Previously healthy, a 29-year-old lady recently posted her story on Reddit after learning she had stage three cancer.
She clarified how four common health problems may be confused with the condition. Many people still think that cancer mostly affects elderly people, however this case emphasizes that younger people also have major danger.
Actually, rates of cancer among younger individuals have been rising recently; researchers are working to find the cause of this trend. This woman related her colon cancer experience as well as her pre-diagnosis symptoms. She said in the “Ask Me Anything” part that young adult colon cancer rates kept increasing annually. She said she works out three to four times a week and that she finished a personal record half marathon last year and considers herself as active and healthy. She says she’s not flawless even if she eats better than many of her friends.
This is a wake-up call for each of us to give our health top priority regardless of age.
During a colonoscopy, a woman undergoing testing revealed she had no hereditary risk factor for cancer but did find a tumor. Her severe symptoms led her first to believe she had internal hemorrhoids or ulcerative colitis.
“Since December, I noticed dark blood and mucus in my stool, my bowel motions were more frequent, and they were thinner than usual,” she said. “January saw me visit my primary care physician, who sent me a colonoscopy referral. But because of my deductible and lack of desire to pay for it, I postponed the operation when my symptoms cleared up.
Early April was her colonoscopy date. When she woke the doctor told her about the lump they discovered.
The woman underlined the need of consulting a doctor for everyone who was having symptoms similar to hers since this would help to achieve mental calm. She said that symptoms of colon cancer could be similar to those of other diseases that can be cured including irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), ulcerative colitis, celiac disease, and Crohn’s disease.
Although worrying is natural, seeing a doctor can help to reduce that anxiety. She believed it would be better to know what your body is going through.
Typical colon cancer symptoms consist in:
- Changes in bowel habits
- blood in or on the stool
- constipation or diarrhea
- ongoing stomach pain or cramps
- unexplained weight loss
People should be alert to these symptoms and see a doctor right away.