A father-of-two who put the ‘boring ache’ in his decrease stomach right down to stress ranges was ultimately recognized with ultra-deadly pancreatic cancer — and has warned others to not dismiss warning indicators.
Lee Rawlinson, 51, from Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, has been informed he has months to stay, after medical doctors noticed the illness that’s ‘inoperable’, and has unfold to his liver.
The ‘brutal’ analysis got here as a complete shock — not solely as a result of he’s a match and wholesome marathon runner, however on account of his regular blood and urine checks.
Mr Rawlinson first visited his GP in January this yr after he started experiencing a ‘boring’ ache in his decrease stomach.
But when checks got here again as regular, he put the feeling right down to being below an uncommon quantity of stress and relied on painkillers to get him by the day.
”I used to be taking painkillers day-after-day, and co-codamol, and it wasn’t touching the perimeters,’ he stated.
Then, in September, the ache grew to become insufferable.
‘If you may think about a scaffolding pole and somebody slowly pushing it by you, proper by to your again, it was like that.’
Mr Rawlinson, who beforehand ran marathons, discovered that his grandfather had pancreatic most cancers and he carries a ‘dodgy gene’.
After bending over in extreme ache at his son’s soccer coaching, he went to the A&E division at Southend University Hospital and had a CT scan 4 days later.
On October 31 he was invited again to the hospital the place he was given the devastating information: He had pancreatic most cancers — and it was terminal.
‘I stated, “Have I finished something improper to get this?” And the guide stated, “It was your future”,’ stated the medical gadgets salesman.
‘It sounded brutal, however trying again on it, what he meant was, there was nothing you can do. This was at all times going to occur.’
Mr Rawlinson, who was recognized with sort 2 diabetes a decade in the past — a situation which causes the extent of glucose within the blood to turn out to be too excessive — discovered that his grandfather had pancreatic most cancers.
Doctors knowledgeable him that his illness seemingly lay in a ‘dodgy gene’.
He stated: ‘If there are individuals who have gotten kin with pancreatic most cancers, then they’re at excessive threat.’
Because the most cancers had unfold to his liver, he was informed the most cancers couldn’t be handled with surgical procedure — the one present therapy that may probably treatment the illness.
Lee Rawlinson, from Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, was informed his blood and urine checks have been clear earlier than his stomach ache grew to become excruciating months later
The 51-year-old stated painkillers weren’t serving to and ultimately he discovered himself bending over in extreme ache at his son’s soccer coaching
The night time of his analysis, Mr Rawlinson nonetheless went trick-or-treating along with his kids Darcey, 10, and Marley, seven earlier than sitting them down along with his spouse Faye, 48, the following day to inform them the information.
Although Mr Rawlinson stated their ‘worlds have been blown aside’, he’s now specializing in making reminiscences along with his household, together with stunning his kids with a visit to Lapland.
He desires to boost consciousness of this ‘horrible illness’ to assist guarantee it doesn’t ‘destroy one other younger household’s life’.
‘This can be my final Christmas,’ Mr Rawlinson stated.
‘I’m dealing with the jaws of demise. I’m crusing in direction of it and I can’t do something about it, but I simply must face it.
‘I don’t concern demise, I concern leaving my kids and Faye behind — not having the ability to be there once they’re in hassle, not having the ability to make it higher when tears circulate, watching Marley growing his soccer, watching Darcey growing her theatrical abilities, not having the ability to be there for Faye.
‘Survival for pancreatic most cancers has barely improved because the Seventies and it’s acquired to alter. I wish to get individuals to sit down up and hear and assume, what can we do for this to not destroy one other younger household’s life?’
According to the charity Pancreatic Cancer UK, it’s the deadliest frequent most cancers and, presently, greater than half of individuals die inside three months of analysis.
Mr Rawlinson is now specializing in making reminiscences along with his kids Darcey, ten, and Marley, seven, and spouse Faye, 48 (pictured at Wembley)
Mr Rawlinson and his household have since been invited to Wembley as VIPs, they have been requested to be the mascots for Southend United throughout their match in opposition to Forest Green Rovers, and they are going to be heading to the Emirates Stadium on December 18 for Arsenal’s recreation in opposition to Crystal Palace
Mr Rawlinson stated the ‘group has come collectively’ and been extremely beneficiant, internet hosting quizzes and different occasions in his honour, and the household’s subsequent journey can be a visit to Lapland in Finland
Common signs embody stomach and again ache, unexplained weight reduction and indigestion, lack of urge for food, modifications to bowel habits and jaundice.
However these signs are sometimes mistaken for different, extra frequent illnesses reminiscent of irritable bowel syndrome.
The charity stated 80 per cent of individuals with pancreatic most cancers aren’t recognized till after the illness has unfold.
Mr Rawlinson has now pledged to get pleasure from each second along with his household and make ‘magical reminiscences’ in the course of the time he has left.
He stated the ‘group has come collectively’ and been extremely beneficiant, internet hosting quizzes and different occasions in his honour.
His household has additionally arrange a JustGiving page to assist them profit from their final months collectively.
Speaking of the household’s upcoming journey to Lapland he stated: ‘The youngsters have by no means been on a airplane earlier than, so that they’re going to fly for the primary time and look out the window and see snow, and I’m going to see their response.
‘We live the magic dream. Through such unhappy circumstances we live our greatest life.’
Mr Rawlinson has urged individuals with any uncommon signs or pains to ‘get checked out’.
‘I used to be informed I’ve acquired simply months to stay and, ever since that day, I’ve simply wished to boost consciousness for this horrible illness and for Pancreatic Cancer UK.
‘There’s not sufficient recognized about it. I wish to be like Bowelbabe, Deborah James, I wish to be the face of a marketing campaign.’
