A 33-year-old nurse thought her bleeding was caused by hemorrhoids. She was diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer.
A 33-year-old nurse was diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer after dismissing blood in her stool for years, attributing it to hemorrhoids and fatigue from her job. Her story serves as a cautionary tale about the importance of not ignoring persistent symptoms, even in young patients without a family history.
Why it matters
It highlights the rising trend of early-onset colon cancer and the danger of normalizing common symptoms that may indicate serious illness.
Bryce Ramsey, 40, was diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer in her 30s after dismissing a common symptom for years. Bryce Ramsey Bryce Ramsey, 40, first noticed blood in her stool when she was 26. She dismissed the symptom until it got worse over the years. She was diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer at 33. When Bryce Ramsey first noticed on-and-off blood in her stool in her 20s, it didn't alarm her too much. She thought the bleeding was due to hemorrhoids caused by either larger bowel movements or childbirth; she had recently given birth to her son, Ashton, who weighed over 10 pounds. She also increasingly felt fatigued, but had an explanation for that, too: she was a registered nurse at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. "I'm tired all the time, but I can justify that, as I work 12-hour shifts," Ramsey, 40, told Business Insider.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in