WARNING GRAPHIC IMAGES: Chelsea Gallimore, 33, woke up in agony one morning and was barely able to move for six hours after initially believing her stomach pain was just constipation
A mum who thought her swollen stomach was due to being constipated was later diagnosed with a rare incurable cancer.
Chelsea Gallimore, 33, was rushed to hospital after she woke up in agony one morning and was barely able to move for six hours. The mum-of-one had previously experienced abdominal pain, night sweats and fatigue, which she thought were symptoms of constipation.
Scans later revealed an an eight-centimetre mass on her bowel, and a biopsy later confirmed she had a gastrointestinal stromal tumour – known as GIST. The rare cancer affects only about 900 people each year in the UK.
It is most commonly diagnosed in people aged between 55 and 65 – making Chelsea’s diagnosis at the age of 31 particularly unusual. Chelsea, of Prescot, Merseyside, said: “I woke one day with a swollen stomach and pain unlike anything I had experienced before.
“I rang an ambulance and when I went into hospital, I had tests and scans done. The next day, they told me I had an eight-centimetre tumour on my bowel.
“I didn’t know how to process it. I felt like I wasn’t living my own life, like it had to be a different person. You read about these things, but you never expect them to happen to you. I felt quite numb.
“I just brushed the swollen stomach, the night sweats and fatigue down to just being constipated. You never think it could be something like this.
“I was on constipation medication from the GP, that’s why I waited six hours to call an ambulance – I didn’t want to look like I was being dramatic.” Chelsea underwent surgery in March 2024 and began treatment using imatinib, a targeted drug that blocks cancer cells from growing.
She stopped taking the drug in June 2025 and, after scans in October appeared stable, doctors decided to keep her off the medication. But she needed an emergency CT scan on New Year’s Eve and was told two weeks later that the cancer had returned.
Another scan four weeks later showed it had progressed significantly and spread to other parts of her body. Chelsea was then told the disease was incurable and inoperable. She is now receiving treatment intended to prolong her life but doctors cannot say how long it will continue working.
Chelsea said: “I’m in a lot of pain all the time and on a high dose of pain relief. I’m sleeping a lot and I’m under the palliative care team.”
Chelsea, who has an 11-year-old son called Milo with partner Andrew Mason, 29, said the diagnosis has devastated her family.
She now has scans every three months to check whether the treatment is continuing to hold the cancer back. Chelsea said: “It has been heartbreaking, because the cancer is incurable.
“I’m on treatment to prolong my life, but they can’t say how long it will work for. I have a scan every three months – and, right now, I just feel like I’m living from scan to scan.
“It’s hard for us all, I’ve had to have difficult conversations about end-of-life wishes and funeral arrangements. I’m only 33, it’s not something I’d ever want.”
Chelsea and Andrew are now planning to marry in November after discussing their future during her stay in a hospice. The couple decided they wanted to bring their family and friends together to celebrate while Chelsea was still able to enjoy the occasion with them.
She is documenting her cancer journey on social media to raise awareness of GIST and encourage people to seek medical advice when something does not feel right.
According to Cancer Research UK, people with an early stage GIST often do not have any symptoms and so they are diagnosed at later stages of the disease. These later symptoms include pain or discomfort in the tummy, a feeling of fullness, being sick and feeling very tired.
It is a rare type of sarcoma found in the wall of the digestive system. It is most often found in the stomach, but it can also grow in other parts. Chelsea has also urged those experiencing constipation to monitor their symptoms to ensure it is not the result of something more serious.
Her story has also been read in Parliament during discussions which led to the Rare Cancers Act, passed this year. Chelsea said: “The cancer is so rare that I’d never heard of it. There needs to be more awareness of the symptoms.”