When Mike Turner started spending what felt like an eternity on the loo, his kids started to notice.

Little did they know, those prolonged bathroom breaks were a chilling sign of something far more sinister than a dodgy stomach.

The dad-of-three, from Gorton, Greater Manchester, had been battling a constellation of worrying symptoms since September 2024: constipation, bouts of diarrhea, rectal bleeding, and an overall struggle to, well, *go*.

"In the beginning, he would really struggle," his partner, Lucy Murphy, 37, told Manchester Evening News. "He stayed on the toilet for a good 30 to 60 minutes, like, 20 times a day!"

The kids, bless their hearts, grew concerned. "They would knock on the door like, 'Dad, I need to go!'" Lucy recounted.

Alarm bells *should* have been ringing, but what happened next is a tale of medical misjudgment that could cost Mike his future.

Losing what Lucy described as a "cup full of blood" every time he went to the bathroom, Mike finally sought help at A&E. But their experience left them feeling utterly dismissed.

After hours of waiting, a doctor performed a quick internal exam and nonchalantly declared it was "probably piles."

Lucy wasn't buying it. "I told them, 'I've got three children, I've had piles! That's not consistent with piles.'"

Her gut screamed something was terribly wrong, but it felt like no one was listening. "When the doctor said it was probably piles, I honestly felt my soul leave my body," she confessed.

Determined to get answers, Lucy and Mike fought tooth and nail for a proper diagnosis.

Finally, on December 17th, Mike underwent biopsies, but the initial results were inconclusive. A second sigmoidoscopy – a procedure involving a camera-equipped tube to examine the rectum and lower large intestine – was scheduled for January 6, 2025, yielding 16 more biopsies.

Then came the hammer blow. On January 23rd, they received the devastating news: Mike had stage two bowel cancer.

While bleeding *can* be caused by hemorrhoids, it's crucial to rule out the possibility of bowel cancer, as the symptoms can often overlap. Early detection is paramount.

Mike underwent surgery and chemotherapy. But in October, the unthinkable happened: the cancer had spread. He was now at stage four.

Lucy says NHS doctors have informed them that palliative care is the only option. But the family refuses to give up hope.

They believe a specialized procedure called cytoreductive surgery (CRS) with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy could remove the tumor and extend Mike's life.

This involves removing tumors from the abdomen and using heated chemotherapy drugs to target any remaining microscopic cancer cells.

Time is of the essence, and they're turning to private treatment to avoid further delays. A Crowdfunding page has been launched to raise the funds needed for this potentially life-saving surgery.

"We're just looking at going private because it's the time aspect," Lucy explained. "We haven't got the time to wait and do it on the NHS."

The impact on the family is profound. "The kids are getting affected as well," Lucy shared. "My seven-year-old is really starting to suffer. She's worrying at school. Our life has literally stopped."

"There's no planning of a future, there's no planning of holidays. Me and Mike have spent the best part of our year spending time together in cancer wards."

In a heartbreaking plea on the Crowdfunding page, Lucy wrote, "We need this for our girls to have their daddy. He should be there to watch them grow. They need their daddy. I need their daddy."

You can donate to their fundraiser here.

If you experience any symptoms of bowel cancer for three weeks or more, don't delay – see a GP immediately.

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