A MAN has told how he was left in shock after being diagnosed with a rare cancer after putting his stomach ache down to food poisoning.
After weeks of suffering, Paylen Brodbeck, from Sydney, Australia, visited the doctor and was prescribed codeine.
But the tablets didn't do the trick, and Paylen went to the hospital, where doctors feared he had appendicitis.
They decided to operate – and during the surgery noticed Paylen, then 25, had some spots of his liver.
A biopsy was sent for testing, and days later Paylen was stunned to find out he had small blue round cell tumours – a rare type of sarcoma.
He told 7News: "I didn’t really ask too many questions at the time.
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"I do remember they said small cell, and I was like ‘Oh it’s small, so that’s good’ and they said, ‘No, small means it’s really aggressive’.
"I was numb to the whole thing."
Paylen endured several rounds of chemotherapy as well four rounds of immunotherapy following his diagnosis in November 2020.
At first, the cancer reacted well to the treatment but then during 2021, a PET scan showed it was back.
He then went onto a more intense form of treatment, with chemo featuring a drug dubbed "the red devil" which caused total hair loss and ongoing nausea.
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Paylen underwent another PET scan in March, revealing two spots remained on his liver as he signed up for another month of radiation therapy.
He now has the excruciating wait to find out whether he is cancer free or not when his next PET scan result comes in.
Paylen – who was forced to quit his job as a carpenter to focus on treatment – added: "That’s either going to be really good or really bad.
“The last month and a half has probably been the hardest.”
Paylen, now 27, says he tries to look at things positively despite his diagnosis.
He said: "I try to not say no to anything now.
“You start to look at the world differently.
“You kind of think you’re pretty lucky to even end up here, so you might as well enjoy it.”
Paylen says the cancer has taken its toll on his mental health and his relationship with his girlfriend.
He said: "She’s always been there to help me. It’s reinforced that she’s definitely the one.
“(But) if you can’t really see what’s going to happen in the future … what do you do? It’s hard.
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Paylen's pal James Sloane set up a fundraiser for cash for him and his girlfriend to spend making memories together.
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