Dad-of-seven told he's 'probably constipated' by doctors is given worst news imaginable

A wife says her partner's stomach pains were dismissed as "probably just constipation" by a before finding out he had.

Kevin Coles, a dad of seven, was informed by consultants that he had advanced in September and his family believe he should have been diagnosed earlier. The 46 year old began to complain of pains last July and his wife Kayleigh urged him to go to the GP at Willow Bank Surgery, in Stoke-on-Trent. But it was not until the end of September that he found out he had cancer.

“It wasn’t much more than a niggle at first but it had been persistent for about six weeks and it had started to become a bit frustrating for him. So I got him to go to the GP. They told Kevin it was probably just constipation and told him to come back if the problem carried on, said Kayleigh.

“After that, we went on holiday at the beginning of August. He seemed fine, swimming in the sea, nothing wrong whatsoever. However, when we came back from holiday, these pains returned. So we rang the GP and got him seen again. He was presenting with every single cancer symptom there is. But they thought it was still constipation. So they gave him laxatives and sent him home.

“A couple of weeks later, on 22 August, he went yellow in front of me. He was profusely sweating, like he was underneath a shower. I immediately got him up and said we’re going to A&E. A few hours later we saw a consultant, and Kevin was vomiting and sweating. But eventually it subsided a bit and he was sent home with no medication.”

Kayleigh, who married Kevin in December, claimed staff at the Royal Stoke University Hospital assured the couple that the ongoing pain was likely the result of gall stones or and a consultant promised an ‘urgent ultrasound’ would be booked.

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But she told : “Weeks later, we had still heard nothing. So I rang the GP and asked for an update, to be told that there hadn’t actually been an ultrasound requested. The GP then requested one for us on September 7. On the 16th, we still hadn’t heard anything so we rang again because he was having severe pain. Eventually, on the 24th, I rang and demanded he had one right away.

“Finally, on September 25, we were told to come in. And then everything all happened so quickly. We got the results from the GP - thinking it was going to be IBS - and found out it was probably cancer. We went to the hospital and had a CT scan where it was confirmed he had stage four bowel cancer. It had already spread to his liver.”

Doctors then broke the heart-breaking news that Kevin’s cancer was incurable. Palliative chemotherapy was prescribed in an attempt to extend his life expectancy, but the treatment was not effective. Kayleigh added: “Our lives have completely changed. He can’t stand on his own anymore. He isn’t eating because he’s so filled with fluid. He used to be 158kg, but now he’s dropped to 130kg.

“Kevin was always active. He used to be the head of security for nightclubs in Leek and now he’s a dog trainer. He’s always been a tough guy. So to see him struggle with everyday tasks has taken a big toll on everybody. It’s all happened so quickly. It doesn’t feel real.”

Kayleigh is urging the to change its approach to assessing younger patients regarding the risks of cancer. She added: “I truly believe something should have been done sooner. Apparently if someone under 50 presents with the symptoms, cancer is deemed to be incredibly unlikely. But these bowel cancers are much more prevalent in younger people now and they shouldn’t just assume it can’t be the case. The mindset should always be looking for a worst-case scenario, just to be safe.

“Because it spread so quickly, I believe catching it earlier could have resulted in a completely different outcome for my husband. There might have been a chance we could have controlled it. Now all we can do is hope for a few more months. There’s no hope of a cure anymore.

“Since having the diagnosis, I can’t fault the NHS at all. They’re looking after him, keeping him alive for me. I couldn’t say a bad word about the care he’s received. I just wish that we’d been listened to sooner.” Kayleigh has launched an following Kevin's life-changing diagnosis.

Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Integrated Care Board (ICB) has issued a statement on behalf of Willow Bank Surgery. An ICB spokesperson said: “Our thoughts are with the patient. We are committed to ensuring all patient concerns are dealt with appropriately. Due to patient confidentiality, we cannot discuss individual cases.” A Royal Stoke spokesman added: "We would encourage Mr Coles to speak to our patient advice and liaison team to raise any concerns about care so we can fully investigate.”