This Morning star Trevor Sorbie has revealed he has "weeks to live" and said he refused chemotherapy treatment.
The legendary hairdresser, 75, announced the sad news that he has terminal bowel cancer, which has now spread to his liver, on the show last month. Speaking to hosts Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard, Trevor admitted he might not make it to Christmas.
The This Morning regular, who has cut the hair of celebrities including Adam Ant, Bryan Ferry, George Harrison, Paul McCartney, the Beach Boys, Kylie Minogue, Grace Jones, Robbie Williams, and Lorraine Kelly, said he was informed by doctors that chemotherapy might give him an extra month to live. But he admitted he didn't want to do it any longer as he said: "I can't face any more of that poison."
Image:
Getty Images Europe)During an interview with The Times, Trevor revealed: "When I asked a nurse if I'd still be here at Christmas, she said, 'We don't know, Trevor.' And that annoyed me."
"I've got cancer in my body, but not in here," he added, tapping his head. "My brain is my engine and I'll go when I'm ready." Chemotherapy is a cancer treatment that uses drugs to kill cancer cells and stop them from growing and spreading.
When a patient has terminal cancer, chemotherapy may be helpful in shrinking the cancer, improving or completely eliminating the symptoms, helping you live longer and with a better quality of life. The use of chemotherapy in these situations is called palliative chemotherapy.
Trevor said his diagnosis began when he experienced severe bleeding, prompting him to visit the doctor. He recounted: "I lost a lot of blood one night and was unusually disturbed so went to hospital. They told me I had bowel cancer and I had a little panic attack. I looked at Carole [his wife] and she looked at me, we were both speechless, didn't know what to say. So I went and had a big gin and tonic."
In 2009, he gave up salon work to focus on his charity, My New Hair, which he set up after cutting a wig for his sister-in-law, Jackie, who was having chemotherapy for bone cancer. He has taught thousands of hairdressers not only to cut wigs, but how to communicate with people who are at the end of their lives.
Trevor also paid tribute to his wife Carole who has been "Florence Nightingale and Mother Teresa rolled into one." It was Carole who called an ambulance one night in 2019 after he began bleeding heavily. He said he didn't have symptoms before apart from diarrhoea and constipation he had experienced for a few months, which he had ignored.
Surgery removed a tumour from his bowel. He was told there was a five per cent chance of it coming back and unfortunately, it did. Speaking about his hopes, he said: "I want to live every day enjoying what I've got and making the most of it.
Trevor said he intends to die at home, though not quite yet, and added he doesn't want a funeral. He said: "Too upsetting. When the time comes my ashes will be interred with Carole's and our little dog. But I'm going to defy medical science. If the cancer reaches my brain, then I'll accept it, but until then, I'm in charge, and I'm going on my terms."
The NHS says symptoms of bowel cancer may include:
- changes in your poo, such as having softer poo, diarrhoea or constipation that is not usual for you
- needing to poo more or less often than usual for you
- blood in your poo, which may look red or black
- bleeding from your bottom
- often feeling like you need to poo, even if you've just been to the toilet
- tummy pain
- a lump in your tummy
- bloating
- losing weight without trying
- feeling very tired for no reason
For more information or support about bowel cancer, you can contact Macmillan Cancer Support or you can call 020 7940 1760 for advice.
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