'I thought I was lactose intolerant, but the symptoms were bowel cancer'

'I thought I was lactose intolerant, but the symptoms were bowel cancer'The 39-year-old tried changing her diet, but she needed urgent careCommentsNewsNeil Shaw Assistant Editor (Money and Lifestyle)08:40, 14 Apr 2026View 4 ImagesCheyenne suffered from tummy cramps for monthsA woman who suffered from stomach cramps for months initially thought she had a dairy intolerance before being diagnosed with bowel cancer. Cheyenne Midwinter, 39, began to notice her stomach didn't "feel right", which she originally thought might be because of her period.‌When things didn't improve, Cheyenne cut out caffeine, spicy food and began drinking more water to see if it'd make a difference. But when it continued to get worse and Cheyenne began suffering from loose stools, blood in her stools and needing to go to the toilet as soon as she'd eaten, Cheyenne decided to see a doctor.‌After initial blood tests, Cheyenne had a colonoscopy which revealed a large tumour blocking her bowels - she was eventually diagnosed with bowel cancer after a biopsy. She underwent four rounds of infused and oral chemotherapy before she had surgery to remove the tumour, as well as a hysterectomy.‌View 4 ImagesCheyenne cut out caffeine, spicy food and began drinking more waterWhile still under surveillance, mum-of-two Cheyenne is now in her recovery stage. Cheyenne, a supermarket cashier from Kingston upon Thames, said: "I thought it was either a dairy intolerance, or it was IBS. No part of me that thought it could be cancer at that point. My grandfather died from bowel cancer, but he was in his mid 80s so when I shared that with the first doctor, they said that was more common at that age.‌"When they told me and my husband, Dan, that they had found a tumour, it was devastating, as you think the worst. I had the impression that it was going to be cancerous after they found it - even though they didn't have the biopsy results."Cheyenne, who initially...