💔 The Symptom She Ignored: “Normal” Fatigue
As a working mom, Susan was used to being tired.
Long days at the office
Late nights helping with homework
Early mornings
So when she started needing naps in her car after work, she didn’t think twice.
“I’d park, close my eyes for 10 minutes — just to make it through,” she recalls.
“I thought everyone felt like that.”
But this wasn’t normal fatigue.
This was debilitating exhaustion — the kind that doesn’t go away with rest.
And it was one of the first red flags.
🚩 The Second Sign: Sudden Digestive Changes
While traveling in France, Susan developed severe constipation — something she’d never experienced before.
She blamed it on:
Different food
Dehydration
Travel stress
But when she returned home, the symptoms worsened:
Abdominal pain
Bloating
Changes in bowel habits
Blood in her stool (which she initially dismissed)
She went to her doctor.
Routine tests came back “normal.”
She was told to “relax” and “eat more fiber.”
But Susan knew something was wrong.
“I felt it in my gut — literally and figuratively.”
🏥 The Diagnosis That Changed Everything
After weeks of worsening pain, Susan insisted on a colonoscopy.
What they found shocked her:
A large tumor in her colon
Cancer that had spread to her liver
Stage 4 colorectal cancer — advanced, but treatable
There was no early detection.
No warning until it was too late for a full cure.
“I didn’t have a family history. I wasn’t overweight. I ate fairly well,” Susan says.
“But I still got cancer. And I missed the signs.”
🔍 Why Her Story Matters: The Silent Signs of Colorectal Cancer
Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer worldwide — and it’s no longer just an “older person’s disease.”
In fact, rates in adults under 50 have doubled since the 1990s.
And the early symptoms are often silent or mistaken for something minor.
📌 Key Warning Signs (Don’t Ignore These!)
✅
Unexplained fatigue
Can be caused by anemia from internal bleeding
✅
Persistent bloating or cramping
May signal a blockage or tumor
✅
Changes in bowel habits
Diarrhea, constipation, or narrow stools lasting more than a few days
✅
Blood in the stool
Bright red or dark — never ignore
✅
Unintentional weight loss
A common sign of advanced cancer
✅
Abdominal pain or discomfort
Especially if new or worsening
👉 You don’t need all of them. Just one — if it’s persistent — deserves attention.
🛡️ What You Can Do: Prevention & Early Detection
Susan’s message isn’t fear — it’s action.
“I don’t want anyone to go through what I did.”
✅ Know Your Risk
Age 45+? You should be screened — even if you feel fine
Family history of colon cancer? Start earlier
Symptoms? Don’t wait — speak up
✅ Get Screened
Colonoscopy — gold standard, every 10 years
Stool tests (FIT or Cologuard) — non-invasive, annual or every 3 years
Virtual colonoscopy (CT scan) — alternative for some
💡 Many cases are preventable — polyps can be removed before they turn into cancer.
💬 Susan’s Message: “Don’t Wait. Advocate for Yourself.”
“I was told I was ‘fine’ — but I knew I wasn’t,” Susan says.
“If you feel something’s wrong, trust your gut — literally.
Ask for a second opinion.
Demand testing.
Your life could depend on it.”
She’s now undergoing treatment and living with stage 4 cancer as a chronic condition — not a death sentence, but a daily fight.
And she’s determined to use her voice to protect others.
💡 Final Thoughts: Your Body Speaks — Are You Listening?
We ignore fatigue.
We blame bloating on diet.
We say, “It’s just stress.”
But sometimes, the difference between “I’m tired” and “I’m sick”…
Isn’t in the symptom.
It’s in the response.
So if you’ve been feeling:
Unusually tired
Off in your digestion
Like something’s “not right”
Don’t brush it off.
See a doctor.
Get screened.
Speak up.
Because sometimes, the most powerful thing you can do…
Isn’t to wait.
It’s to act.
And once you do?
You might just catch something early — before it becomes a story like Susan’s.