tumour of around 10cm from Chris' bladder, but on 3 January, he was given the horrifying news that his cancer was 'incurable'.
He added: "I asked what time frame we were looking at, it is a question that nobody wants to ask, and nobody wants to answer.
"The response was daunting as she mentioned that with the cancer progressing and if other treatments fail, my life expectancy could be between 12 to 24 months."
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Chris said the diagnosis made him 'upset', adding: "Your mind starts racing, if I only have 12 to 24 months left to live - what do I do?
"There are things I wanted to do in my lifetime, places I wanted to see."
The 50-year-old is undergoing chemotherapy treatment in the hope that he can prolong his life.
However, he is determined to not let this horrible disease control him, and he is now raising money for Manchester-based cancer charity Maggie's by completing virtual cycling challenges.
He was inspired to do so by Sir Chris Hoy, who sadly revealed his own terminal cancer diagnosis late last year.
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Chris set up a GoFundMe in support of his participation in the Tour De 4, which involves a 56-mile bike ride in Glasgow in September 2025.
You can donate here.
James Moorhouse