After experiencing a challenging journey to cancer diagnosis, a man emphasizes the importance of persistence and listening to one’s body when something feels off.
John shared his story of being diagnosed with cancer, highlighting that a chatbot, ChatGPT, provided a quicker diagnosis than his healthcare providers.
John has a condition known as hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT).
According to Mayo Clinic, HHT leads to abnormal connections between arteries and veins, known as arteriovenous malformations.
For some individuals, HHT can increase the likelihood of developing polyps, which are non-cancerous tissue growths commonly located in the colon, uterus, or nose.
Aware of this condition, John noticed something was amiss when he began to experience severe gastrointestinal discomfort after meals, which was often followed by vomiting.
Initially, he suspected constipation or possible side effects of his HHT, but as symptoms persisted, he realized something more serious was happening.
“I actually thought that it was potentially a bowel obstruction,” John explained in an interview with The Patient Story regarding his initial symptoms in February 2025.
Driven by concern, he repeatedly consulted his doctors, and his persistence eventually led to a breakthrough.
“They actually found a bowel obstruction and colon cancer,” he added, noting that this discovery followed four emergency room visits over two months.
When the pain was most severe prior to his diagnosis, John felt ‘completely hopeless’ and resorted to a liquid diet to alleviate his symptoms.
“I felt like none of my care team or physicians believed what I was telling them,” he remarked.
Upon finally receiving the diagnosis he had sought, John felt a sense of relief.
“Knowing it was cancer, that didn’t even trouble me much,” he remarked. “Just knowing that I had finally, you know, had an actual diagnosis— I’ll be honest, I think my actual family and friends did much worse and were more emotionally troubled by it.”
He believes that his age and physical condition contributed to the initial disbelief from medical staff.
“I’m 38 years old, I’m physically a very fit guy and very active, […] I go to the gym multiple times a week,” John shared.
Despite losing up to 30 pounds, his concerns were not immediately addressed, as doctors considered the rarity of his cancer type and his young age as factors against cancer being the cause.
Since then, John has undergone surgery and chemotherapy, and as of November 2025, his pathology results showed no signs of cancer.
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and wish to speak to someone in confidence, reach out to the American Cancer Society at 1-800-227-2345 or use their live chat feature, available 24/7 every day of the year.