Not long ago, Andrew Walker, a 31-year-old father of two and avid rugby player, started noticing something odd: He couldn’t heal quickly from “random injuries.”
“I just put everything down to having a busy lifestyle and being tired,” Walker told South West News Service, via The Daily Mail. ”I also put it down to being a little bit older.”
Walker, a captain for Bradford Dudley Hill RLFC in West Yorkshire, England, shared that after getting an infected cut on his finger, he spent 11 days in the hospital as doctors tried to figure out why they couldn’t get this infection under control.
Bradford Dudley Hill RLFC player Andrew Walker.
Bradford Dudley Hill RLFC / SWNS
It wasn’t until a fecal sample detected blood in his stool that doctors realized something bigger was happening. Tests determined that the rugby captain had bowel — or colorectal — cancer.
“I was expecting to go for a scan, have some samples taken and go home. I didn’t expect it to turn into a whirlwind,” Walker told SWNS, theorizing that his body was so busy fighting the cancer that it ‘couldn’t deal” with injuries and other wounds.
Walker was right: As a report from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center said, “metastasis-initiating cells employ a devilish trick to spread: They co-opt the body’s natural wound-healing abilities.”
Andrew and Becki Walker with their two children.
Andrew Walker / SWNS
The civil engineer underwent surgery to have half of his bowel removed — and his lymph nodes as well, as a preventative measure, in case the cancer had spread.
Walker’s case is not unique: This year’s report from the American Cancer Society noted an “alarming” rise in rates of colorectal cancer in those younger than 50 — far below what’s considered the “at-risk” age where doctors begin to screen for the cancer.
Walker did not disclose how far his cancer had progressed — but did say he’s still awaiting tests to see if he needs more treatment.
“Even if I get the all-clear, then it’s not the end of it because you have five years minimum of tests,” Walker said. “It’s good because they are keeping an eye on you, but it takes it out of you.”
“I would say go and get checked, if you are unsure then a blood test. It takes a minute and that can spot early signs,” he told SWNS.
“It’s not just the affect it will have on you, it’s also the affect on your family and your friends.”
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