Young Woman Diagnosed with Stage Four Bowel Cancer Warns of Symptoms You Should Never Ignore
Ellie Wilcock, 25, has issued a heartfelt warning after mistaking the symptoms of stage four bowel cancer for a urinary tract infection (UTI). Ellie initially attributed sharp abdominal pain and fatigue to a UTI, but her symptoms were later revealed to be the result of advanced cancer that had spread throughout her body.
Doctors first suspected issues with her reproductive system or an ovarian cyst, but Ellie’s persistent symptoms led to further investigation. Sharing her story on TikTok, where her videos have been viewed over 400,000 times, Ellie hopes to raise awareness of the signs of bowel cancer, especially in younger people.
“It [the pain] was in my left-hand side,” Ellie explained. “It was because the tumor was obstructing my large bowel. I thought it was more like urinary pain… doctors thought it was a UTI.” According to the Surrey Live, Ellie also experienced changes in her bowel habits, alternating between diarrheas’ and constipation. “It just wasn’t normal for me,” she said.
Fatigue was another key symptom. “I would come home from work and just want to lie down and go to bed. Even sat at my desk, I was falling asleep, I was so tired,” Ellie recalled.
One of the most critical signs she later recognized was blood in her stool, which she initially overlooked. “This could be a range of colors, bright red or dark red,” she said, urging others to seek medical advice for consistent blood in their stool. “It is nothing to be embarrassed about. The sooner you look at it, the sooner you get it out the way.”
Ellie first sought medical help in April 2022, but it wasn’t until a visit to A&E that she was diagnosed with stage four bowel cancer. By then, the disease had spread to her liver, ovaries, and peritoneum. She underwent multiple surgeries and, as of August, was told there was no more evidence of the disease.
Ellie emphasizes the indiscriminate nature of cancer, saying, “It is just a bulldozer that moves into people’s lives, filling waiting rooms with people, all with their own stories and families fighting this horrible disease.”
The NHS advises consulting a GP if symptoms like persistent fatigue, changes in bowel habits, or blood in the stool persist for more than three weeks. With bowel cancer rates rising among under-50s, Ellie’s story highlights the importance of early detection and prompt medical checks.