A 28-year-old who lost 25 pounds without dieting or exercise was told she had IBS. She actually had colon cancer.

• The 30-year-old woman had unexplained weight loss and bloody stool for months.

• She said her doctors didn't approve of her request for a colonoscopy because she was young.

She didn't care that she lost weight in the spring of 2019.

Her uncle was killed in the line of duty and her close friend died from a heart attack, and she put on a lot of weight.

She might have been reflecting her improved mental and physical health. She didn't change her diet or exercise routine while she was working as a bouncer.

"I was like, 'OK cool,'" said Teague, who had grown to about 275 pounds. I didn't pay attention to the fact that your schedule is horrible, you barely sleep, and you eat like garbage.

About a year later, she began to worry. She was down 25 pounds, had suffered a severe and unexplained side pain, and everything she ate ran through her. She had to go to the bathroom up to seven times per day.

She said that she knew something wasn't right.

Despite her likely inheritance of Lynch syndrome, a genetic condition linked to a higher risk of multiple cancers, it took six to seven months for her to get a colonoscopy.

She had a tumor in her colon the size of a baseball and had to have it removed. She shared her story to raise awareness of Lynch syndrome and to encourage people to speak up for themselves.

"Listen to the signs your body gives you, so you know when it's time to shut it down," he said.

Clinicians first told her she looked healthy and probably had IBS

When she first went to the doctor, she said the nurse practitioner dismissed her weight loss, pain, and diarrhea as something else. A month later, he came back with the same list of symptoms.

The nurse said that she looked healthy and that her request for a colonoscopy was denied. The nurse told her that they don't give colonoscopies to people under 48 years old.

At doctor's visits, she told the team that her mom has Lynch syndrome, a rare genetic disorder. According to the MD Anderson Cancer Center, a woman's lifetime risk of colon cancer is between 40% and 60%.

She said that clinicians didn't test her for the condition and just told her to stop eating spicy food and change her diet since there wasn't a problem with aCT.

Suddenly, everyone was scrambling, 'We've got to get you scheduled, we've got to get you'

When she heard the December 2020 procedure had revealed cancer, she remembered her world had stopped. I didn't hear a thing.

Teague learned she had Lynch syndrome, which had a silver lining

She had a large colon removed and a small one merged with her colon.

Genetic screening for Lynch syndrome was recommended by the surgeon. Matthew Yurgelun, director of the Lynch Syndrome Center at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, told Insider that estimates suggest about one in 300 people have the condition.

"For people with Lynch syndrome, there is a wealth of tools that can be extremely effective at reducing cancer, but we need to know that that added risk exists in the first place."

People who know they have Lynch syndrome usually begin colon cancer screenings in their 20s and repeat them every two years.

If she had been tested six years earlier, she believes doctors would have caught the cancer earlier and spared her colon. She can only eat a meal or two a day without it, and she has to use the bathroom frequently. She said she would take that over changing a colostomy bag.

Even if the patient doesn't know they have Lynch syndrome, they're grateful that she has it since it tends to be diagnosed in earlier stages.

The size of the tumors made the surgeon think it was stage 4 cancer. She later realized it was stage 2.

She said that doctors told her she had been living with the cancer for over a year.

She's also at high risk of uterine cancer and so she's considering a hysterectomy. She needs to decide if she wants more children. The girls will be tested for Lynch when they are 18. She said that they would set up the preventive screenings if they had it. They are good to go if not.

Bowel cancers are on the rise in young people

In the past 30 years, research has shown a rise in colon cancer and related illnesses among younger people.

Older people are more likely to develop colon cancer. People under 50 are more likely to have advanced forms of the disease.

Symptoms like hemorrhoids, inflammatory bowel disease, and irritable bowel syndrome can make it hard to diagnose colon cancer.

It is clear that signs and symptoms that might indicate colorectal cancer in those under 50 should be evaluated by a healthcare professional promptly and not dismissed as "only hemorrhoids" or "normal"

According to the American Cancer Society, colon cancer can be treated if it is caught early.

I feel a bit discouraged in this big old world because I have so many ideas and plans I want to advocate for. The man said, "Teage said." She said that clinicians need to take family history, medical history, and symptoms into account, and not just dismiss patients due to their age.

People can get "peace of mind" if they are screened.

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