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🇭🇷 Croatia /Health & Science

Mother diagnosed with bowel cancer after daughter spots warning sign: “Do not ignore this”

From Večernji List · () Croatian

Translated from Croatian and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

In-depth Sources not specified Ongoing story
  • Vicky Mcloughlin was diagnosed with stage-three bowel cancer in November 2024 after her daughter pushed for further tests.
  • The cancer spread to the cervix and caused a fistula, repeated sepsis, infections and hospital admissions; doctors in two hospitals declined surgery because of the risks.
  • Her daughter says surgery is the family’s only hope of a cure, while doctors believe it could leave Mcloughlin with a worse quality of life.

Vicky Mcloughlin’s bowel cancer was diagnosed after her daughter refused to accept that persistent problems going to the toilet had no clear cause. Chloe noticed that her 66-year-old mother had been struggling for two weeks and took her to an emergency department when initial examinations failed to explain the symptoms.

Tests found a mass in Mcloughlin’s abdomen. A biopsy confirmed stage-three bowel cancer, which had spread to the area around the cervix. The tumor later created a fistula, an opening between the bowel and cervix, leading to severe complications. Mcloughlin underwent surgery to receive a stoma, and tubes were later inserted through her back into her kidneys to drain urine.

It was too much to process when she was diagnosed. We never imagined we would get to this point or be in the situation we are in now. The only way to cure her is surgery.

· Chloe McloughlinShe described her mother’s diagnosis and argued that tumor-removal surgery was the only chance of a cure.

Chloe says her mother has fought sepsis five times over the past two years. Persistent infections and fluid build-up have led to frequent hospital stays. Because of her condition, Mcloughlin could not receive chemotherapy. She underwent two courses of radiotherapy, but the disease continued to progress.

They say she would have a better quality of life without surgery, but in my view that is not true.

· Chloe McloughlinShe disputed the hospitals’ reasoning for refusing the operation.

Chloe appealed to doctors at Solihull Hospital and St Mark’s Hospital in London to remove the tumor. Both teams refused, explaining that the operation carried serious risks, including the possible loss of a leg and a poorer quality of life. Chloe says her mother can no longer use the toilet normally and depends on bags and tubes.

“It was too much to process when she was diagnosed. We never imagined we would get to this point or be in the situation we are in now,” Chloe said. “The only way to cure her is surgery.” She said the family spends every other week in hospital and described the situation as “a living nightmare.”

This is torture, a living nightmare. I no longer know what to do.

· Chloe McloughlinShe described the family’s repeated hospital stays and her mother’s deteriorating condition.
About this summary

Originally published by Večernji List in Croatian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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