Krystal Maeyke, a 39 -year -old Australian mother, was in great shape: active, healthy, without family history of cancer … However, a current symptom, which she took lightly for months, turned out to be the alarming sign of intestine cancer at an advanced stage.
Abdominal pain that does not pass
It all started with simple abdominal pain. Pinks, tightness, which she thought of a food allergy or a sensitive intestine. An embarrassment, but nothing very painful at the start. “I believed in a gluten intolerance”she says. “I was paying attention to my diet, I trained every day, I felt fit.”
But these pains were not banal. They have become nagging, disabling, going so far as to kneel it. For three months, Krystal tried to ignore them. What she did not know was that these pains came from intestinal tumors that developed and spread silently.
“I thought it was nothing serious. This is why cancer became advanced and spread in all my abdomen, my liver, my ovaries …”
On May 30, 2023, at the end of strength and pain, Krystal was emergency by plane to Alice Springs hospital. In full flight, morphine is ineffective against pain; Only a powerful analgesic, fentanyl, manages to temporarily appease it. In the hospital, the verdict falls: cancer of the metastatic intestine of stadium 4.
This other night symptom that should alert you
Krystal’s testimony highlights a crucial message: persistent abdominal pain should never be ignored. Still too often associated with mild disorders (such as irritable intestine syndrome or stress), they can be the sign of a much more serious evil, especially if they intensify or become chronic.
But Krystal’s pains were accompanied by other signs: constant fatigue, night sweats, intestinal irregularities. All have been rationalized or minimized. “I told myself that I was just an exhausted mom, or that the heat of summer was responsible for my night sweats” The young woman could however change several times a night, because of soaked clothes.
Not long ago, in a previous article Dr Gérald Kierzek, medical director of True Medical commented on these signs as alarming:
“A profuse sweating, that is to say excessive dips the sheets, which causes waking up in swimming, for no apparent reason or fever or overheating of the room. And the need to change clothes or sheets must make you consult.”
This kind of sweat can be the evocative sign of lymphomas (in particular Hodgkin’s disease), leukemia or neuroendocrine tumors. It is therefore necessary to consult.
Other more common signs to know
The revealing signs of colorectal cancer are most often banal:
- Of the pain type of intermittent intestinal colic with bloating that can last 1 to 2 days and followed by a fetid diarrheal debacle (Koenig syndrome);
- Of the Flatulence sensationsgravity, abdominal bloating;
- Alternating diarrhea and constipation ;
- A alteration of the general state (fatigue, lack of appetite, especially for meats, weight loss, small fever);
- A hypochrome anemia (translating an occult bleeding);
- Of the traces of black blood in the stool (Melaena);
- Of the Red blood or mucus emissions During or after the stool …
Rectal hemorrhage is a very important alert sign.
A call for vigilance – especially among young people
Krystal is not an isolated case. The number of intestine cancers in those under 50 is increasing sharply in many countries. In France too, young people are more and more concerned
Contrary to popular belief, colorectal cancer affects more and more young people. In France, more than 47,000 new cases are diagnosed each year, and almost 5 % of cases concern people under the age of 50, according to Public Santé France.
Even more worrying, specialists find an increase in these cancers among 20-49 year olds, even though screening campaigns only start at 50. Several environmental and food factors (ultra-transformed food, pollution, sedentary lifestyle, endocrine disruptors, etc.) are being studied to explain this progression. A physical change must then commit you to consult, even if it seems useless.
Today, despite his fight against an incurable disease, Krystal shares his story with his 50,000 subscribers on Tiktok to raise awareness. His message is simple and powerful:
“Cancer hurts. And sometimes it starts with a pain that you think is harmless. Do not ignore what your body is trying to tell you. Sometimes pain is not normal – it is a call for help.”