'Bloating made it hard to walk - then doctors told me I had three months to live'

A grandma was struck with the devastating news of terminal cancer after severe bloating led her to appear "nine months pregnant". Julie Butler, 55, initially thought she had fibroids following weight gain and abdominal pain.

Initially diagnosed with non-cancerous growths, the Wakefield mum-of-two faced a two-year delay for a vital hysterectomy due to COVID-19, battling with increased bloating and mobility issues in the interim. In a shocking turn during a hospital admission in September 2022 for a bowel blockage, surgeons discovered and removed her lower bowel and two unanticipated tumours.

The biopsy results confirmed Julie had stage three colon cancer, which within a year progressed to stage four, having spread to her lung, liver, and spleen. Despite ongoing chemotherapy, the cancer continued to grow, prompting her husband Robert, 54, to launch a GoFundMe campaign to secure £40,000 for a crucial treatment named Trans arterial chemoembolization (TACE).

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TACE - a procedure involving targeted chemotherapy and a subsequent cut-off of the blood supply to the tumour - is offered on the for primary liver cancer patients but not those like Julie with secondary liver malignancies. Speaking about her ordeal, the catering assistant expressed her heartache: "When I was diagnosed with stage four cancer, I was devastated. I have a granddaughter, and I was thinking about how I wanted to see her grow up."

Julie revealed: "The day I got told I was stage four, I was worried I would never see her in her first school uniform. I was worried that I would not be able to see her grow up. We are at the point where the chemotherapy is not working for me, and we need to try something new."

Back in 2020, Julie visited her GP after unexpectedly gaining two stone and suffering from abdominal pain. Tests, including an ultrasound and hysteroscopy, led to a diagnosis of fibroids in March 2020, and a recommendation for a hysterectomy.

However, due to covid-related delays, Julie didn't undergo the procedure until July 2022.

Julie recalled: "In those two years, I could barely walk, but doctors couldn't put a finger on it. I was bloated all the time, it looked like I was nine months pregnant."

Even after the hysterectomy, Julie's severe bloating persisted. A follow-up scan revealed a bowel blockage, prompting another operation.

Julie explained: "During the operation they removed my lower bowel and found that I had two tumours that were causing the problem. They said the tumours had gone into my lymph nodes, so they removed them too. They told me it was cancer, but sent the tumours off for a biopsy to double-check."

After a biopsy confirmed Julie had colon cancer, she was informed by doctors that they were 95 per cent sure all the cancer was removed, though they could not be absolutely certain. Post two major operations, Julie was too unwell to start chemotherapy.

A year on and feeling unwell again, Julie underwent an MRI, CT, and PET scan in April 2023, which revealed her cancer had spread to her lung, liver, and spleen, leading to a stage four diagnosis. Devastated by the news delivered on the same day that she had just three months to live, Julie has nonetheless outlived those predictions.

Julie said: "Being told you have three months to live is devastating. It was a horrible thing to experience, I can't explain it."

Julie embarked on chemotherapy in July 2024 and concluded the treatment in April 2025. Despite facing three different chemotherapy regimens, her cancer continues to progress.

Robert, a hedge cutter by trade, said: "The chemo has been very aggressive, but the doctors have told us it is not ready. The NHS wants to try a fourth chemo, but it is a catch-22 situation."

He went on to elaborate on the dangers Julie faces: "Her liver is in serious trouble. If we carry on with the chemo and it doesn't work, she will end up with liver failure."

Now, the couple is looking to Germany for the TACE treatment and are trying to raise £40,000 for the journey.

Robert said: "We have no choice now, we need to try it. If we don't try this, Julie is going to die, we have to do it. We are waiting for some blood test results to come back before we fly over there, we are hoping to head over there soon.

"My faith in the has been restored. We have been in such a dark place for so long. The fact that people have been donating to help Julie shows that angels exist and there are good people out there."

For more details, see the funding page.