How I Knew l had Colon Cancer

Colorectal cancer can cause abdominal pain, constipation, and diarrhea.However, they may also be symptoms of Crohn's disease, irritable bowel syndrome, or even a stomach virus.

So, how can you tell when you should see a doctor?According to gastroenterologist David Richards, M.D., "every time symptoms persist for more than two weeks, they are cause for concern." 

This is especially true if they are accompanied by abdominal pain, bloody stools, or unintentional weight loss.In the words of six of our patients, here is how they learned they had colorectal cancer.Anatole Karpovs, M.D., a pediatrician from Lake Charles, Louisiana, who was diagnosed in 2013, admits, "I experienced bloody stools, bowel changes, and abdominal pains for months.

"But I didn't have time to get sick as a 37-year-old doctor with a busy practice and a busy family life.As a result, I minimized or hid my symptoms.I finally sought treatment only after they became so persistent that I could no longer ignore them.

At the beginning of 2019, colorectal cancer was discovered in Robert Harris, who was 76 years old.The oil and gas industry project manager explains, "I started having dark stools and a little pain in my lower abdomen, so I called my family doctor."Because the pain was on my right side, she brought me in for a checkup because she thought it might be my appendix.However, following a digital examination, she discovered that my stool contained blood.

Diarrhea Courtney Nash, who was 35 when she was given the diagnosis, had ulcerative colitis, which caused her to suffer from chronic diarrhea, frequent stomachaches, and other digestive issues for more than 20 years.Courtney, a sugar cane farmer from Harlingen, Texas, states, "But after the birth of my second daughter in 2011, my symptoms increased dramatically.

"I started gaining weight, losing my hair, and occasionally passing blood.Constipation or difficulty boweling: "I started having problems going to the bathroom in the fall of 2015," recalls John Kennedy, a factory worker from Indiana who was 48 years old at the time.I tried the home remedy after the constipation persisted for two or three weeks.I figured that if I ate some greasy food, nothing would bother me.However, on one occasion, I literally fell over with severe stomach pain to the point where I had to leave my job and visit an urgent care clinic.Abigail Pardo, who had just finished high school when she was diagnosed with colorectal cancer in 2013, says, "I've always been easily constipated."So, I didn't find it all that strange.

However, a few months later, I began to feel extremely out of breath after even the smallest amount of exercise, and whenever I lifted something heavy, I would immediately vomit.I was told by my family that I looked very pale.I finally visited a doctor.Unexpected and unexplained weight loss Kenneth Rolston, M.D., a retired MD Anderson infectious diseases specialist who was 66 when he was diagnosed, says, "Most people get a bit heavier over the holidays."However, by the beginning of 2017, I had lost weight steadily for about four months.

I didn't even try to.Additionally, I was exhausted.After his wife said, "You are literally melting away before my eyes," across the dinner table, Kenneth finally made an appointment.What will it take to get you to see a doctor?If you notice any of these symptoms, don't wait to call your doctor. Colorectal cancer symptoms like diarrhea, constipation, bloating, and fatigue are common enough that they could be caused by any number of things.

However, if you notice any or all of the following "alarm symptoms," you should treat it as a warning sign and get in touch with your physician right away.Rectal bleeding, black, loose, sticky, or tarry stools, unusually severe fatigue, low blood count, unintentional weight loss, and iron deficiency anemia are all symptoms of this condition. “Things like diarrhea and constipation are so general that they could be due to almost anything,” notes Richards.You might not have colorectal cancer in any of them.However, if a symptom persists rather than being a one-time issue, you should at least talk to your doctor about it.