A 29-year-old woman considered to be healthy was diagnosed with stage three cancer and has shared the four common disorders that cancer can often be confused with.
While many people still believe that cancer primarily affects the older population, it is increasingly clear that the disease is having severe consequences for younger individuals as well.
In recent years, there has been a rise in cancer diagnoses among younger individuals, prompting extensive research to understand the reasons behind this concerning trend.
A 29-year-old woman recently posted on Reddit about her experience being diagnosed with colon cancer, sharing the symptoms she noticed before receiving her diagnosis.
In a post on the ‘Ask Me Anything’ subreddit, she wrote, “Colon cancer rates among young adults are increasing every year. I’m active and quite healthy. I ran a PR half marathon last year and workout 3-4 times a week. I eat relatively healthy compared to folks my age, but I’m not perfect.”
She noted, “Tested, and I had no genetic predispositions. Found the tumor during a colonoscopy after suspecting UC (ulcerative colitis) or internal hemorrhoids.”
The woman described some of the symptoms she had been experiencing, which can be easily mistaken for other medical conditions.
“Starting in December of last year I had dark blood and mucus in my stool, my stools were thinner than normal, and I was going number 2 multiple times a day when I was usually a one and done,” she recounted.
“I saw my PCP in January and he referred me for a colonoscopy, but then my symptoms improved so I put it off because my deductible had reset and I didn’t feel like paying for it.”
“Finally scheduled it for early April, woke up from the colonoscopy to the doctor telling me they found a mass.”
She encouraged others experiencing similar symptoms to seek medical advice for reassurance, as the signs of colon cancer can closely resemble those of other “extremely treatable” conditions.
“It’s normal to be scared, but you can eliminate all of that anxiety by going to see a doctor and ruling out anything serious. IBS, ulcerative colitis, celiac, and Crohn’s all have similar symptoms to colon cancer and are all extremely treatable. It’s better to know what’s going on in your body,” she explained.
Symptoms of colon cancer include: