'I was told I had a urine infection but a CT scan revealed a horrifying diagnosis'
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A mum-of-three was "shocked" to discover she was suffering from stage four bowel cancer - after doctors told her she had a urine infection. Zoe Gardner-Lawson, 36, suddenly began to feel a constant dull pain in her lower back, in August 2024. Her GP diagnosed her with a UTI, and prescribed her five days' worth of antibiotics.
Since the pain refused to go away, Zoe went straight to A&E to find out what was going on - but her condition was deteriorating and doctors didn't know why. That was until October, when a CT scan revealed a 5cm tumour on her bowel. Now, Zoe is on her fifth round of chemotherapy and hopes the minimum age for bowel cancer screenings will one day drop to "at least" 30. Zoe, an HR head-of-department, from Bracknell, Berkshire, said: "If my disease was caught earlier, it would've been easier to treat I think the minimum age for testing needs to reduce.
"My professor, Prof. Jamie Murphy, told me that I could've been living with this tumour for up to four years before my diagnosis - that's terrifying. If all goes well, I still have a chance at achieving a 'no evidence of disease' status, but it all depends on these next couple of years. I'm young enough that they're not considering it a terminal diagnosis just yet.".
Despite feeling "fit and healthy" previously, Zoe began experiencing a constant dull sensation in her lower back. She didn't like going to the GP and rarely felt anxious about her health, but on August 26, decided to book a phone appointment with her doctor. Zoe was told she may have a UTI, and prescribed her with a week's worth of antibiotics. When the feeling didn't go away, she was prescribed two further doses across one month.
