A young woman claims that doctors dismissed her bloating as a common female problem, when in fact it was it was a symptom of a rare cancer. When Bella Bayliss was 25, she started experiencing bloating and stomach pain, shortness of breath and tingling in her hands and feetthe newspaper reports.
She turned to the emergency room, where, according to her, they told her that it was only women’s problems. But the symptoms persisted, Bella she couldn’t eat properly and had trouble managing even Christmas dinner. She was therefore convinced that it was something serious and returned to the hospital, where she requested an endoscopic examination.
The examination revealed a six-centimeter tumor in the stomach, which was a symptom of a gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST), a rare form of cancer caused by a sarcoma arising in the digestive system. Bella, who is from Gloucester, says today she was shocked by the diagnosis and wants to share her story to she raised awareness of the disease and encouraged people to trust their bodies.
A few weeks after the diagnosis she underwent surgery to remove the tumor and 70 percent of her stomach. But in October last year, almost six years after her initial diagnosis, she received the devastating news that her cancer had returned and another operation would be needed.
The administrative worker in transport said that at first she was in shock, because after five years one feels that this chapter of life can be left behind. She added that both she and her parents were devastated and that this time was different because the return of the disease causes her greater concern. She stated that she knew what to expect, but felt extremely overwhelmed and exhausted.
After the last operation, he has problems consuming dairy products and more food. The scar on her stomach affected her self-esteem. Bella said there is currently no cure for her type of cancer and the only solution is surgery. However, she claims that the doctors at the hospital downplayed her symptoms in 2019. She mentioned that she went to the hospital because of severe anemia, but they sent her home saying that it was a woman’s problem, although she herself knew that it was not.
She said she was working in a supermarket at the time and was an early riser, so she initially thought the fatigue was work-related. Gradually, however, she became more and more out of breath during normal activities, was very pale, and had constant stomach pains. She added that she completely lost her appetite, her legs ached and she had tingling in her hands and feet. After returning home, her condition did not improve and she returned to the hospital several months later because she was anemic again. Only then did an endoscopy reveal a tumor in her stomach.
The cancer he suffers from is rare and complex. According to the UK’s National Health Service, GIST is a rare type of sarcoma found in the wall of the digestive system. It is most often found in the stomach, but it can also appear in other parts of the digestive tract. Soft tissue sarcoma is a type of cancer.
A spokesman for Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said they were very sorry that Miss Bayliss’ cancer had returned and understood how devastating it was for her and her family. At the same time, he apologized for the experience of her treatment in 2019 and 2020 and explained that it is a rare diseasewhose diagnosis requires a high degree of clinical vigilance. He added that they regret that the disease was not caught at her first examination, and used her case to emphasize the importance of thorough examinations in similar situations.
