A mother of two has been placed under end-of-life care after extreme fatigue turned out to be the sole symptom of advanced, terminal bowel cancer.
Karen Kennerley, 57, from Lancashire, first began feeling unusually tired in December 2022. After a blood test, her GP suggested it was probably due to an iron deficiency.
As a full-time teacher, Karen initially thought the fatigue was simply a result of her demanding job.
“I worked in a small school for students with special educational needs, and I was putting in a lot of effort at the time — I was just exhausted,” she recalled.
However, a doctor recommended that Ms. Kennerley undergo a colonoscopy to “rule out” any serious bowel issues that could be behind her symptoms.
The colonoscopy involves inserting a thin, flexible tube with a camera into the bowel through the back passage to capture images of the digestive system.
“Everyone kept telling me I was fit and healthy, that there was nothing to worry about, but they were doing the tests just to rule things out,” she said.
The procedure ultimately uncovered a tumour in her bowel, but doctors reassured her it was non-cancerous.
Karen Kennerley, 57, from Lancashire, began feeling fatigued in December 2022. After a blood test, her GP suggested it was probably due to an iron deficiency. She is pictured here with her husband, Craig.
She underwent surgery to remove the growth in May 2023, but the surgeon halted the procedure after noticing the lesion looked “suspicious.”
Biopsies were taken, and the results confirmed the lesion was cancerous, with the earlier diagnosis based on a “sampling error.”
Ms. Kennerley was “devastated” to learn she had stage three bowel (colon) cancer, meaning the disease had spread to nearby glands but not yet to other organs.
She recalled, “I was devastated to go from being told it was benign to then being told I have stage three colon cancer. There were so many emotions. I was obviously heartbroken, then incredibly scared.”
In June 2023, Karen underwent major surgery to remove the tumour and part of her large intestine.
Her care was then transferred to the Christie Hospital in Manchester, where she received eight rounds of chemotherapy.
In March the following year, Ms. Kennerley was rushed to the hospital with suspected appendicitis. However, scans revealed fast-growing tumours on her ovaries and in the thin layer of tissue lining her abdominal wall.
However, additional tests eventually revealed a tumour in her bowel, though doctors reassured her that it was non-cancerous.
However, tragically, subsequent biopsies revealed that the growth was, in fact, cancerous, with the earlier diagnosis based on a “sampling error.”
“While I was there, they performed a total hysterectomy,” she said.
“During the surgery, the surgeon examined my liver and wasn’t happy with how it felt or looked.”
After the operation, an MRI scan revealed that tumours had developed on her liver.
Though doctors could offer chemotherapy to try to shrink the tumours, they made it clear that it was unlikely to eliminate the cancer.
“Unfortunately, because the cancer has now spread to my liver, the NHS can only offer palliative chemotherapy,” she said. “I’ve been through so much, but my time is running out.”
Now, Ms. Kennerley is placing her hopes on a specialised chemotherapy treatment available in Germany, which costs around £30,000.
Ms. Kennerley has placed her hopes on a specialised chemotherapy treatment available in Germany, which costs around £30,000.
The therapy, which delivers chemotherapy drugs directly into the blood vessels that sustain tumours, is only available on the NHS for liver cancer treatment.
“The results I’ve had so far show that the tumours have shrunk significantly, but I still need further treatment,” she said.
“I’ve had three rounds so far, but now I’m out of money.”
“The mental strain is unbearable, constantly worrying about not being able to work and how I’ll fund the treatment.”
“I’m on statutory sick pay, which runs out at the beginning of April.”
“People with stage four cancer often feel completely abandoned. I want to change that, not just for me, but for everyone else going through this.”
