I heard a loud POP at the gym then felt agonising pain

IN a bid to lose weight, Alex Blackwell became an “avid” gym-goer, usually only lifting light weights.

During one session, he thought he’d pulled a muscle when his stomach “popped” – but he ended up nearly dying from a “burst” bowel.

On October 26th, Alex was at the gym taking a short break to refill his water bottle when he felt a “pop” on the lower left side of his stomach, thinking he had pulled a muscle during his workout.

The 51-year-old veteran said he wasn’t concerned until later that afternoon when he felt a “stabbing” pain in the same area.

Alex’s wife, Lisa Blackwell, decided to call 999 the next morning and paramedics took Alex to Gloucester Royal Hospital, where a CT scan revealed he had a perforated bowel.

Alex, from Gloucester, Gloucestershire, said: “I was exercising as normal, no heavy weights or anything, just trying to lose weight.

“I finished what I was doing and walked to the water fountain. I managed to fill up my water bottle and as I turned I thought ‘that didn’t feel good’.

“I thought I must have just pulled something, so I went swimming, went into the steam room and the Jacuzzi and started to feel uncomfortable and I went home.

“Later on that afternoon I had a little bit to eat and I couldn’t eat it, I told my wife I don’t feel good, I’m sore and I’m going to lie down.

“I had stabbing pains in my stomach on the lower left hand side and they would come and go.

“It was like somebody turned a knife in my stomach and I was doubled up in pain, I couldn’t move.”

Lisa, 39, said she feared for her husband’s life after she received a call a couple of days later saying he was taken in for emergency surgery.

Alex was in so much pain before the surgery he can’t remember anything.

All he remembers is being in pain and talking to his wife.

Lisa said: “Alex is an avid gym person, he goes quite a few times a week, he knows all about his health, goes swimming and just in general fitness.

“We thought it was something with his appendix at first but it was on the wrong side. He didn’t have any other symptoms that showed it could be a perforated bowel.

“I called 999 and told them all of Alex’s symptoms. Paramedics came, they couldn’t figure out what was wrong and they took him into the ambulance.

“I went back to work on Wednesday, I went home and got a phone call to say ‘Come back in, we’re taking him for emergency surgery’ because it was a lot worse than they thought.

The surgeon saved his life, Alex could have died. I feared for his life and the surgeon did

Lisa Blackwell

“I got a phone call from his surgeon at four in the morning saying Alex is now in recovery, it was a lot worse than what we thought.

“The surgeon saved his life, Alex could have died. I feared for his life and the surgeon did.

“He was out of it for a good couple of days, hallucinating, hearing voices, temperature was up and down.”

Doctors reportedly said Alex’s condition started off as a bowel infection, which caused diverticulitis, a condition that can cause the bowel to “burst”.

Now, Alex says he suffers with mental health problems and has to get used to living life with a stoma bag.

Lisa said: “He is tired and weak, having to realise he has a pouch on the side of his stomach.

“They removed quite a big part of Alex’s bowel and put it through his abdominal wharf so now he defecates into a bag.

“It started off as diverticulitis, which is inflammation of the bowel.

“It looks like a piece of faeces got stuck in the bowel itself and that can cause an infection and the infection starts eating away at the bowel and then it just pops.”

Alex added: “I feel horrible. They just moved everything inside. I remember waking up after the operation screaming and not being able to move.

“I had wires [coming from] from everywhere. I looked like something out of a horror movie. I looked like I aged 50 years in two weeks.

“It’s a massive shock knowing that I’m going to have a bag stuck to my side for the rest of my life.

“I’m not going to be able to use the toilet again properly, I suffer a bit with mental health anyway from being ex-forces so it’s frightening.

“I’ve spoken to Help for Heroes and Lisa has tried to help get us funding to help with bills and food.

“I’m off work so it’s very stressful and very worrying. I want to help my wife but I can’t, I’m not allowed

“It will get easier but I don’t know how much. I’m going to have to learn to live completely differently.

“We’re trying to not let it get to us.”

While Alex continues to recover, Lisa has created a GoFundMe to help the couple with living costs as Alex has been left unable to work.

You can donate to Alex’s cause here.