BBC podcast presenter Deborah James, who has stage four bowel cancer, has revealed she remains ‘very weak’ after her latest treatment and said she wonders if she will ‘be here’ next Christmas.
The former deputy head turner cancer campaigner, 40, from London, a mother-of-two, has been living with stage four bowel cancer since she was diagnosed in December 2016, and was told early on that she might not live beyond five years.
Earlier this summer, she was told she had an aggressive new tumour near her liver that had wrapped itself around her bile duct – requiring a life-saving stay in hospital – and further treatment.
And last month, she announced she had rushed to A&E in the early hours of the morning after suffering from a septic infection.
Posting a snap on Instagram as she visited Kew Gardens last night, Deborah revealed she had used a wheelchair to navigate the park, adding: ‘There’s always mixed emotions for me. Will I be here next year, reflections on the what ifs etc.’
BBC podcast presenter Deborah James, 40, who has stage four bowel cancer, has revealed she remains ‘very weak’ after her latest treatment and said she wonders if she will ‘be here’ next Christmas
Posting a snap on Instagram as she visited Kew Gardens last night, Deborah revealed she had used a wheelchair to navigate the park
Writing on the social media site, she explained: ‘Standing here at Kew Gardens to see in another Festive time, is always a privilege.
‘Got a sneak peek tonight at Christmas at Kew which I attend every year – its utterly wonderful and yet again doesn’t disappoint.
‘Kew is one of my magical places in my life (my husband proposed to me here many years ago).’
She continued: ‘This time last year I struggled because I had only just had my lungs cut open yet again! (All the memories came flooding back!) – but this year however I had to get some help going round the trail and borrowed a wheelchair.
The mother-of-two said she is trying to ‘just accept she is in recovery from a pretty harsh medical setback’ and she is ‘doing the best she can’
‘Something I found really difficult to face up to.
‘I wanted to walk it all and tried at first albeit with a trusty stick, but being honest with myself, having not walked beyond 20 minutes in the last month and still very weak trying to get on top of learning to eat and digest food again, I had to just accept I’m in recovery from a pretty harsh medical setback and I’m doing the best I can.
‘Just got to keep building, little by little.’
Deborah added: ‘Bring on the early Christmas magic, because quite frankly the festive vibes are giving me all the smiles at the moment.’
The mother-of-two has spent the last few weeks recovering from an infection, after she was rushed to hospital with a fever.
The mother-of-two has spent the last few weeks recovering from an infection, after she was rushed to hospital with a fever
She shared an update on Instagram last month, writing: ‘Apologies for being quiet on here but it turns out I’m pretty ill at the moment. All your messages have brought a smile to my face at a really tough time.’
She continued: ‘I’m using all my energy to recover and today is the first day I’ve felt able to give you an update.
‘Despite so desperately wanting a break from these hideous cancer treatment side effects, it seemed my body had other ideas.
‘On Wednesday I was admitted with what we now know was another septic infection. I was so ill my incredible husband had to blue light me quickly to A&E.
‘This time all my Bowel issues have come to ahead and I’m currently dealing with a condition called infectious colitis. Essentially I have a bacterial gut infection that is causing colitis – (Bowel inflammation) and is also in my blood stream.
The social media star has documented her battle with cancer online since being diagnosed and campaigned for better awareness around bowel cancer diagnosis
‘I never knew you could poo so much in the space of 5 minutes! And I look about 8 months pregnant! I’m being looked after well, pumped continually full of antibiotics and fluids but of course feel incredibly weak and tired from no sleep.’
She added: ‘Whilst I’ve always wanted to show every side of cancer, right now living through this all is hard and isn’t something I want even my kids to be witness to.
‘I’m just getting through it day by day, second by second and my family have been incredible at rallying around to support.
‘I’m making slow progress and hoping things continue to improve.’
Thanking fans for support, she added: ‘Keep telling those close to you that you love them. Having good health is such a blessing – never take it for granted.’
Last month she revealed how she was rushed to A&E after experiencing ‘spiking 40 degree temperatures’ on Tuesday (pictured)
The Instagram post came just days after she revealed her chemotherapy is working.
The podcast host, who admitted she has suffered the ‘hardest three months’ of her life, posted on social media and indicated her battle with the disease had turned a corner, revealing: ‘MY CHEMO IS WORKING! Words, I wanted to hear, but didn’t allow myself to think might happen.’
She continued: ‘I think I’ve been preparing for the worst actually. I have to say waiting for these scan results has been incredibly hard. In my head I’ve gone to hell and back.
‘These are the first scans since my previous drugs stopped working, my liver packed up, and I got sepsis.
‘We started me back on what was my first line ‘nuclear chemo’ and it’s fair to say it’s floored me.
‘Despite the snippets of smiles and glam dresses I choose to share here (because they are the moments in my day that make me smile), behind closed doors this has been the hardest 3 months since my diagnosis physically (and mentally).’
She revealed doctors have said she is ‘stable’, adding: ‘ Essentially the cancer that was rapidly growing and causing my liver to fail, has been halted at least temporarily.
‘And my lymnodes are even shrinking! Am I cured? No. Will I ever be – No. Do I still have active cancer – sadly yes.
‘But this buys me more time. At least until my next scan!’
Adding she is ‘on her knees’ after having intensive chemotherapy for years, she said: ‘I’m of course over the moon by this news, and know how close I am to have receiving the other side of the coin.
‘But it hasn’t really sunk in because I’ve had my head down the loo for the last 3 days due to chemo and been asleep minus the fleeting windows of prancing you might see!’
She finished the post by writing: ‘But cheers to the blessing of another day, another chance, more options, and more life I didn’t think I’d see! One day at a time!’
And earlier this summer, Deborah celebrated her 40th birthday after fearing it was a milestone she would never see.
Posting online, she wrote she had initially planned a ‘low key’ dinner and dance party for her closest friends and family last week, adding: ‘I’m still blown away by reaching 40, but I really wasn’t sure if I’d cope with anything too crazy.’
And last month, she shared snaps from her wild 40th birthday party after fearing it was a milestone she would never see (pictured left, with popstar Sophie Ellis-Bextor who performed at the event)
HOW DEPUTY HEAD TURNED SOCIAL MEDIA STAR HAS TRANSFORMED BOWEL CANCER AWARENESS
In 2018, Deborah (left) joined Lauren Mahon (front) and Rachael Bland (right) to present the award-winning podcast You, Me and the Big C on Radio 5 Live. Bland tragically died of breast cancer on September 5th that year; her husband Steve Bland now co-presents the show
- In December 2016, the West London mother-of-two, a deputy head, was diagnosed ‘late’ with incurable bowel cancer
- After sharing her experiences on living with the disease on social media, Deborah became known as the ‘Bowel Babe’
- In 2018, she became one of three presenters on Radio 5 Live’s You, Me and the Big C, which was conceived by her late co-host Rachael Bland
- On September 5th 2018, Welsh journalist and presenter Bland, diagnosed with terminal breast cancer, died at the age of 40
- Deborah and her co-host Lauren Mahon continue to present the show, with Steve Bland, Rachael’s husband, joining the duo
- On social media and in her column for the Sun newspaper, Deborah has documented the many chemo, radiotherapy sessions and surgery she’s had since
Last week, Deborah told followers on Instagram ‘By my general lack of being on here (dancing!), that Things have moved (in the wrong direction) very quickly cancer wise.’ Pictured: Deborah James undergoing a scan at the Royal Marsden Hospital in London
- In 2019, she had a procedure known as CyberKnife, a highly targeted form of radiotherapy to attack an inoperable lymph node close to her liver
- The pandemic’s impact on cancer services saw her campaign for care to continue as normal and, earlier this year, she launched the ITV’s Lorraine’s ‘No Butts’ campaign, raising awareness on bowel cancer symptoms
- Since last year, she has been taking new experimental drugs as part of a trial after her oncology team gave her the green light to do so
- August, Deborah revealed that scans she’s had in recent days have revealed her cancer has gone in the ‘wrong direction very quickly’
- She told followers she would be taking a break on social media over the weekend to ‘snuggle’ with her family ahead of more scans
- The mother-of-two said a new ‘rapidly-growing’ tumour near her liver had wrapped itself around her bowel
- On October 1, Deborah celebrates her 40th birthday
- By October 18, the mother-of-two told her followers her chemotherapy is working
- Days later, she was rushed to A&E with ‘spiking 40 degree temperatures’