A 20-year-old man with terminal cancer recalls how doctors dismissed his health concerns multiple times as 'growing pains.'
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According to a report by The Bristol Post, Graeme Porter was just 19 when he started noticing worrying symptoms. Porter told doctors that he was suffering from pain in his lower back, weight loss, and fatigue. He reportedly shed four stone in five weeks, but doctors presumed he would be on the mend without their help.
Unfortunately, the doctors were wrong, and after a biopsy in June 2023, Porter was diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma in the base of his spine. Per the Mayo Clinic, Ewing sarcoma is a type of cancer that begins as a growth of cells around soft tissue around bones or the bones themselves. It typically happens in young adults and children but can occur at any age.
The Ewing sarcoma eventually spread to Porter's lung. Doctors also reportedly found a 10-centimeter mass. The Bristol Post notes that Graeme took the news that his cancer was incurable with 'remarkable resilience.'
Graeme Is Using TikTok To Encourage People To Have Medical Checkups
Despite previous misdiagnosis, Graeme is using social media to spread awareness and highlight the importance of medical checks. "I think looking back on it with my personal experience, it is easy to say it was a misjudgment," he told The Bristol Post. "However, with the amount of young people having cancer being low, especially in such a small city, I don't think saying it's cancer should be the first response. However, I do think it should be on the cards as a background thought or check, just to be safe."
One TikTok post from December reads, 'Things Doctors have told me which turned out to be cancer. Blood clot, growing pain, muscle pain, infection, kidney stones, urinary infection. Always get your symptoms checked, no matter how minor.
Graeme has even posted about specific challenges he has faced, like hotel wheelchair access. A friend of the family has set up a GoFundMe to raise funds to send Graeme to Australia as his last wish. The fundraiser explains that it's something he has always wanted to do, but health insurance prices are making it a challenge.
