Paige Seifert was only 24 when she learned she had stage three colon cancer early last year, and she decided to talk about it on TikTok for one simple reason. She wanted people to recognize symptoms that are easy to brush off, especially as colorectal cancer is being seen more often in younger adults. Her story is not meant to spark panic, but to encourage attention and follow through when your body feels off. She also stressed that early detection can make a real difference in treatment outcomes.
Before listing the signs that stood out to her, Seifert made a point of calming the conversation down. Having certain symptoms does not automatically mean cancer, and in many cases the cause is something far more common. She noted that issues like irritable bowel syndrome, coeliac disease, and other conditions can look similar at first. The goal, she said, is not fear but awareness and action when needed.
The first red flag for her was blood in her stool. She described it as the clearest sign that something was not right and said it should be taken seriously rather than explained away. Seifert shared that several doctors initially suggested haemorrhoids, which can be a common and harmless explanation. Still, she argued that seeing blood is reason enough to get checked and to let a professional confirm what is going on.
Her second symptom was extreme fatigue that felt different from everyday tiredness. Seifert said it was the kind of exhaustion that did not lift, no matter how much she slept. She described struggling to stay awake during the day in a way that was out of character for her. While fatigue can come from countless causes, she believed its intensity mattered, especially when paired with other changes.
@paigeseifert all of these symptoms separately can be for numerous reasons but together they were my indicator that something just wasn’t right. if you feel like something is wrong and you’re not getting the answers you want push and advocate for yourself, there are lots of opportunities for symptoms to be overlooked especially because of age. #coloncancer #coloncancerawareness #symptoms #advocate ♬ original sound – paigeseifert
The third issue was abdominal discomfort, which can be vague and easy to dismiss. Seifert said she did not want to get too detailed, but she felt that the combination of symptoms made it hard to ignore her gut instinct. She acknowledged that stomach pain, bloating, cramps, or digestive discomfort can also be linked to food intolerance or IBS. Even so, persistent discomfort is worth bringing up with a doctor rather than self diagnosing.
Seifert ended her video with a message about advocating for yourself. She said she saw four different doctors before getting the correct diagnosis, and that persistence was key. Guidance from the UK’s National Health Service also highlights changes in bowel habits, blood in stool that may look red or black, bleeding from the bottom, frequent urges to go, abdominal pain, lumps, bloating, unexplained weight loss, and fatigue or shortness of breath that can signal anaemia. If symptoms last three weeks or more, it is advised to speak to a doctor, and urgent help is recommended for black or dark red stool, bloody diarrhoea, or heavy ongoing bleeding.
Have you ever had a health concern dismissed at first, and what helped you push for answers? Share your thoughts in the comments.
