Blood in the stools is another symptom often mentioned in these real stories. It can be bright red or very dark, almost black. Sometimes it might be visible, and other times it can only be detected through a medical test. In many cases, patients initially thought it was just a minor issue like hemorrhoids, but it turned out to be much more serious. A lot of real - story patients regret not getting it checked out sooner.
Abdominal pain and discomfort are also prevalent in bowel cancer real - story experiences. The pain can range from a dull ache to sharp cramps. It may be intermittent or constant. Some people might feel the pain more when they eat or after physical activity. In real stories, some patients ignored this pain for a long time, thinking it was just indigestion or a muscle strain, until the cancer had progressed significantly.