It was Derek McStein’s wife’s ‘silly rule’ that made him realise something was wrong
It was Derek McStein’s wife’s ‘silly rule’ that made him realise something was wrong
A great-grandad is warning people not to ignore health concerns after he was diagnosed with bowel cancer last year. It was Derek McStein’s wife’s “silly rule” that first made the couple suspect something was wrong.
Derek, 73, from Woolton, was encouraged by his wife to visit his GP after she spotted blood in his wee. He said: “It was actually my wife who told me something might be wrong. It’s a funny story – she would always say to me ‘if it’s yellow, let it mellow, if it’s brown flush it down’.
“So, I followed her rules and she noticed blood in the loo after I’d been. To begin with, I thought nothing of it and then, eventually, I listened to her and went to see the doctor.”
Derek was prescribed antibiotics after doctors suspected he had a water infection. But when the symptoms didn’t clear and things started getting worse he was referred to Aintree Hospital for further tests.
He was diagnosed with bowel cancer in September. Derek said: “Doctors sat me down and told me I have cancer. The prognosis was good, it wasn’t terminal. It was a weird feeling. When I read my doctor’s notes back the note said – he took it well – it was funny reading that on the report. My wife was with me the whole time, so I wasn’t too worried.
“I really was not expecting to be told I had cancer. Even though you hear about people being diagnosed, you just never think it will happen to you.”
Derek underwent surgery to remove the cancer in October and had six rounds of BCG treatment and one round of chemo. He said: “I’m through the worst and only now need to have check-ups every year.”
He added: “I went for a check up in January and was told everything was pristine, it was brilliant news. It’s all gone well thanks to my wife noticing.
“My message to anyone who spots something different is simple: just get it checked – that’s the main thing, just don’t ignore it. Go and get checked out.”
Now his hospital appointments have eased, Derek is looking forward to spending more family time with his nine grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren as well as getting back to going on days out, walks and keeping active with his wife.
He wanted to say a huge thank you to all the “amazing” staff, who have been great, at Aintree hospital during his treatment.
How to spot bladder cancer
Bladder cancer is where abnormal tissue grows, known as a tumour, and develops in the bladder lining. In some cases, the tumour spreads into the bladder muscle and while it is more common in men over the age of 60, it can affect anyone, so knowing the symptoms is important.
The most common symptom of bladder cancer is blood in your wee. This may appear as streaks of blood or cause your wee to turn brown. You might notice it only occasionally, and it can come and go. However, if you ever see blood in your wee, you should visit your GP.
Other symptoms to look out for, include:
- pain, burning, stinging or itching when you pee.
- getting lots of urinary tract infections.
- needing to pee more often or very suddenly.
- losing your appetite and losing weight without trying to.
- pain in your back and lower tummy.
- aching, pain or tenderness in your bones.
- feeling very tired for no reason and feeling generally unwell.
Vishwanath Hanchanale, consultant urological and robotic surgeon at Royal Liverpool University Hospital, part of University Hospitals of Liverpool Group, said: “Blood in the urine is the most common symptom of bladder cancer, but many people delay seeing their GP because the symptom can come and go or may not cause any pain.
“This blood may appear as pink, red, or brown urine, and even a single episode should never be ignored, even if you are on blood-thinning medication such as Warfarin.
“In many cases, the cause will be something less serious, such as an infection or kidney stones, but it’s vital to have it checked so doctors can rule out cancer.
“If bladder cancer is detected, early treatment is often far more effective, which is why anyone who notices blood in their urine should contact their GP as soon as possible.”
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