Man thought he felt ill due to work stress - then doctors said it was cancer
A fit and healthy dad who served in the RAF for 24 years is urging other men to get checked after being diagnosed with terminal cancer.
Ian Trushell, 49, thought his low energy levels were due to stress from a new job, but was shocked when he was diagnosed with stage four bowel cancer. Despite never smoking or drinking much, Ian knew something was wrong when he passed a lot of "deep dark blood". Now, he's telling other men not to be embarrassed about getting their prostates checked, as it could save their lives.
Telling their three children was the hardest part for Ian and his wife Sarah. They didn't know if he would make it to Christmas 2022. After 16 rounds of chemotherapy, Ian has found a specialist treatment in Germany that isn't available on the NHS. The treatment could extend his life beyond the initial two-year prognosis, but it costs about £50,000. The family has started a JustGiving fundraiser to help cover the cost.
Ian from Northumberland is telling everyone to not be shy about seeing a doctor after his own health scare. "I've been in the RAF for 24 years and I'm a runner who never smoked, was not a drinker and have always been healthy," he shared with PA Real Life. "So I want people to see this and think, well if it could happen to him, it could happen to anyone."
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"Even if you are fit as a fiddle, if you have any concerns, your energy levels are low or you're passing blood, then get yourself to the doctor. They'll check for piles, which is a finger up the bum, and I know some people get embarrassed about that. But I want people to get over that and look at the bigger picture that they may catch your cancer early. So don't be daft, because it could literally save your life."
Ian thought he just had tummy troubles but found out it was much more during a tough time in Oman. "It was quite a stressful deployment because at the time everyone was pulling out of Afghanistan," he explained. "I felt OK, but 5km runs - which I normally don't have any issues with - felt like half marathons. I just put it down to stress, the heat and just getting older, so I didn't think anything of it."
Ian, who had recently started a new job as an information communications technician at Royal Air Force Boulmer in Northumberland, was feeling constantly tired. Despite his short eight-mile journey to work, which he would either walk or cycle, he felt "absolutely shattered" and "worn out" by the time he arrived.
RAF Sergeant Ian Trushell, 49, served 24 years in the RAF before being diagnosed with stage four bowel cancer (PA Real Life)Three months into his new role, Ian experienced a scary moment when he went to the loo with a tummy ache and saw a lot of "deep dark blood". "I could tell it wasn't good because it was really deep dark blood and there was a lot of it," he shared. He immediately visited the base's medical unit where a GP checked him for piles but found none.
The doctor told him not to worry just yet, suggesting it could be internal piles. "Obviously it's a digit up the bum and he couldn't find anything." Ian explained. He was then referred for a colonoscopy, a procedure that checks the bowels for any issues. "It's not pleasant, but it needs to be done," Ian admitted. After the procedure, the doctor expressed his concern, saying he'd rather be wrong, but what he saw appeared to be a cancerous growth.
Ian was hoping the growth could be removed, but scans showed the cancer had spread to his liver. "I wasn't a candidate for surgery because the metastasis on my liver was akin to a shotgun blast, where it's scattered all over," he explained.
On August 31, 2022, Ian was diagnosed with stage four bowel cancer and told that surgery wasn't an option. "It was a surreal moment because the surgeon's tone of voice was so negative," he said. "When we left the appointment, I didn't know if I would still be alive at Christmas [2022]. They just let you leave and you're like, cheers, maybe see you later, maybe not."
His wife Sarah described this period as particularly tough as they didn't have a "plan of attack" and she couldn't sleep for two weeks. "It just felt like they had given him a death sentence because never mind Christmas, I was like are you going to survive the week?" Sarah shared.
A few weeks later, Ian met with a cancer specialist and started eight rounds of chemotherapy. He was also told that the average prognosis for someone with his condition is two years. The toughest part was breaking the news to their three teenage children Henry, George and Eloise.
"How do you sugarcoat something like that to children? You can't. In the end I couldn't tell them I couldn't face it. I took the dogs out for a walk while Sarah told them." Ian confessed.
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Ian was told that surgery was not an option because the disease had already spread to many parts of his liver (PA Real Life)Sarah shared: "Rightly or wrongly we waited until we had that chemo plan to tell them because otherwise I would have completely broken down. Obviously they were upset but they took it incredibly well and I think that's because I was able to say right, and here's the plan, here's what's going to happen."
The couple sought a second opinion from another oncologist and joined support groups like the Bowel Cancer UK Forum and Colontown. They found out about specialist cancer treatments, especially one called TACE, which blocks the tumour's blood supply and delivers a high dose of chemo directly to the liver.
Sadly, these treatments are not available on the NHS for Ian, so he has to go private, costing thousands of pounds. To help with the expenses, the family started a JustGiving fundraiser for £50,000, which has already received £20,458.
"It's just a case of keeping me alive for as long as possible," said Ian, who has now had 16 rounds of chemotherapy in total. "Situations like this really show you how generous people are. It really spurs you on, it's like I'm fighting for them now too."
Pascale Harvie, the boss of JustGiving, said: "I was very sorry to hear Ian's story but, like so many others, I'm inspired by his strength and dedication in not only beating this devastating illness, but also in his efforts to raise vital awareness of getting checked. Hundreds of generous people across communities have so far supported Ian and we can't wait to see him reach his crowdfunding target, so he can get the treatment he needs."
To support Ian visit www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/Sgt-Ian-Trushell
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