Recently, Andrew Walker, a 31-year-old father of two and an avid rugby player, began to notice something strange: he couldn’t heal quickly from “random injuries.”
“I just chalked it all up to a busy lifestyle and being tired,” Walker said South West News ServiceWell, by the way The Daily Mail. “I also attribute that to being a little older.”
Walker, captain of Bradford Dudley Hill RLFC in West Yorkshire, England, shared that after an infected cut on his finger, he spent 11 days in hospital as doctors tried to figure out why they couldn’t get the infection under control.
Bradford Dudley Hill RLFC player Andrew Walker.
Bradford Dudley Hill RLFC / SWNS
Male cancer deaths are predicted to increase by 93% globally by 2050
When a stool sample revealed blood in his stool, doctors realized something bigger was going on. Tests determined that the rugby captain had bowel or colon cancer.
“I expected to go for a scan, get samples and go home. I didn’t expect it to turn into a whirlwind,” Walker said SWNStheorizing that his body was so busy fighting the cancer that it ‘couldn’t deal’ with the injuries and other wounds.
Walker was right: As the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center report puts it, “metastasizing cells use a devilish trick to spread: They tap into the body’s natural wound-healing abilities.”
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Andrew and Becki Walker with their two children.
Andrew Walker / SWNS
The civil engineer underwent surgery to remove half of his intestine — as well as his lymph nodes, as a precaution in case the cancer spread.
Walker’s case is not unique: A report this year by the American Cancer Society noted an “alarming” rise in colon cancer rates in people under 50 — well below what is considered the “risky” age at which doctors start screening for cancer. .
Millennials and Generation X at higher risk of 17 types of cancer: study
Walker did not disclose how advanced his cancer is, but said he is still awaiting tests to see if he needs more treatment.
“Even if I get the all clear, then it’s not the end because you have at least five years of testing,” Walker said. “It’s good because they keep an eye on you, but it bothers you.”
“I would say go for an examination, if you are not sure, then for a blood test. It takes a minute and that can spot early signs,” he said SWNS.
“It’s not just about the impact it will have on you, but the impact it will have on your family and your friends.”
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Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education